DE KLEINE PRINS

De Kleine Prins, "the little prince", is an accounting firm at number 14 Zwartzustersstraat in Leuven, a few minutes by bus from the station. It describes itself as a highly specialised firm that works only for the non-profit sector: non-profit associations, international non-profit associations, foundations and public bodies. Its starting point is simple: traditional firms are not at home with the details and nuances of the regulations that apply to these organisations. The company is recognised by the ITAA as a legal entity under number 50.296.924.

The firm was founded in 1999 by Bruno Deprins, who remains at the helm for a few more years. The team numbers around thirty staff and the firm serves some 600 clients. Several members of the Deprins family now work there, including Tom Deprins, who helps steer the use of new technologies in the profession. The team's backgrounds reflect its clients: former youth workers, musicians, artists, a former care-sector director, an English-speaking staff member for international organisations and the firm's first programmer, tasked with automating whatever can be automated.

The clients fall into eight families that the firm calls its colourful sectors: youth, culture, care, social, sport, world, environment and an "other" category. Some staff have built specific expertise in education and student associations. The international side covers international non-profit associations, which the firm supports with an English-speaking staff member. The website is available in Dutch and English. The firm also stresses an ethical approach, correct and respectful work, and moderate fees, more reasonable in its view than those of the big names in the sector.

Beyond bookkeeping and preparing the annual accounts, the firm puts the emphasis on advice. It wants each association's figures to be up to date and delivered on time, then backed by explanations, advice and tailored analysis. Its staff promise quick responses. The work takes account of the sector's specific features: allocating expenses by department and project, tracking funding channels, comparing budget with actual results, and analytical budgets. The firm works under general terms and an engagement letter in line with ITAA rules.

For day-to-day work, the firm offers three in-house apps. De Lantaarn, "the lantern", is the financial portal: the association scans, emails or uploads its documents, algorithms recognise the invoices and assign them to department, project and funding channel, and the portal syncs with the accounts. It also lets users prepare payments, follow up suppliers and customers and view bank accounts directly. De Roos, "the rose", handles invoicing: recurring invoices, sending by email, payment tracking, reminders, purchase orders and quotes, with automatic transfer to the accounts.

The third app, De Verrekijker, "the telescope", is dedicated to budget analysis. It compares the overall budget with the overall result in real time, then the analytical budgets and results, with drill-down to the accounting documents. A project manager can be given access restricted to their own projects, and the data can be exported for reporting. The firm also brings its community together: it organises an event called DKP in kleur LIVE at Het Depot in Leuven, mixing substantive content, a show, music and a keynote. It sends out a newsletter.