Glossary Of Terms

Abstract

Summarizes the purpose, importance and scope of the proposed project.

Accessibility

The extent to which programs or services can be reached or obtained by those who want or need them.

Administrative Costs

All direct and indirect costs associated with the management of grant programs.  Often capped by the grantor at a certain percentage of the grant.

Applicant

Party requesting a grant.

Assessment

Process of collecting and analyzing information to make judgments.

Assurances

Represent a listing of a variety of requirements, found in different federal laws, regulations, and executive orders that applicants agree to by signature in an application.

Audit

An examination of grants records and financial accounts for accuracy and legal compliance, which may lead to recommendations for corrective action.

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Bidder's Conference

A meeting with potential bidders to discuss the technical, operational and performance specifications, and/or the full extent of financial security and contractual obligations related to a grant solicitation.

Block Grant

Lump sum of money given to a state or local governing agency based on a formula to be spent in generally eligible areas.  Purposes are broadly defined and few restrictions are mandated from the funding source.  Restrictions can be imposed by the re-granting agency.

Boilerplate

A form or section of a document that is used so often as to become standard and reused.

Budget Period

An interval of time, which a project period is divided for budgetary purposes, usually twelve months.

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Capital Support

Refers to funds provided for endowment purposes, buildings, construction or equipment.

Challenge Grant

Grant that is offered with the stipulations that the recipient will raise additional funds from another source or sources.  Also called a matching grant.

Charitable Choice

A requirement that state governments contracting with private sector organizations cannot discriminate against a faith-based social services provider because the provider is religious.

Code of Federal Requirements (CFR)

A compilation of all final regulations issued by federal agencies, published annually and divided by numbered titles.

Community Foundation

A 501(c)(3) organization, usually considered a public charity, that makes grants for specific purposes in a specific community or region.  Funds are derived from many donors and held in an endowment that is independently administered.

Concept Paper

Contains key elements of a project, including information about the applicant, the target population, the need, objectives, total budget, other contributors and what makes it remarkable.  Concept papers usually do not exceed three pages, including the cover letter.

Consultant

Someone brought in for a limited time to solve one or more specific problems.  This can be done under a contract for a specific problem or on a longer term contract for ongoing needs related to a specific problem.  The term consultant is often used interchangeably with the terms independent contractor, freelancer, and vendor.

Contact Person

The representative of the funder for the grant program, and may also serve as the program administrator or grant officer.

Continuation Grant

Provides additional funding for budget periods subsequent to the initial budget period.

Contract

A legal, written agreement between two or more parties to perform certain services in exchange for money or other remuneration; also used to describe a type of funding in which specific services are performed for a set fee.  Contracts are often awarded on the basis of a Request for Proposal, often referred to as an RFP.

Corporate Foundation

A private foundation whose assets are derived primarily from the contributions of a for-profit business.  While a company sponsored foundation may maintain close ties with the parent company, it is an independent foundation with its own endowment and its own board of directors.

Corporate Giving Program

A grant making program established and administered by a profit making company.  Corporate giving is planned as of the company's budgeting process and usually is funded with pre-tax income.

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Deadline Date

The receipt date by the funder for an application to be considered for funding.  However, some deadline dates are mailing dates and need to be confirmed by a postmark or private shipping company date.

Deliverables

Those products that are produced by a grant project.  They may be quantified by achievement i.e., enrollments, or singular outcomes, i.e., a curriculum.

Demonstration Grant

 A grant made to fund an innovative project with the intention of duplicating the project elsewhere.

Direct Costs

Specific and identifiable costs of project operation.

Discretionary Grant

Competitive grant program in which the applicant designs the proposal, and the funding agency ranks the proposals received and determines which will receive grant awards; also called competitive grants or project grants.

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Education Foundation

Raises funds for school programs, but is a private, non-profit corporation, legally independent from the educational institution.  They can serve as broker between the school and community or fiscal agent between a school and a private funder.  Education foundations often operate mini-grant programs for teachers.

