What funders actually fund, and why winning grants isn't your only answer

Apply to a funder you already have a relationship with, and you might see a success rate of up to 30%. Apply cold, to someone who’s never heard of you, it’s most likely to be below 10%. Funders don’t fund the best applications. They fund the clearest cases. When the pool is this competitive, clarity on who you are and what you exist to do isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s essential.