Grant Application Glossary of Terms

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Background Q1

A key part of the application, the Background section helps reviewers understand the 1) research, 2) circumstances, 3) events, or 4) historical elements related to the topic. The background sets the context for the problem your proposed work aims to solve. It describes what happened or what is known about the topic; what gaps, needs, or limitations still exist; and why it is important to address them.

Tip: Write concisely and include only the most relevant information. Explain concepts and terms that may not be familiar to your audience. Do not describe your work history, personal interest in, or experience with the issue here. Remember, the proposed work must further the Notary Foundation’s mandate to fund legal education, legal aid, [law libraries,] or ongoing education for (prospective) notaries. The Background section, therefore, must address at least one of these topics. The length of this section will vary depending on the complexity of your topic.

BC Society Number Q8

The organization’s incorporation number under the Society Act of British Columbia. It starts with an “S” and is followed by a space or a dash and up to five digits (S-xxxxx or S xxxxx). Learn more about incorporation numbers on the Government of BC website.

Benefit Statement Q3

One to two sentences that show the specific value of the proposed work by clearly describing how it benefits the Notary Foundation.

Tip: Describe precisely how your proposed work benefits the Notary Foundation and/or the specific groups we serve. Examples include cost savings, higher revenues, more recognition for notaries and the profession, better community profile, improved educational offerings, and so on. Focus on facts, not sentiment. And remember, the benefits statement is a summary. The Goals and Objectives fields (Section 4, Project Description) of the application are the places to provide more detail.

Certification Q32, Q33

The applicant(s) and any co-applicant(s) confirm their intent to complete the work outlined in the application by filling in Section 7 and submitting the application. If you are selected for funding, the information in the application will become the basis of your letter of agreement with the Notary Foundation and form part of your obligation under that agreement. By certifying, you agree that if you are awarded a grant, you will submit the deliverables by the agreed-upon dates. Make sure that all information in the application is true and correct.

Co-Applicant(s) Q11, Q33

One or more individuals or representatives of organizations who have the same authority and responsibility as the principal applicant for completing the proposed work. They are accountable to the Notary Foundation for administering the grant properly and to any sponsoring organizations/agencies.

Tip 1: If your project has one or more co-applicant(s), please include their details in a separate document. For each applicant, list the same fields you used for the principal applicant. Attach the document in Section 2, Applicant Information and upload it with your grant application. Co-applicants will also certify the grant application form (Section 7, Certification).
Tip 2: Co-applicants are distinct from key personnel. Whereas key personnel are essential to the proposed work without necessarily being responsible for completing it, co-applicants may or may not be involved with the hands-on work, but they must ensure it is completed. List the qualifications of key personnel, their role(s) in the project, and their contact information in Section 5, Qualifications & Related Experience.

Deliverables Q20

The products or services that make up the work to be completed under the grant. These might include one or more documents, events, training sessions, meetings, and presentations. They must meet the goals of the project and satisfy its specific objectives. As well, the Notary Foundation requires a midpoint progress report for every project it funds.

Tip: Make sure all deliverables fall within the scope of your proposed work and are clearly linked to its stated Goals and Objectives (Section 4, Project Description). Give a deadline for each deliverable and note these deadlines in the Project Timeline (Section 4, Project Description). Indicate when you plan to submit your midpoint progress report.

Dissemination Plan Q25

A strategy to share findings, data, resources, media, and so on from the proposed work with groups and individuals who are intended to or may benefit from them.

Tip 1: Decide whether the proposed work will benefit other groups and individuals and if you plan to share it with them. Consider how sharing your work can 1) further the aims of the Notary Foundation and the groups it serves, 2) enrich your community or communities of practice, or 3) build bridges with strategic partners.
Tip 2: If you plan to share findings, data, resources, media, and so on with groups or individuals, show how you will ensure they receive, implement, and, if possible, benefit from it. You may also need to consider issues such as 1) intellectual property, 2) confidentiality, 3) method of dissemination, 4) suitability, and so on.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Q24

Values that promote fairness, respect for difference, and the right to belong. We encourage these values in all work carried out with funds from the Notary Foundation.

Equity ensures that groups and individuals have equal access to legal, educational, employment, and other opportunities by reducing barriers to access and participation, especially among those vulnerable to social and economic marginalization.

Diversity acknowledges that people are unique and varied. They—and the groups they belong to—have different values, histories, and experiences, and these differences can bring value to established ways of being, doing, and relating.

Inclusion is a process of co-creating groups, communities, professions, and so on that encompass a range of experiences, perspectives, and identities.

Tip: If relevant, describe any community involvement and support for the proposed work. You can attach letters of support (for example, from community service groups, government representatives, or experts) and upload them with the grant application. Depending on the nature of your proposed work, you may also want to acknowledge or include marginalized groups in your work and show how they might benefit. If your work explicitly represents members of a marginalized group, show in your application that you have or will consult with them and that you can effectively represent them.