Encumbrance

An obligation in the form of a purchase order, or commitment, which is chargeable to a grant award and for which part of the awarded amount is reserved.  Ceases to be an encumbrance when paid in full.

Endowment

Financial support kept permanently by an institution and invested to provide income to support programs or operations.

Evaluation

Process of collecting and analyzing data on various aspects of a program, usually for the purpose of program planning and goal setting, improving processes and outcomes, securing and allocating resources.  Includes formative (collecting and analyzing data to focus on "what's working and what needs to be improved") and summative (collecting and analyzing to investigate "what's been achieved" in a program).

Expiration Date

Date specified in the grant award notification after which expenditures may not be charged against the grant unless to satisfy obligations committed before that date.

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Federal Giving Program

Joint fundraising effort, usually administered by an umbrella organization that, in turn, distributes the contributed funds to several non-profit agencies.

Fiscal Year (FY)

The twelve month accounting period at the end of which the books (accounting) are closed for an agency or governmental unit.

Formula Grant

A forumula grant program is a noncompetitive award based on a predetermined formula.  These programs are sometimes referred to as state-administered programs.

Freelancer

A person who pursues a profession, usually in the arts, under no long-term contractual commitments to any one employer or company.  They are on their own to find work, negotiate the terms and compensation for that work, and deliver the work to the satisfaction of the paying client.  The term freelancer is often used interchangeably with the terms independent contractor, consultant and vendor.

Funder

Governmental unit, foundation, corporate giving program or other entity that awards grants.

Funding Cycle

The schedule of events starting with the announcement of the availability of funds, followed by the deadline for submission of application, review of applications, award of grants and release of funds.

Funding Priorities

A means of focusing a competition on the areas in which the agency is particularly interested in receiving applications.  Priorities take the form of specific kinds of activities that applicants are asked to include in an application to receive preference points in the review process. 

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Grant

An award of financial assistance in the form of money, or property in lieu of money, by a funding agency.  The grant is usually advertised through an RFA.  The grantee is required to account for spending the money in the manner specified by the grantor.

Grantee

An organization that has been awarded financial assistance for a project.

Grantor / Grant Maker

A governmental unit, foundation, corporate giving program or other entity that awards grants.

Grant Period

A period of time that extends from the effective date through the expiration date.

Grant Seeker

An organization (school, school district, nonprofit, person) who is applying for a grant.

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In-Kind

Contribution of equipment, supplies or other tangible resource, as distinguished from a monetary grant.  Some organizations may also donate the use of office space or staff time as an in-kind contribution.

Independent Contractor

Person or a business that follows an independent trade, business, or profession in which they provide goods or services to the public.  The business contracting for their services must have the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not the means and methods of accomplishing the result.  The term independent contractor is often used interchangeably with the terms vendor, freelancer and consultant.

Indirect

Costs that cover general administrative costs of a project, including such items as rent, utilities, maintenance, depreciation and custodial services.

Indirect Cost Rate

Percentage of a grant, approved by a federal or state department, that a particular organization can use to reimburse itself for indirect costs incurred in doing the work of the grant project.

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Letter of Intent

From the grantor - Expresses the grantor's willingness to commit funds to a project if other conditions are met.

             From the applicant - A letter of intent should describe the purpose of the request, the applicant's credentials              and state the amount of funding requested.  If the request fits the funder's priorities, applicants may be                         asked to submit a full proposal.

Letter of Commitment

Specifically lists services, money or other inputs promised to the project by the partner organization.

Letter of Support

Written endorsement of an application for funding provided by organizations or individuals who are familiar with the applicant's ability.

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Matching Funds

Funds required by a grant program to pay the percentage of project costs not covered by the grant.

Matching Grant

Grant made by one grantor or donor to match those provided by another grantor or donor.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

An agreement developed and executed among partners relating to their roles in a joint operation.

