Grant Terminology

Types of Grants

• Challenge grant: A grant awarded only if the grant seeker raises a designated amount from other sources
• Consortium grant: A grant awarded to one organization for a project that will be carried out by the grantee and other participating institutions; typically governed by a document, called the cooperative agreement, that is negotiated prior to the grant proposal submissions
• Continuation grant: A grant that extends funding for a particular grantee into a future time period
• Demonstration grant: A grant that funds a project for a limited timeframe to test its feasibility and, often, serve as a model for other projects
• Institutional grant: A grant whose award takes into account the volume of grants awarded to a particular university or other institution
• Step-funded grant: A grant that funds a project fully for its first year and then provides specified, usually decreasing, levels of funding in subsequent years

Other Grant Vocabulary

• 501(c)(3): An IRS designation for nonprofit, charitable, tax-exempt organizations
• Annual campaign: A yearly effort to raise funds for operational expenses/improvements
• Award: Official notification from a grantmaker that an organization has received a grant
• Capital campaign (building campaign): A fund drive that seeks support for major construction or renovation projects that may take two or more years to complete
• Constituency: The people served by a particular organization or initiative
• Corporate giving program: A corporation’s donation that is funded from the annual budget instead of a separate endowment or foundation
• Endowment: Permanent funds whose investment income provides ongoing support for an organization
• Form 990: An IRS form filed by many public charities and other tax-exempt organizations
• Funding cycle: The schedule by which a foundation makes grants (annually, quarterly)
• Fundraising: Everything an organization does to garner financial support (e.g., grant writing, fund drives, annual dinners)
• Grant: Funds given to an individual or organization by a foundation or government agency with no expectation of repayment
• Grantee: An agency or individual to whom funds are awarded
• Guidelines: The funder’s description of what it funds, what applications should include, and how they will be judged
• Letter of inquiry: A short overview of your proposal sent to a funder to determine whether you should submit a full-fledged proposal
• Letter of intent: A notice sent to grantmakers sharing an organization’s plans to apply for a particular grant
• Postmark deadline: The date by which an application must be mailed and postmarked
• Program director: A person at the grantee organization who oversees the project
• Program officer: A person at the grantmaker who monitors the grantee’s programs
• Receipt deadline: The date after which a funder no longer accepts applications for a particular grant
• Request for proposal (RFP): A document issued by a funder (typically a government one) that describes its funding priorities, grantee criteria, and submission guidelines
• Review panel: A group of grant readers who make recommendations to the funder about whether or not the grant should be awarded to a particular applicant.