Glossary
Applied
research.
Research undertaken to solve human problems, rather than simply
to add to the sum of human knowledge.
Basic
research. Research
oriented toward expanding knowledge, rather than directed at solving a
specific problem.
Block
grant. Federal
grants made under very broad, general subject areas.
Boilerplate.
Sections of any document, especially a proposal, that have been
used and reused so often that they have become standard elements.
Categorical
grant. A Federal grant made under narrow, specific program
guidelines that carefully spell out such matters as eligibility
requirements, program time frames and intended beneficiaries.
Contingency
funding. Funding
offered with a catch--one has to comply with certain requirements before
qualifying for the money.
Contract.
A binding agreement
between two or more parties (or persons); a procurement agreement.
Contract
Opportunity Notice (CON). A
CON is a public notice issued
by a funder, usually a government agency, stating that it wishes to
procure a service. The CON
describes the needed service, and invites interested groups to submit statements describing their qualifications and
past experience in the pertinent field.
Cost-benefit.
At its simplest, it
connotes a concern for getting the most and best service for the least
cost.
Data-collection
procedures. Systems
established, usually at the start of a project, to keep track of project
operations so that its effectiveness and efficiency can be analyzed
later.
Direct
costs. The
specific, identifiable costs of operating a grant-supported project such
as personnel, travel, equipment purchase and lease, consumable supplies
and rent.
Discretionary
funds. Grants
that are allocated according to a funder’s judgment rather than
according to a pre-established guideline or set of criteria.
Endowment.
Money that is made
available to a foundation by a donor, and is then invested so as to
provide funds out of which grants are made, taxes paid, operating
expenses met, and so forth.
Foundation.
A foundation is in essence:
(1) an endowment, a donor’s contribution, which is invested so
as to realize an income from which grants are made; and (2) a board or
committee that reviews proposals and decides where the money will be
placed. There are two
general categories of foundation: private
foundations (general purpose, special purpose, family and operating) and
public foundations (synonymous with community foundations).
Grantsmanship.
The knack of
knowing where the money is and how to get it.
Hard
money. Dependable,
long-term sources of funding.
Indirect
costs. A
budget category that covers general administrative costs such as
building rent, maintenance, depreciation and general local travel.
Indirect costs usually are calculated as a flat percentage of
either the budget or the personnel category alone.
In-kind.
Describes
contributions other than money, usually services, facilities or
equipment. See also Matching.
Letter
of intent/inquiry. The
first contact with a prospective funder.
Letter
of support. Endorsements
about a project’s efforts from organizations and individuals who are
considered credible in the eyes of the funder.
Matching.
A requirement.
Many Federal and a few foundation grant programs require that
applicants obtain a portion--usually anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of
their total request--from other sources, to show that there is wide
local support for the intended project.
OMB
circulars. Instructions,
guidelines and directions, issued to all Federal grantmaking programs by
the Office of Management and Budget, the supervisor of federal granting
activities and source of the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance.
Peer
review. Critical reading of a proposal or contract by reputable
practitioners and others conversant with the field it addresses, who are
in a position to judge the competence of the applicant.
Preliminary
proposal. A
brief, early draft of the proposal, used to elicit feedback from the
prospective funder so that the proposal may be more closely tailored to
funder expenditures. Also
known as a discussion paper, proposal or pre-application.
Request
for Proposal (RFP). This
is the public notice that is issued by a funder who wishes to procure a
service from a contractor.
Soft
match. Service,
facilities, equipment--in short, anything but money.
See Matching.
Support
services. Those functions
in an organization that exist to help other, primary functions.
Target
population. The
intended beneficiaries of a grant-supported service project.
Also known as client population.
Tax
exempt. A
legal status, bestowed by the IRS, which states that organizations have
adequately demonstrated their charitable, education, religious,
scientific or literary nature. By
far the largest part, but not all, of tax-exempt organizations are
non-profit corporations. Others
include trusts and benevolent associations.
These
definitions were adopted from Smith and Spjei’s Getting
Grants (Harper and Row Publishers, 1980).
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