Grantwriting Glossary of Terms
Types of Grants

Term	Definition
Addendum	Extra pages that you include with your grant, such as letters of support. These must be labeled (ex. Addendum II) and referenced within the narrative of the grant.
Authorized Signature	The signature of the person who is legally responsible for your organization.
Budget	The financial plan for your grant, itemized to show breakdown of both income and expenses. Graphical representation can be helpful in presenting this information clearly.
CFDA	Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Community Foundation	A public charity supported by combined funds contributed by individuals, foundations, nonprofit institutions, and corporations. Giving is located to specific locations (city, county, or state). Donors may designate specific charitable agencies or provide that grants be made for charitable purposes at the discretion of the foundation's public board.
Cost Sharing	A method of "matching money" in which the grantee agrees to invest a certain sum or percentage of "in-kind" dollars into the project.
Direct Costs	The total dollar amount necessary to fund your project. Includes, cash money only, not indirect costs.
Endowment	Money contributed to provide a continuing income for support or maintenance. The enowment may be general or specified for a particular project.
F&A	Facilities and Administration
Indirect Costs	The overhead an organization would have to pay in order to support a grant (electricity, rent for space, parking, etc.).
In-Kind	Refers to a contribution of services or items that an organization donates instead of a monetary sum, in order to help fund the project (ex. contributing a staff member's time).
IRB	Institutional Review Board - A review body established to protect the welfare of human subjects recruited to participate in biomedical or behavioral research. Protects the rights of individuals by guarding privacy, reducing risk, etc.
Letter of Intent	A letter that the grantseeker sends before writing or submitting a grant proposal to a grantmaker in order to ensure the proposal will fit within the foundation's guidelines and mission.
Letter of Support	A simple letter attached as an addendum to your proposal. This letter should be from an "expert" or supporter of your project who tells why he/she believes that your project should be funded.
Matching Funds	Refers to a dollar amount that the grantee or other outside party agrees to contribute to the project.
Narrative	The written portion of your grant. The story of who, what, where, when, why, and how. Every grant has at least 2 parts: a narrative and a budget. Often the grant guidelines will specify that your narrative may not exceed a certain page length. Always adhere to these instructions.
Need Statement	The part of the grant in which you explain, using both qualitative and quantitative data, why you should be funded. Remember to outline your problems and give data to verify the problem areas. (also called "Justification").
Objective	Specific, measurable aims for project, with matching outcomes to measure them.
Outcomes	Expected results of project which can be used to measure its success.
PI	Principle Investigator
Project Director	Individual responsible for activities involved in the grant, including the evaluation and follow-up (also called "Coordinator").
Proposal	A narrative describing a research project written for submission to a funding agency. It is usually accompanied by a project budget.
RFP - Request For Proposal	A notice from a funding agency or foundation to solicit proposals for new grant opportunities. RFPs usually list program descriptions, deadlines and eligibility requirements. Grantseekers should send a letter of intent and request an application packet.
Subcontract	A legal agreement to transfer part of a grant or contract from the awarded institution to another organization. Terms and conditions of the original contract/grant also apply to the subcontract.
Summary	Portion of the narrative in which you describe who, what, where, when, why, and how very briefly. Tell what the proposal is about. (also called "Cover Summary" & "Executive Summary").
Three-Column Budget	Kind of budget in which you show three sources for funding: the grantmaker (agency or foundation), outside funding (matching funds from a supporter), and your own in-kind support.