One tired (former) charity manager. Too many hats. Not enough coffee. 

Let’s dim the lights and pour a cuppa (or something stronger – I won’t judge). Welcome to my unofficial therapy session – no couch, no clipboard, just me: former Head of Fundraising / General Manager / Office Keyholder / Breakroom Mug Collector… 

Oh, and yes – also the person who used to write every single grant application the organisation ever submitted. 

If you’re That Person right now – I see you. This one’s for you. 

“No, I can’t just ‘tweak that old grant application in an hour.” 

Grant writing isn’t admin. It’s emotional origami. 
Every funder has their own vibe. One wants a logic model. One wants a budget with three decimal places. One just says “Tell us a story” but means “Give us a thesis.” 
What you think is a ‘tweak’ is actually a rewrite in a trench coat.  

“Why do we always remember the rejections and forget the wins?” 

That €30,000 I secured last year? Barely a flicker. 
But that rejection email calling my outcomes ‘vague’? Etched into my soul. 
Success is fleeting. Rejection is sticky. 

“No, we still haven’t heard back. Yes, I know it’s been four months.” 

I promise I’m not ignoring you. I just have no update. 
Apparently “mid-June” means “maybe never” in funding land. 
It’s like waiting to be ghosted – but more professionally worded. 

Bonus Round: Other Things I Yell Quietly in My Head 

• “No, I can’t make the budget match your dream numbers and be real.” 

• “Why is the word count 500 when the question needs 2,000?” 

• “Please stop forwarding me funding calls with no deadlines and vague eligibility. I’m begging.”
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Final Thought (and a gentle nudge) 

Grant writing is part storytelling, part strategy, part psychic mind-reading, part mild existential crisis. 

It’s often invisible, rarely celebrated – but without it, nothing moves. 

Here’s the thing, though – it doesn’t have to feel like this forever. 
I’ve been there. And now I help organisations write smarter, stress less, and stop trying to do it all alone. 

So here’s to us – the grant whisperers, the late-night budget builders, the ‘just one more paragraph’ warriors. 

You’re not alone. You’re doing brilliantly. 

And yes – you deserve a funded wellbeing day too. 
Maybe even a proper strategy session… with snacks. 

Find out more about how we can help.