This glossary covers the core terminology of grants management — from the grant lifecycle through to compliance, governance, and software concepts. Terms are grouped by area for easier reference.
Application form. The structured document through which potential grantees submit requests for funding. Application forms may be paper or digital, and range from a single page to complex multi-section documents with attachments.
Applicant portal. The online interface through which organisations submit grant applications, track the status of their applications, and receive communications from the funder. Also called an applicant-facing portal or application portal.
Eligibility criteria. The requirements an organisation must meet to be considered for a grant — legal status, geographic location, organisational type, or programme area. Eligibility criteria are typically assessed before a full application is considered.
Eligibility screening. The process of confirming that an applicant meets the programme's eligibility criteria before their application proceeds to full assessment. Often built into the application form as a gating mechanism.
Expression of Interest (EOI). A preliminary application stage in which potential applicants submit a short summary of their proposed project. Funders use EOIs to identify the strongest applications before inviting a full application. Also called a letter of intent.
Grant pool. The total amount of funding available for distribution in a particular grant round.
Open call / open round. A grant programme that accepts applications from any eligible organisation, typically during a defined application window. Contrasted with invitation-only or targeted grants.
Programme guidelines. The document provided to applicants that explains the grant programme's purpose, eligibility criteria, assessment criteria, and application requirements. Also called funding guidelines or grant guidelines.
Assessment criteria. The specific dimensions against which applications are evaluated — typically published in the programme guidelines so applicants understand how decisions are made.
Assessment panel. A group of assessors who evaluate applications together. Panels may deliberate collectively, score independently before a panel meeting, or a combination.
Assessor. A person who evaluates grant applications against the programme's assessment criteria.
Blind review. An assessment process in which identifying information about the applicant organisation is concealed from assessors, to reduce the influence of prior relationships or reputation. Also called anonymous review.
Conflict of interest (COI). A situation in which an assessor's personal, professional, or financial interests may affect their impartial assessment of an application. Declared conflicts must be managed before assessment proceeds.
Panel convenor. The person responsible for managing the assessment panel — coordinating assessors, managing conflicts of interest, facilitating the panel discussion, and ensuring the process is documented.
Ranking. An assessment approach in which applications are ordered by merit rather than scored against absolute criteria. Often used in competitive programmes with a fixed pool of funding.
Scoring rubric. A structured tool for assigning numerical scores to applications against defined criteria. Rubrics may include descriptors for each score level to increase consistency between assessors.
Weighted criteria. Assessment criteria that are assigned different relative weights, reflecting their relative importance to the grant programme's purpose.
Conditions of grant. Requirements that grantees must meet as a condition of receiving and retaining their grant. Common conditions include reporting requirements, restriction to approved purpose, and notification requirements for significant changes.
Declined application. An application that has been assessed and not recommended for funding. Decline notifications should include the reason for the decision.
Delegation authority. The defined authority of staff members, managers, and board members to approve grants at different levels. Delegation authorities document who can make what decisions without further approval.
Grant agreement. A formal document setting out the terms and conditions of a grant — grant purpose, amount, payment schedule, reporting requirements, and consequences of non-compliance. Also called a funding agreement or grant contract.
Grant commitment. A formally approved grant that has not yet been fully paid. Commitments represent financial obligations that have been authorised but not yet discharged.
Notification. Communication to an applicant informing them of the outcome of their application — successful or declined.
Offer letter. A formal letter to a successful applicant setting out the terms of the grant and inviting them to accept. In some programmes, the offer letter and the grant agreement are the same document.
Acquittal. A report by a grantee confirming how grant funds were spent and demonstrating that they were used for the approved purpose. Financial acquittal refers specifically to the financial report; full acquittal may include a programme report.
Drawdown. A payment request from a grantee against an approved grant. In some programmes, grantees can request payments as they incur costs, subject to remaining grant balance.
Grantee. An organisation or individual that has received a grant.
Instalment. A partial payment of a grant, made at a defined milestone or time point rather than as a lump sum.
Milestone. A defined point in a grant's lifecycle at which a specific deliverable is expected or a payment is triggered. Milestones may be time-based (quarterly) or achievement-based (completion of a specific activity).
Post-award monitoring. The ongoing oversight of active grants — confirming that grantees are delivering on their commitments, collecting required reports, and managing any issues that arise.
Progress report. A periodic report from a grantee on the activities and outcomes delivered during a reporting period.
Variation. A formal change to the terms of an approved grant — for example, an extension to the timeline, a change to the approved purpose, or a reduction in the grant amount. Variations must be documented and approved by an appropriate authority.
Audit trail. A complete, chronological record of all actions taken in a grants management system — who did what, when. An audit trail supports accountability to oversight bodies and provides evidence in the event of a dispute.
Conflict of interest register. A record of all declared conflicts of interest in a grant programme, how they were managed, and by whom.
Expenditure responsibility. A US IRS requirement for private foundations making grants to non-public charities — requiring pre-grant inquiry, written agreement, and ongoing reporting. Applies to most international grants made by US foundations.
Freedom of Information (FOI) / Official Information Act (OIA). Legislation that gives people the right to request information held by government agencies. Grant records are typically subject to these laws, requiring funders to maintain assessable documentation.
PFMA. Public Finance Management Act (South Africa) — legislation governing how public entities manage public funds. Applies to government-funded grant programmes in South Africa.
Probity. The standards of integrity and transparency applied to decision-making processes in government and publicly funded programmes. Probity in grants management includes transparent criteria, documented decisions, COI management, and consistent application of process.
Public Finance Management. The framework of legislation, policy, and practice governing how public funds are managed and accounted for. In New Zealand, this includes the Public Finance Act; in Australia, the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and relevant state equivalents.
Application management system. Software focused on collecting and managing grant applications — the pre-award phase. Distinct from full-lifecycle grants management platforms.
Donor-advised fund (DAF). A philanthropic giving vehicle in which a donor contributes funds to a sponsoring organisation (typically a community foundation), receives an immediate tax deduction, and recommends grants from the fund over time.
Grants management software. Software that supports the full lifecycle of a grant programme — application, assessment, award, post-award monitoring, and compliance reporting.
Multi-fund management. The capability to manage multiple named funds or grant pools simultaneously within a single platform, with separate accounting and reporting for each.
Portal. See Applicant portal.
Workflow. The defined sequence of steps and approvals through which a grant application or payment moves from creation to completion.
Tahua provides purpose-built grants management software for government agencies, community foundations, and charitable trusts.