Funder
"Funder" is the umbrella term Optimy uses for the organisations that run giving and sponsorship programs: corporations and their foundations, private and public foundations, universities, and NPOs.
It deliberately spans the different program types a single organisation may operate (grants, sponsorships, scholarships, donations, volunteering), and it contrasts with the "grantee" or applicant who receives funding.
Related terms
The newest terms we've added, the words teams managing grants, sponsorship, and CSR come across most often.
Reviewer Panel
A reviewer panel is the group of evaluators a funder assembles to assess applications, often combining internal staff with external experts to bring the right judgement to each decision.
Giving reviewers a shared scoring grid, managing their workload and consolidating results fairly are what keep evaluation both rigorous and efficient.
Application Form
An application form is the structured means by which a funder collects the information it needs from applicants, ideally with conditional logic, document uploads and built-in eligibility checks.
A well-designed form improves data quality, screens out ineligible requests early and makes every subsequent stage of evaluation faster and more consistent.
Outputs vs Outcomes
Outputs are the immediate, countable products of a program, such as grants made, people trained or euros spent, while outcomes are the changes that result, such as improved conditions or lasting benefit.
Mature impact measurement reports both, but treats outcomes as the real test of whether funding achieved its purpose rather than was simply delivered.
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