Grant Writing Acronyms

There is almost a completely new language for the grant writer to learn when they first begin grant writing. There is a shorthand of a whole range of acronyms that are frequently used across the grant writing procedure.

It helps if the grant writer knows and uses these acronyms as it simplifies the application and award process if everyone involved is familiar with the industry jargon.

The key acronyms for grant writers are:

FOA or NFOA

Funding Opportunity Announcement or Notice of Funding Availability announces the intention of the entity or organisation to award grants in certain areas. These allow the grant writer to plan ahead so they have time to prepare their application.

RFA or RFP

Request For Application or Request For Proposal are official solicitations for applications for grant funding. They generally include the eligibility requirements for applicants or particular projects; the amount of funding available; the due date, time and method of submission and any other key information required that is specific to that grant.

LOI

Letter Of Inquiry can be used by the funding entity or organisation to request the grant writer compose a brief 1-2 page document that introduces the applicant organisation; presents a statement of need; summarises the project and demonstrates how the project if successful in receiving a grant will meet the needs.
The funding entity or organisation can then peruse the letters of inquiries submitted by the grant writers to screen for the best candidates and build a list of companies who can be invited to apply for future grant funding opportunities.

SOW

Statement Of Work, Scope Of Work, or Summary Of Work is a component of the project description included by the grant writer when composing the grant application. The grant writer uses the Scope of Work to describe in detail how the applicant organisation plans to complete their proposed project and plays an important part in the selection criteria.

MOU

Memorandum of Understanding or Memo of Understanding is a written agreement between two or more organisations that outlines the expectations and responsibilities of each for a mutual benefit. In terms of grant writing this is usually required if two or more community groups have overlapping or similar responsibilities and when applying for grant funding the organisation wants to show the scope of their own responsibilities.
In addition to having acronyms within the grant writing field quite often other acronyms can be used by the grant writer in their submission to simplify or shorten long names or phrases. There are some simple rules regarding acronym usage in grant submissions. When introducing an acronym write out the full name when first mentioned (with the acronym in brackets). Use only the acronym after this. Provide a list of acronyms with the submission document. An acronym is usually written in upper case letters.

When using acronyms in a grant submission the grant writer NT should also ensure they do not overdo the use of acronyms and that they have clearly explained them within the document for the selection panel,