English for Charity & NGO Work: Essential Vocabulary & Phrases

"major donor"

A high-value individual contributor who gives a significant financial gift to an organisation

"The charity identified three major donors willing to fund the entire school construction project."

"grant proposal"

A formal written request submitted to a foundation or government body asking for funding

"The development officer spent two weeks preparing a grant proposal for the community health initiative."

"matching gift"

A donation where an employer or foundation agrees to match the amount contributed by individual donors

"The company offered a matching gift programme, doubling every employee donation made during the annual campaign."

"crowdfunding campaign"

A fundraising effort that collects many small donations from a large number of people, usually online

"They launched a crowdfunding campaign and raised $50,000 in thirty days to build the new community centre."

"planned giving"

Charitable contributions arranged in advance as part of a donor's estate or financial plan

"The legacy officer encouraged supporters to consider planned giving by including the charity in their wills."

"unrestricted funds"

Donations with no conditions attached, allowing the organisation to use them wherever most needed

"Unrestricted funds gave the team the flexibility to respond quickly to the emergency relief appeal."

"donor retention"

The rate at which existing donors continue giving to an organisation in subsequent years

"Improving donor retention by ten percent would increase annual revenue more than acquiring new supporters."

"case for support"

A compelling document outlining why a project deserves funding and the impact it will create

"Before approaching any foundations, the team developed a strong case for support with clear outcome data."

"request for proposals"

A formal announcement from a funder inviting organisations to submit grant applications for a specified purpose

"The foundation issued a request for proposals for projects addressing urban food insecurity."

"logic model"

A visual framework linking a programme's inputs, activities, outputs, and intended outcomes

"The funder required a logic model to show how the after-school activities would lead to improved literacy."

"narrative budget"

A written explanation that justifies each line item in a project budget for the funder

"The narrative budget clarified why staff salaries represented 60% of the total project cost."

"letters of support"

Written endorsements from partner organisations confirming their backing for a proposed project

"The proposal was strengthened by letters of support from three local hospitals and two city council members."

"deliverable"

A specific, tangible output or milestone that a grantee commits to producing by an agreed date

"Each deliverable in the contract had a clear deadline and a measurable completion criterion."

"due diligence"

The funder's process of verifying an applicant organisation's financial health, governance, and track record

"The foundation conducted due diligence before releasing the first tranche of the multi-year grant."

"fiscal sponsor"

An established nonprofit that accepts and manages grant funds on behalf of a project without tax-exempt status

"The grassroots collective used a fiscal sponsor to receive foundation grants while they applied for their own charity status."

"co-funding requirement"

A funder condition that the applicant must raise a portion of the project cost from other sources

"The government grant had a co-funding requirement of 25%, so the charity raised match funding from local businesses."

"theory of change"

A detailed explanation of how and why a set of activities will lead to the intended long-term goals

"The board reviewed the theory of change to ensure the new education programme addressed root causes of inequality."

"beneficiary"

A person or group who directly receives services or benefits from an organisation's programme

"The annual report included testimonials from beneficiaries describing how the housing programme changed their lives."

"capacity building"

Activities designed to develop the skills, systems, and resources of an organisation or community

"The grant funded capacity building workshops to help local partners improve their financial management."

"scalability"

The ability of a programme to be expanded or replicated in other locations without losing effectiveness

"Investors were attracted by the model's scalability — it had already been replicated in twelve countries."

"sustainability plan"

A strategy outlining how a programme will continue to operate after initial funding ends

"The sustainability plan showed how local government would take over funding after the three-year pilot."

"stakeholder mapping"

A process of identifying all individuals and groups affected by or influential to a project

"Stakeholder mapping revealed that community elders were critical gatekeepers who needed to be engaged early."

"pilot programme"

A small-scale, experimental version of a project used to test feasibility before full rollout

"The pilot programme ran in two villages for six months before the organisation expanded it nationally."

"exit strategy"

A planned approach for ending an organisation's involvement in a programme while maintaining its benefits

"The exit strategy included handing over all assets and training to the local community organisation."

