Glossary of Philanthropic Terms

Annual Campaign:
A campaign to raise money for the ongoing operational expenses of an organization.
Capital Campaign:
An effort to raise money for a specific charitable cause.
Cap grant:
When a funder offers to complete the funding needed for a specific project once other funding is acquired (this is helpful when the funder isn’t interested in funding the complete project but understands that all the funding is necessary to make the project successful).
Donor:
The individual or organization that makes a gift of money, stock, land or any object of value.
Endowment:
A charitable savings account. The money in the account is never spent. Only the interest earned on the account is available to be used for charitable purposes. 
Foundations:
Nonprofit organizations established by individuals, families, businesses, and communities to support causes and programs that benefit society.
  • Private Foundation: A foundation that receives its funds from private (non-public) sources.
  • Public Foundation: A foundation that receives its funds from public sources.
  • Corporate Foundation: A foundation that receives its funds from a business or corporation.
Grantmaking Priorities:
Issues or causes that have been identified as the highest importance by the funding organization.
Governance:
The act, process, or power of governing; government.
Grant:
A giving of funds for a specific purpose.
Grant Guidelines:
A statement of a funder’s goals, priorities, criteria, and procedures for applying for a grant.
Grant Seeker:
An individual or organization requesting funds from a funder.
Grantmaking:
Giving of funds for a specific charitable purpose.
Grantee:
One to whom a grant is made.
Grantor:
One that makes a grant.
Investments:
The placing of money or capital in the stock market for profitable return.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS):
A division of the US Department of Treasury that collects internal revenue, including income taxes and excise taxes.
Matching Grant:
When a funder offers to match contributions made by other donors (example: $1 from the funder for every $1 raised by the local community up to a certain dollar amount). Matching grants encourages the organization to gain local support and ownership for the project.
Mission Statement:
A summary describing the aims, values, and overall plan of an organization or individual.
Non-profit 501(c)(3):
An incorporated organization which exists for educational or charitable reasons, and from which its shareholders or trustees do not benefit financially.
Philanthropy:
The concept of voluntary giving (of time, talent and treasure) by an individual or group to promote the common good.
Proactive Grant:
When a funder chooses to address a problem or opportunity by offering resources (dollars, technical assistance or time) to its community.
Proactive Project:
When a funder identifies a community need or opportunity and uses its resources to bring about positive change.
Responsive Grant:
When a foundation replies to an outside organization’s request for funding.
RFP:
Stands for request for proposal. An RFP is an invitation for providers of a product or service to bid on the right to supply that product or service to the individual or entity that issued the RFP.
Robert’s Rules of Order:
A set of rules for presiding over a meeting; written by Henry M. Martin in 1876 and subsequently updated through many editions.
Talents:
Skills and abilities of a superior quality.
Technical Assistance Grant:
Grants that provide funding to nonprofit organizations for education and consulting services. Technical assistance grants fund projects such as planning capital campaigns, fundraising, financial planning, organizational development, board development and strategic planning.
Trustee:
A person entrusted with administering the affairs of a company or organization.
Volunteer:
A person who performs or offers to perform a service without compensation.

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