Mini Grant

Funding for small projects, usually less than $2,500.

Monitoring

A grantor's review and evaluation of specific aspects of a grantee's activities under a grant agreement.

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Nonprofit

An incorporated organization approved by the Secretary of State as "nonprofit".  This means that in addition to certain advantages realized by the corporation in return for the nature of its public services, any profit (surplus) earned from its services must remain within the corporation for program improvement, enhancement or expansion, and cannot be distributed to owners, shareholders, etc.  In addition, Board members receive no remuneration from its activities.

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

Term some agencies use for the announcement of a funding competition or a Request for Proposal (RFP).

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Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

A branch of the federal government that oversees procurement, financial management and regulatory policies.  OMB Circulars are policy documents, which include the administration of federal grants.

Operating Foundation

Uses the majority of its funds to conduct research or run programs for the common good.  An operating foundation may make a few small grants.

Outreach

An active effort by program staff to encourage individuals in the designated service delivery area to avail themselves of program services.

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Partnerships

Involve similar organizations that help each other meet their respective goals, without making substantial changes in the services they provide.

Performance Funding

Based on the timely submission of deliverables according to the specifications between grantor and grantee.

Program Year (PY)

The twelve month period beginning July 1 and ending June 30 for the state and beginning October 1 and ending September 30 for the federal government.

Project Period

An extended amount of time, during which a grantee is required to complete the approved work of a project.  Can be for longer than a twelve month period.

Proposal / Responsive Proposal

A submission that meets all the mandatory requirements stipulated in the RFP or RFA and addresses the legislative intent of the program.

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Replicability

A project requirement of most demonstration grants to replicate the grant elsewhere.

Request for Application (RFA)

Often used in non-competitive grant programs, seeking information from a grantee that usually is entitled to receive funds according to a demographic formula.  Also known as a formal announcement of an opportunity to apply for a grant.  An RFA specifies the requirements for applying for the grant.  RFAs are issued by goverments and foundations.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

A solicitation by a grantor seeking applications from potential grantees.  Formal announcement of an opportunity to apply for a grant.  An RFP specifies the requirements for applying for the grants.  RFPs are issued by government and foundations.  An RFP is also used by organizations to hire professional services.

Request for Quotation (RFQ)

When the government is checking into the possibility of acquiring a product or service, it may issue a Request for Quotation (RFQ).  A response to an RFQ by a prospective contractor is not considered an offer, and consequently, cannot be accepted by the government to form a binding contract.  The order is an offer by the government to the supplier to buy certain supplies or services upon specified terms and conditions.  A contract is established when a supplier accepts the offer.

Responsive Proposal

A submission that meets all the mandatory requirements stipulated in the RFP and addresses the legislative intent of the program.

Reviewer

An individual who serves the funder by reviewing and scoring a competitive proposal.  Reviewers are chosen for their subject area expertise.  They serve on a panel of at least three members.  A reviewer is also known as a grant reviewer, peer reviewer or field reviewer.

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Seed Money

Grant or contribution used to start a new project or organization.

Selection Criteria

Standards by which different components of a proposal are rated and scored to qualify for funding.

Set Asides

Funds reserved by a grantor for a specific purpose or project.

Solicitation for Grant Application (SGA)

Term some agencies use for the announcement of a funding competition or an RFP.

State Single Point of Contact (SSPOC)

State entities designated by the States to review and coordinate proposed Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development. 

Subgrant

An award of financial assistance in the form of money or property made under a grant by a grantee to an eligible recipient called a subgrantee.

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Target Area

Geographic area, such as a city, neighborhood, county, certain census tracts or school districts, school service areas.

Targeted Population

Target population to receive direct assistance through the project.

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Vendor

A vendor is a seller of products or services.  Often in contracting with a business or the government, the supplier is called a vendor.  The term vendor is often used interchangeably with the terms independent contractor, freelancer and consultant.