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Take a look at the latest opinion pieces from the Cause4 team.

Feature story

What daffodils taught me about fundraising

19th April, 2021 | By Edward Drew

Of all the things daffodils could possibly teach someone, you’d think fundraising is pretty unlikely. But on a cold February evening in 2019, four strangers and I at the Charity Fast-Track bootcamp in London were given a £1 coin and challenged to turn it into something much, much more.  

Charity Commission Chair weighs in on the ethics of charitable donations

17th November, 2023 | By Rebecca Ward

Many will have seen the article published by the Guardian on the 9th November, in which the current Chair of the Charity Commission weighs in on the debate regarding the ethics of accepting or refusing charitable donations. The article recalls how he recently challenged trustees who may be refusing charitable donations on the basis that their own “personal worldviews or preferences” are incompatible with those of the donor – be the donor a corporation, wealthy philanthropist, or trust. The comments are a warning to trustees that, if they are rejecting donations, they must have a very good reason for doing so.

Underrepresented groups in leadership? A promising start but a long way to go

20th June, 2023 | By Rebecca Ward

In the last few years, there has been a drive to improve diversity and representation in the governance and leadership of organisations. The total proportion of trustees from ethnic-minority backgrounds has also risen sharply since 2018, from 7 per cent to 16 per cent. However, the executive recruitment agency - Inclusive Boards - found that 29% of the biggest charities have all White trustee boards, thus the drive towards diversity within organisations is far from over. 

Chat GPT & Fundraising: what's next?

19th June, 2023 | By Lucy Pratt

We have a confession to make...

What are the ethical concerns of using Chat GPT and AI technology for fundraising?

8th June, 2023 | By Lucy Pratt

While AI technology, including Chat GPT, offers various benefits for fundraising, there are ethical concerns that organisations should be mindful of. 

Youth Board Leadership: Where are we now?

7th June, 2023 | By Rebecca Ward

Over the years, Cause4 has highlighted the importance of improving diversity and representation on boards, including young people. It is great to see an increasing number of organisations out there that have young people on their board, such as Young Minds, the NSPCC and the Roundhouse Trust. However, it is estimated that only 2% of charities have a young person on their board, so there is still work to be done. In this blog, and as part of our Balance the Board campaign, we return to this issue to remind ourselves why it’s important and consider where we are now.   

How charities are using AI to support fundraising

5th June, 2023 | By Lucy Pratt

Several charities have started utilizing AI technologies to support their fundraising efforts. Here are a few examples:

Pick of the Month – June 2023

5th June, 2023 | By Lucy Pratt

We're back! Now, at 2023's halfway point, we've got another set of 'Picks' doing brilliant work across the charity sector – from social entrepreuners doing astounding work to make advances in sustainability to charity leaders helping Londoners access creative education. June's selection have diverse interests and make for an inspiring read. 

How Chat GPT can support fundraisers

30th May, 2023 | By Lucy Pratt

Whilst Chat GPT is a relatively new technology, there are several ways in which charities and non-profit organizations have started to utilise AI-powered chatbots and conversational agents to support their fundraising efforts.

AI and Chat GPT in Fundraising – its role, uses and implications

22nd May, 2023 | By Lucy Pratt

With technology continuing to embed itself in all aspects of our lives at great speed, much has been written about AI technology, and how this is likely to facilitate the biggest shift in our working practices since the industrial revolution.

This week, OpenAI chief executive (and the inventor of Chat GPT) Sam Altman lauded the new generation of digital chatbots for their potential to “improve nearly every aspect of our lives”. 

However, his positivity also came with words of warning, “if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong, we want to work with the government to prevent that from happening.”

With every great revolution, comes trepidation, but looking at such technology through the eyes of a fundraiser, we need to ask whether this is the future of fundraising, or merely a tool to support us in our journey to create positive change? In a series of articles, we aim to open up discussion and debate on this topic.

CIoF Insights Fundraising Conference 2023

5th May, 2023 | By Rebecca Ward

Recently I attended the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Insight Fundraising Conference 2023. I was grateful for being awarded a bursary through the RAISE programme to support early-career arts fundraisers, without which I wouldn’t have been able to attend the in person event in London. 

The Coronation: Royal Philanthropy, HM King Charles III and The Big Help Out 

4th May, 2023 | By Lucy Pratt

Royal philanthropy has a long history – the first recorded Royal patronage was of the Society of Antiquaries, supported by King George II in the seventeenth century. It would later grow in importance between 1914-18; in the wake of the economic slump that followed the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Windsors supplied unemployed men and their families (many of whom had lost their breadwinner wage packets overnight) with relief funds.

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