Expenditures Q31

Verifiable expenses made between the start and end date of the proposed work to ensure its completion.

File-Naming Conventions Q12, Q28

A systematic approach to naming files that makes them easy to organize and identify. Common naming conventions provide information such as who created the file, what it contains, and when it was created.

Tip: The Notary Foundation will accept any file-naming convention that is consistent and clear. Make it easy for reviewers to locate and print files associated with your application. Choose a system that is meaningful to your project, for example, Lastname_FileDescription_YYYYMMDD (Marshall__ProjectBudget_20210405).

Formal Affiliations Q8

Official connections, such as membership or a defined role, in one or more groups, committees, institutions, or organizations.

Future Funding Q26

An action or strategy to secure funding for any part of the proposed work that will need ongoing financial support once the initial project is complete.

Tip: If you do not need future funding, leave this field blank.

Goals Q18

Statements that describe the value of the project and what it is trying to achieve.

Tip: Link your goal statements to Notary Foundation benefits.

In-Kind Gifts Q30

Contributions of services and goods with no exchange of money. Non-cash contributions to the project (e.g., services, resources). See Revenue.

Key Personnel Q29

People who are essential to carrying out the work but are not contractually responsible for completing it.

Tip: Include a list of the people who will be working on the project, the role they will play, and their contact information. Details of how they will contribute to the project can be included under Summary of Qualifications in Section 5, as necessary.

Keywords Q7

Select words or short phrases that frame and describe the main points covered in an article or report.

Tip: Choose keywords that focus the reviewers on the central ideas, themes, or issues you will explore. Be selective and avoid terms that are too broad or specific.

Mandate Q8, Q15

See Mission Statement

Matching Funds Q30

The portion of the total project budget coming from sources other than the Notary Foundation.

Methods Q21

A plan to carry out activities to meet the stated goals of the proposed work.

Tip: Explain how you are going to solve the problem(s) you identified in the Background (Section 4, Project Description) section of the application. Choose an approach that matches your project timeline, budget, resources, and personnel.

Notary Foundation of British Columbia

A not-for-profit corporation with a Board of Governors (see sections 50 and 51 of the Notaries Act) that may “acquire, dispose of, and otherwise deal with its property for the purposes of the Foundation.” Revenues are disbursed according to the Notary Foundation’s statutory mandate (see below).

Notary Foundation Statutory Mandate Q15

The Foundation’s statutory mandate is to provide the means for legal education, legal research, legal aid, education and continuing education for notaries and people who apply to be enrolled as notaries; and to establish, operate, and maintain law libraries in the province. Review the mandate in the BC Notaries Act, section 52.

Tip: Make sure your application fits within the Notary Foundation’s statutory mandate. In other words, make sure your proposal relates to at least one of the areas listed above.

Objectives Q19

Objectives are the specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) outcomes. They reflect the action steps taken to realize your goals and may correspond to deliverables. As such, they provide a concrete way to measure the success of the project.

Tip: For every Goal (Section 4, Project Description), list at least one objective. Link the Deliverables (Section 4, Project Description) to these objectives.

Organization’s Legal Name Q8

The name of an organization used for legal and tax purposes.

Tip: If you are not an organization with a legal name, leave this field blank.

Organization’s Mission Statement Q8, Q14

A brief description of the purpose of an organization or company and the audience it serves. It may describe the values, philosophies, or goals that distinguish it from similar providers.

Tip: Ensure that the proposed work is consistent with the purposes set out in your organization’s constitution and by-laws. If it is not, explain why in Section 5, Qualifications & Related Experience.

Plain Language

A style of writing that helps readers quickly grasp the main points by avoiding complex or technical language, buzzwords, and jargon. It favours concrete nouns, action verbs, active voice, and shorter sentences where possible.

Tip: Your grant application will have different audiences. Do not assume that the Notary Foundation staff and the Board of Governors are specialists in your subject area. Define key terms and write out any acronyms on first use. Writing in plain language does not mean dumbing down your application. It means presenting your ideas in a clear, accessible manner.

Preferred Name Q8

A name, usually a first name, that is different from an applicant’s legal name.

Tip: If you complete this field, the Notary Foundation will use your preferred name when we correspond with you. It does not replace your legal name for tax purposes, however.

Principal Applicant Q8

The person who submits the application on their own behalf or on behalf of an organization. They are accountable to the Notary Foundation for administering the grant properly and to any sponsoring/supporting organizations or agencies.

Progress Report Q20

A report that describes how the work is going, including any challenges or problems encountered and the proposed solutions to them. It indicates a timeline for completing the project.

