About Cause4

Cause4 was launched in May 2009 to support charities and social enterprises as development and fundraising partners across the community, arts, sports and education sectors.

Cause4 aims to be a modernising influence and leader within The Third Sector, offering relevant and contemporary solutions for charities and social enterprises at a time when more creative, entrepreneurial approaches are much needed. We work with long-established national charities that wish to re-evaluate their approach to development, as well as with smaller local charities and social enterprises in their infancy.

Since 2009 we have raised over £20m for the clients with which we work and regularly raise over £500k charitable income per month.  In the 2012-13 financial year 2012-13 we raised £7.975 million for clients and already in 2013-2014 (since April 2013) we have raised £1,298,682 for clients.

We are often told by charities that they have a ‘fundraising problem’. Our experience frequently leads us to conclude that the challenges surrounding income generation are often more obviously rooted in the development of projects and programmes. Good sales seldom arise without well-developed products, ones which are attractive to customers because they deliver outstanding verifiable results and provide ‘excellent value for money’.  It is our clear conviction that successful fundraising cannot be ‘fitted’ retrospectively into ineffectual activities. As such, development and fundraising must go hand in hand – a principle to which Cause4 is uncompromisingly wedded and one, we insist, that needs embedding into the thinking of charities and the psyche of fundraisers.

Fundraising has never been without its challenges. In the current volatile economic climate, this Age of Austerity, the challenges have grown. Yet we believe that the possibilities for success remain endless – not least for organisations relishing a challenge, willing to think afresh and respond with agility and imagination to new opportunities.

Cause4 and our values have been developed based upon our interpretation of the ‘Triple Bottom Line’ and our unwavering belief in people, places and profitability.  In other words we are committed to developing our own people and to developing projects, programmes and campaigns which improve the lives of people in Britain and abroad, which enrich places and communities, whilst delivering at the same time a socially-driven yet profitable enterprise that generates the maximum amount of money possible for important charitable causes. In our work with clients we aim to innovate at an organisational level, in order to create impact in charitable and social enterprise programme development, as well as in fundraising.

Cause4 was a finalist in the Natwest Startup Awards 2011 in the category of best socially driven business and is a top 10 winner in the Ernst and Young Future 100 awards 2011 for demonstrating innovation in social enterprise. Cause4 was also a winner in the 2012 Startups 100 list for most innovative small businesses across the UK.

Cause4 is a recipient of an investment bursary from the Goldman Sach’s 10,000 small businesses programme and is a finalist in the Orange National Business Awards for Start Up Business of the Year 2012 and for The Pitch competition 2012. In November 2012 Cause4 won a prestigious silver international Stevie Award for Most Innovative Company of the Year (small business).  In 2013 Michelle and Cause4 were invited by Lord Young of Graffham and Sir Terry Leary to join the Accelerate 250 for businesses showing rapid growth and great potential.