How To Answer The Dreaded
“Tell Us About Yourself” Question Like A Pro
From Decoded: The Secret To Successful Funding Applications
Is writing about yourself in “funder speak” so hard you dread applying?
The example in this lesson is a very common problem.
Writing vague, waffly answers makes your application blend in, and funding judges zone out.
These 7 simple questions will make your application specific and full of juicy details judges will want to invest in.
The rest of the course explains everything I wish artists knew about: what funders are really looking for, how to make your project too exciting to turn down, what should and shouldn’t go into your marketing plan, solid budgeting, and how to write convincingly (even if you think you’re terrible at it).
As a bonus for trying this lesson, you get a special discount code (see below for details).
Enrol today to learn the secret to successful funding applications.
- Amelia Ideh, Funding Judge
Course: Decoded: The Secret To Successful Funding Applications
Instructor: Amelia Ideh
Format: Video Instruction, Workbook, Bonuses, Community.
Status: Open for enrolment
Discount available
for the first
50 purchases only
Standard Price £149 → After Discount £129
Discount Code: DLLD20
Want to know more? Keep going ↓
What Artists Are Saying About This Course
“This course will turn an average application into a good one, and a good application into one that really stands out. I highly recommend it, it’s now our funding Bible.”
Dean Bryce
Talent Manager
London, UK
“I'm terrified of all these funding applications, so these exercises and examples are super helpful to contextualise my ideas as well as help tackle the actual writing.”
Alegria
Music Producer
Poznań, Poland
“It was straightforward, easy to digest and left me confident in my ability to make an application, which is something I didn't feel prior to the insights revealed in the course.”
Simone Brewster
Contemporary artist
London, UK
What’s Included In The Course?
Instant, lifetime access to 21 short video lessons (you can watch them all in under an hour).
A 38-page workbook (digital + printable pdf) bursting with done-for-you templates, examples, & tips (see FAQs for more).
Free access to Shipping Club, our live online accountability co-working sessions (*if you sign up before the term starts).
14-Day Money-Back Guarantee
We don’t want you to pay for a course if it’s not right for you. Here’s how our refund policy works:
First, watch the lessons and complete the asterisked workbook exercises. They’re designed to help you get the most from the course.
If you’ve done that and haven’t found the course helpful, we’ll happily refund you within 14 days of purchase.
Enrol Now ↓
Semester Starts January 11, 2027
Individuals
✓ Includes lifetime access to all course materials
✓ Covered by our 14-day money back guarantee
Groups, Universities,
& Organisations
Need access for a cohort, class, team, or organisation?
✓ Discounted group rates available
✓ Individual account logins for every participant
EU VAT-registered businesses must contact us before purchase with a valid VAT number
Discount DLLD20 available for the first
50 purchases only
Frequently Asked Questions
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The workbook is designed to help you practise the skills you’ll learn in the videos and give you a range of tools to help you take action quickly. These include:
Templates, for example:
“Tell Us About Yourself” (In 7 Simple Steps)
Three Convincing Answers To “Why Now?”
Impact Hacking Research Template
Done-For-You Budget Template
Exercises, for example:
How To Think Like A Funder
The Funder-Speak Translator
Copy Editing Quiz
Tools, for example:
À La Carte Marketing Menu
The 9-Step Application Writing Process
Build Your Fundraising Toolkit
Funding Application Submission Checklist
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We can’t guarantee you successful fundraising outcomes, but we will teach you the proven fundraising techniques that work for us and many others.
The smallest funding grants usually start at £500, and many are in the region of £5000–£15,000. So, this course should pay for itself many times over throughout your career.
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Yes! This course will teach you how to write a strong application and how to research and balance a budget. We’ve also created tools to do as much of the work for you as possible.
The workbook includes answer templates (plus example answers) you can use as inspiration for the most important questions.
You’ll also get a budget calculator that adds up the numbers for you, so you can be sure your budget is balanced.
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We’re sorry you got rejected. That’s tough, and the more it happens, the worse it feels.
Whether you do this course or not, we encourage you to ask for feedback to try and find out why your application was rejected.
Most of the time, it’s for a few simple reasons: your answers were unclear or vague, your application wasn’t compelling or urgent enough in a competitive round, or the plan/budget didn’t make sense.
One of the exercises in the workbook, “How To Think Like A Funder”, will help you understand why funders accept or reject applications. The rest of the course will teach you how to write the kind of answers funders find difficult to reject.
By the end of the course, you’ll feel ready to try again, knowing your chances of success will be much higher.
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We won’t sugarcoat it, funding is competitive. Here’s the 3-step approach we recommend:
Learn how to fundraise.
Most artists are never taught how, so this will give you a significant advantage.Research and apply for the grants you’re eligible for regularly rather than sporadically.
This will improve your fundraising skills, increase your chances of being funded, and put less pressure on each application.Ask funders for feedback if you get rejected.
You might have just missed out in a strong round. With a few small tweaks, you could be at the front of the line next round.
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Yes! Don’t wait for a funding project idea to suddenly appear in your mind - it’s highly unlikely to happen.
Find out what kind of activities the funding grants you’re eligible for can support. Let that inspire you, then using the skills you’ve learned in this course, join the dots between your project idea and their funding criteria.
Once you’ve done it a few times, it will start to become second nature.
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Our tutor, Amelia Ideh, has worked as a fundraiser, judge, and marketing consultant in the UK and Europe across many different art forms, including music, dance, theatre, and visual arts.
The principles in this course are universal, since funders of all art forms around the world are looking for applications written with clarity, specificity, compelling project ideas, logical planning, and solid budgets.
It’s a good idea, however, to check whether there is any arts funding available in your country.
There are some international grants open to applicants all over the world, but there are fewer of them, and availability can vary according to your art form.
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Experienced fundraisers and medium or large arts organisations. This course doesn’t cover larger grants or core funding.
Anyone who wants to learn crowdfunding, individual donor fundraising, or how to run fundraising events.
Anyone who is not eligible for, or applying for, arts funding. The advice, tools, and examples may not work in other industries.
Anyone looking for legal, charity compliance, or tax advice. This course covers application writing, not setting up a company.
Anyone looking for an application writer, coach, or 1:1 application feedback. We cannot currently offer those services.