It is good advice to always define any and all abbreviations used in your proposal. Unfortunately, many donors, consultants, and others in the development world do not follow their own advice. Here is a list of 15 common abbreviations you may come across while researching or writing your proposal.
CBO: Community-Based Organization
CFP: Call for Proposals
CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility
IGA: Income Generating Activity
INGO: International NGO
LoI: Letter of Inquiry
M&E: Monitoring and Evaluation
MDG: Millennium Development Goals
MOU: Memorandum of Understanding
NGO: Non-Governmental Organization
NPO: Non-Profit Organization
PPP: Public-Private Partnership
ROI: Return on Investment
SDG: Sustainable Development Goals
SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
SWOT: Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
Alta Alonzi is a writer and researcher focusing on international development funding and grassroots NGOs. She works with the fundraising consulting company Philantropia conducting research for clients ranging from small NGOs to UN organizations. She also works closely with FundsforNGOs running training webinars, contributing resource guides, and updating the Premium donor database.
