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These are common words and phrases that you may encounter as you search
for and read through federal grants. Please contact
us if you have any questions.
Best practices - Methodologies,
programs, or initiatives which are considered exceptional models to
follow.
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Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) - Publication and database
produced by the General Services Administration that lists the domestic
assistance programs of all federal agencies and gives information
about a program's authorization, fiscal details, accomplishments,
regulations, guidelines, eligibility requirements, information contacts
and application and award process.
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Consortium -
A group formed by similarly-minded entities for the purpose of pooling
resources to undertake a project that would otherwise be beyond the
capabilities of any one member.
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Cost-sharing/matching -
Refers to the portion of project program costs not covered by the federal
government, which can take the form of either cash or an in-kind contribution
such as facilities, equipment, supplies, personnel salaries or any combination
thereof. Many federally funded grant programs require grantees to contribute
a set percentage of the total grant award to the project from nonfederal
sources. For example, a grantee receiving a $200,000 grant might be
required to contribute a 50 percent match ($100,000) of the total project
award. In cases where there is no matching requirement, a voluntary
contribution made on the part of the grant applicant to the proposed
project indicates an ability to rally institutional and community support
for a project's implementation and can strengthen the over all quality
of a grant proposal. The cost-share or matching funds must be treated
the same as the federal funds and only used in a manner that is allowable,
allocable and reasonable for that specific project.
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Discretionary grant -
An award of financial assistance (in the form of money or property in
lieu of money) by the federal government directly to an eligible grantee,
usually made on the basis of a competitive review process where prospective
applicants would submit grant application proposals to the awarding
federal agency for consideration.
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DUNS number - DUNS is an abbreviation
of Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS). A DUNS number is a nine-digit
number assigned and maintained by Dun and Bradstreet to identify unique
business establishments. In order to improve the statistical reporting
of federal grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements, the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) has directed federal agencies to require
all applicants to provide a DUNS number when applying for Federal grants
or cooperative agreements. All grantees, contractors and potential applicants
are encouraged to obtain a DUNS number and to assure that an accurate
DUNS number is included in their application or proposal.
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Federal Register -
A daily compilation of federal regulations and legal notices, presidential
proclamations and executive orders, federal agency documents having
general applicability and legal effect, documents required to be published
by act of Congress and other federal agency documents of public interest.
These documents are prepared by the National Archives and Records Administration
for public distribution by the Government Printing Office.
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Formula grant -
Funding that federal agencies are directed by Congress to make to eligible
applicants, usually state governments, for which the amount is established
by a formula based on criteria that is written into the legislation.
State governments disperse funds from some formula grant programs by
holding grant competitions on a state level. Prospective applicants
submit grant applications to the state to be competitively reviewed.
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Government Performance
and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) - requires
all federally funded projects to demonstrate their level of effectiveness
annually by establishing specific indicators and standards to
serve as benchmarks for the program. In this way each grant project
has an understood level of performance to attain annually allowing
individual projects to be compared with one another and for an accurate
picture of the program's level of success to be determined.
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Grants.Gov -
Grants.Gov is the single access point for over 1,000 grant programs
offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies. Grants.Gov allows organizations
to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities
from all Federal grant-making agencies.
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Nonprofit organization -
An organization that is owned and operated by one or more corporations
or associations whose net earnings do not benefit (and cannot lawfully
benefit) any private shareholder or entity.
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Request for Proposal (RFP) - "RFP" is
used interchangeably in grant circles with the phrases grant application
notice and solicitation for grant application (SGA), and
refers to a grant competition. When a federal agency announces
a grant competition for a specific program, a notice for grant application
proposals will be announced in the Federal Register and will
be posted on www.Grants.gov.
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