Tip: If you are awarded a Notary Foundation grant, you will be asked to submit a midpoint progress report. List any progress reports as deliverables (Section 4, Project Description). Stress the relevance or value of the work you have done rather than simply listing what you have done. If there will be delays completing the work, the progress report is the time and place to request an extension.

Project Budget Q30, Q31

A list of proposed costs to complete the work that would be funded by the Notary Foundation grant.

Tip: Explain how the Notary Foundation’s grant money will be spent. Fill in the appropriate fields in the online grant application. If some fields do not apply to you, leave blank.

Project Duration Q4

The time needed to complete the proposed work.

Tip: Because the actual start date depends on when the Board of Governors approves your grant application, simply indicate how long the work will take to complete once you have approval. It can be helpful to allow time for any unexpected delays or setbacks. List the time in days, weeks, or months depending on the scope of the project.

Project Timeline Q23

A plan to meet significant short-term and long-term goals and objectives.

Tip: What steps will you take to meet your Goals and Objectives (Section 4, Project Description)? Provide enough time for each phase of your work and allow for unexpected delays. For example, list when you expect to finish the following types of activities: 1) gathering information or collecting data, 2) analyzing information, 3) preparing progress reports, 4) organizing the information, 5) writing the draft, 6) revising the draft, 7) preparing the visuals, 8) editing the draft, 9) proofreading the report, 10) submitting, presenting, exhibiting, and/or disseminating the findings. The specifics of your schedule will depend on the nature of the proposed work.

Project Title Q1

A descriptive statement that clearly reflects the focus of the proposed work.

Tip: A key piece of the grant application, the project title tells the reviewers what the proposed work is about. Strong titles arouse reader interest and identify project goals or benefits. The title should contain at least one of the Keywords (Section 1, Project Overview) you listed. It should be memorable and straightforward. Make it catchy and accurate but not overly long.

Proposed Start Date Q5

The approximate date the proposed work will begin.

Tip: Project start dates can be tricky to pinpoint. The people reviewing the application want to know whether you will begin work when funds are received or whether your start date depends on other factors (e.g., a resource or an interviewee being available).

Purpose Statement Q2

One to two sentences that clearly explain the main goal of the proposed work. In this case, the term refers to proposal writing. Do not confuse this statement with your company or organization’s mission statement or mandate.

Tip: Get to the point and directly state what you want the money for. Write clearly and concisely using plain language. A common way to start is “The purpose of this application is…” Remember, you will provide details about the proposed work in Section 4 of the grant application.

Reference List Q28

An alphabetical list of all the sources cited in the grant application.

Tip: Use an established style guide (e.g., American Psychological Association) to document your sources and format your reference list. The best practice is to cite all borrowed facts, diagrams, statistics, quotes, visuals, electronic media, and so on. You do not need to cite information that is considered common knowledge. Whether or not you need to include this information depends on the nature of the proposed work; it is not a requirement.

Registered Business Number Q8

A nine-digit number (BN9) assigned to a business, incorporated company, or society by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Among other things, it is used to identify a business or organization and for tax purposes.

Tip: If you do not have a registered business number, leave this field blank.

Revenue Q30

Where the money will come from to fund the proposed work and how much each revenue stream will contribute.

Tip: Depending on the size of the project or the scope of the proposed work, it may be strategic to show you are pursuing other funding (e.g., grants from the government, other organizations, or foundations). Donations, in-kind gifts, and volunteer time are other potential revenue sources. The application form asks you to indicate whether you have secured the funding (assured) or not (potential).

Scope and Limitations Q22

Scope refers to what the proposed work does and does not cover. It defines which topics will be reviewed or analyzed and which will be excluded from the inquiry. Limitations refer to constraints, including factors outside the control of anyone involved with the project, that may impede or restrict the proposed work or the validity of the findings or recommendations.

Sponsoring Organization Q13, Q14

Any organization that establishes, administers, or contributes financial or in-kind support to the proposed work.

Summary of Proposed Work Q16

A synopsis or overview of the proposed work that summarizes its main points. It briefly describes the project’s purpose, relevant background, goals and objectives, and other information contained in the grant application. It is sometimes referred to as an executive summary or abstract.

Tip: This section helps the committee reviewing your grant application to quickly understand what you are asking for and raises their interest in the proposed work. This part of the grant application is generally written last. Be complete but brief.

Summary of Qualifications & Related Experience Q29

A description of the applicant’s and key personnel’s knowledge, skills, and experience. The summary highlights the ability of the individual or team to undertake and complete the proposed work. It is usually a combination of education and work or life experience.

Tip: Summarize the most relevant qualifications of the principal applicant and all key personnel that show the team’s ability to complete the proposed work. Be selective. Describe past projects, roles, or experience that are similar in scope or focus to the proposed work.

Supporting Organization Q13, Q14

See Sponsoring Organization

Total Project Budget Q6

The total amount of the grant requested from the Notary Foundation.