"key performance indicator"

A quantifiable measure used to evaluate the success of a programme against stated objectives

"One key performance indicator was the percentage of graduates who secured employment within six months."

"social return on investment"

A method that assigns a monetary value to the social, environmental, and economic outcomes of a programme

"The analysis showed a social return on investment of £4.20 for every £1 spent on the mental health programme."

"baseline data"

Information collected at the start of a programme to provide a reference point for measuring change

"Baseline data on school attendance rates was gathered before the nutrition project began."

"outcome indicator"

A specific, measurable variable used to track whether a programme is achieving its intended results

"A key outcome indicator was the reduction in child malnutrition rates in the target communities."

"randomised control trial"

A rigorous evaluation method that compares programme participants with a control group to determine true impact

"The health NGO partnered with a university to conduct a randomised control trial of its vaccination outreach."

"counterfactual"

An estimate of what would have happened to beneficiaries if they had not participated in the programme

"Establishing a credible counterfactual was the hardest part of attributing the income gains to the training programme."

"data disaggregation"

The practice of breaking down data by characteristics such as gender, age, or ethnicity to identify disparities

"Data disaggregation revealed that girls were benefiting far less from the scholarship scheme than boys."

"learning loop"

A systematic process of collecting feedback, analysing results, and adapting a programme based on evidence

"The organisation built a learning loop into the project cycle so that quarterly findings could improve delivery."

"board of trustees"

The group of volunteers responsible for the strategic oversight and legal accountability of a charity

"The board of trustees voted to approve the new five-year strategic plan at its quarterly meeting."

"articles of association"

The constitutional document that defines an organisation's purpose, structure, and rules of operation

"The solicitor advised amending the articles of association to allow online voting at annual general meetings."

"restricted reserves"

Funds held by an organisation that can only be spent for a donor-specified purpose

"The restricted reserves could not be used for salaries because the donor had designated them for capital equipment."

"annual report and accounts"

The formal document presenting an organisation's activities, finances, and achievements over the year

"The annual report and accounts were submitted to the Charity Commission by the statutory deadline."

"financial controls"

Policies and procedures that safeguard an organisation's assets and prevent misuse of funds

"Strong financial controls meant that all expenditure over £500 required two authorising signatures."

"conflict of interest"

A situation where a trustee or staff member has a personal interest that may compromise their impartiality

"The trustee declared a conflict of interest and left the room while the board voted on the contract."

"overhead ratio"

The proportion of an organisation's spending that goes to administration rather than direct programme delivery

"The charity worked hard to keep its overhead ratio below 15% to reassure cost-conscious donors."

"endowment fund"

A permanent investment fund whose capital is preserved while interest income supports the organisation's work

"A generous bequest established the endowment fund, providing a reliable income stream for future generations."

"policy brief"

A concise document that presents evidence and recommendations to inform decision-makers on a specific issue

"The advocacy team published a policy brief calling on the government to double the refugee resettlement quota."

"grassroots mobilisation"

Organising ordinary community members to take collective action in support of a cause

"Grassroots mobilisation brought five thousand residents to the town hall to demand improved sanitation services."

"key message"

A short, memorable statement that captures the core point an organisation wants its audience to remember

"Every spokesperson was briefed on the three key messages before facing journalists at the press conference."

"coalition building"

The process of bringing together different organisations and groups to jointly campaign for a shared goal

"Coalition building with trade unions and faith groups gave the campaign far greater political influence."

"media spokesperson"

A designated individual authorised to speak on behalf of an organisation in public and media contexts

"The media spokesperson gave a calm, evidence-based interview that reframed the negative news story."

"call to action"

A direct prompt encouraging an audience to take a specific step, such as signing a petition or donating

"Every email newsletter ended with a clear call to action asking readers to contact their local MP."

"position paper"

A formal document outlining an organisation's stance and arguments on a particular policy or social issue

"The position paper on climate adaptation was endorsed by twenty leading development NGOs before submission to the UN."

"stakeholder engagement"

The planned process of communicating with and involving relevant groups in an organisation's work and decisions

"Meaningful stakeholder engagement meant consulting affected communities before the resettlement programme was designed."