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Part 1 of 3: The Story
This is the first in a three-part series about taking the leap into self-employment and what it taught me about resilience, support systems, and leading through uncertainty. In this piece, I share the deeply personal story of how I made the toughest decision of my life.
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Seeing this screenshot really annoys me.
Picture this: you’ve found a funder that perfectly matches your client’s ethos, their work, and their goals. It’s a rare alignment of values and priorities, a golden opportunity—or so it seems. Then, you scroll down their website and see this:
Read more: When the Odds Are 2%: Should You Apply?“We are currently receiving a high number of requests, which means the success rate for applicants is about 2%.”
You pause. The glow of possibility dims. Questions race through your mind. Why did they open the grant round at all? Why not close it early if demand is that overwhelming? And perhaps the most pressing question of all: is it even worth the charity’s effort to invest time, resources, and money into crafting a stellar application for this funder?
Let’s be honest: the grant application process isn’t quick or cheap. It takes a lot to write a compelling bid—gathering data, aligning your narrative to their priorities, and creating a budget that fits like a glove, and when the odds are as steep as 2%, you can’t help but wonder if the time spent could be better used elsewhere.
But here’s the rub: someone has to be in that 2%. Could it be you? If the funder truly aligns with your mission, the answer might still be yes, but, before diving in, weigh up the costs. Ensure the potential funding is really worth the effort and consider if there are alternative funders with better odds.
Because while a perfect match is rare, your resources are even rarer.
This post is part of my ‘No-Nonsense Nonprofit’ series. I’m Connie – consultant at Third Sector Support Solutions Ltd, where I help social sector organisations untangle the messy stuff and write bids that get funded. This blog lives on The Art of Stupidity – my honest, human space for sharing what I’ve learned in the field.
So, a huge shout out goes to Greg McKeown in this post, His book on Essentialism helped me in the past deal with difficult coworkers, especially the ones who love to dump stuff on you at the last minute. I think at some point in life, we all have an experience of one of those, and they can make us or break us.
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Don’t get upset when it rains after a long drought… be thankful the roses have water and go dance in it!
Thoughts are what make us who we are on the inside. They are what shape us, mould us to be the person the world sees.
Even if we do try to hide behind “things”… it usually doesn’t work in the long run.
So. Do we really want those thoughts to be bad?
What can we really control in our lives?
We can’t control other people’s thoughts or actions, we can’t control how they act towards us… What they do or do not do… If they keep their promises to us.
Dare to look foolish.
The real fools are those who never attempt anything. Continue reading
Write them down or just shout them out loud to the room.
But here’s the catch — you’re not allowed to list anything you are (i.e., I’m a nice guy, I’m honest), but instead can only list things that you do (i.e., I’ve just been awarded a certificate for volunteering, I make the best curry in Doncaster).
If you found that difficult, well, this is for you.
At any time you can decide to alter the course of your life.
No one can ever take that away from you. You can do what you want to do and be who you want to be. Nature is constantly at work around you. Character and destiny are her handiwork. She gives you love and hate, jealousy and reverence.
You have the power to choose which impulse you follow.
While your character is formed by your circumstances, your desires can shape those circumstances.
The one thing over which you have absolute control are your own thoughts.It is this that puts you in a position to control your own destiny.
Your greatest power is the power to choose.
The Art of Stupidity 