The Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy programme has worked over the last four years to transform fundraising by developing innovative and efficient solutions for cultural fundraisers’ needs. Underpinning our work has been a commitment to providing quality affordable professional development and training to help support individuals and organisations develop their capacity to generate more income.

One thing that has grabbed my attention since I started working in the charity sector four years ago is the lack of understanding at Board level about the importance of fundraising. Yes, there are thousands of charities out there whose success is admired across the world, but there are also organisations whose own Trustees don’t seem to grasp the importance of fundraising in keeping a charity alive.

Last June, the Cause4 team pooled out collective ideas and perspectives in our post 'The Reality of Brexit for the Charitable Sector' and did our best to offer calm, collected views about what the referendum result meant for the future of charitable giving in the UK, and for the charitable sector itself. Now, six months and a whirlwind of political events later, we share our thoughts about what 2017 has in store.