Glossary

What does the Resource Alliance mean by…

Local Resource Mobilisation: Local Resource Mobilisation describes the activity of finding new ways of engaging resources in the local environment (i.e. funds, people, goods and services) to support an organisation and make it self-sustaining. It encompasses a wide range of strategies going from income generation schemes to locally based fundraising or building volunteer constituencies for example. It finds expression in a variety of fresh approaches which integrate cultural, social and economic contexts.

Fundraising: The organised activity or an instance of soliciting money or pledges, especially for charitable organisations and purposes. Fundraising can be undertaken in various ways, where different methods are used for different target audiences. Trusts, foundations, governmental agencies, the private sector and members of the public are common targets to raise funds. 

Venture philanthropy: Venture philanthropy is an emerging field of philanthropic investment which combines the policies and practices of long-term, engaged investment and venture capital models of the for-profit sector with the principles and public-benefit missions of the non-profit sector. Venture philanthropy strategies combine financial capital "investments" with some form of additional capacity-building or technical assistance to the non-profits they support.

Endowment Fund: An endowment fund is used to generate investment income for charitable purposes.  The underlying capital asset is not available to be spent, but only the interest earned.  Endowments should not be confused with reserve funds, i.e. money held in reserve for emergencies, or special purpose funds.  In both of these latter cases the fund itself is spent and generates no permanent long-term income.

Social Entrepreneur: Social entrepreneurs are practical visionaries who possess qualities traditionally associated with leading business entrepreneurs such as vision, innovation, determination and long-term commitment. But, they are also committed to systemic social change in their field. Social entrepreneurship uses entrepreneurial, business activities as a means to generate income and/or otherwise further its mission impact.  A social enterprise is also referred to as a "nonprofit enterprise," "social-purpose business," or "revenue-generating venture" that operates with a "double bottom-line" of generating financial return while simultaneously advancing a social mission.

Civil Society: Civil society refers to the set of institutions, organisations and behaviour situated between the state, the business world and the family. Specifically, this includes voluntary and non-profit organisations of many different kinds, philanthropic institutions, social and political movements, other forms of social participation and engagement and the values and cultural patterns associated with them.

Civil society organisation: Civil society organisation refers to the wide diversity of not-for-profit, non-state organisations as well as community-based associations and groups (distinct from both the governmental and business sectors) that advance a collective or public good. These organisations are also referred to as nonprofit organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), charities, voluntary organisations, for example.

(International) Non-Government Organisations: NGOs or INGOs are also often referred to as voluntary agencies. These are private organisations of a charitable, research or educational nature which are concerned with a wide range of social, economic and environmental issues. They may act on an international, national or local scale. Some raise money from the public and from governments to help fund development projects in the Third World or to assist in disaster relief. Others attempt to educate the public and campaign on major global issues or to lobby governments and international agencies to change public policies.

Foundations/Trusts: Foundations (or Trusts) are independent grant-making bodies which get their income from investments or through their own fundraising. They are set up to give money away for charitable purposes and for community benefit.

Governmental donor agencies: Many countries around the world have grant-making mechanisms for development projects which operate through their foreign affairs or national or international development ministries. Where these entities are placed within each government and how they are to be approached depends on each national arrangement.

Capacity Building: Capacity building is the process by which individuals, organisations, institutions and societies develop abilities (individually and collectively) to perform functions, solve problems and set and achieve objectives. The role of public institutions, international and national non-governmental organisations, donor entities and others in development has been changing. Conventional ideas about organisational engineering are being supplemented by broader notions on promoting learning, empowerment, social capital and an enabling environment. Attention is being given to the culture, values and power relations that influence organisations and individuals. Donors are using different intervention points into capacity systems. The informal patterns of personal and societal behaviour-the rules of the game-are now better understood. And there is more appreciation of the need to complement, not replace, indigenous habits and practices. All of these form a body of concepts called capacity building.

Sustainable Development: The World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainable development as a 'process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations'.

North: Refers to the developed world

South: Refers to the countries of Asia, Africa, Central and Southern America where the world’s most poor live.

Developing Countries: A loose term used to identify poor nations, using criteria based almost exclusively on per capita income. The 172 countries in this group include states which are variously labelled as developing countries, underdeveloped countries, low-income countries, Majority World, the South or the Third World. These nations generally have low levels of technology, basic living standards and little in the way of an industrial base. Their economies are mainly agricultural and are characterised by cheap, unskilled labour and a scarcity of investment capital. Per capita incomes are below $5,000 and often less than $1,500. Around 70% of the world’s population live in the developing countries, almost all of which are in Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America. Many communities outside the major towns are poverty-stricken and hunger, disease and illiteracy are still commonplace. The Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the UN, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) all produce listings of developing countries.

Low-Income Countries: Another term to describe countries with a below-average per capita income and part of a system used to rank countries based on national economic performance. The World Bank originally defined any country having an annual per capita GNP of less than $400 as a Low Income Country. The exact figure and number of countries varies with annual updates. The World Bank ranks all nations with populations of more than a million on their economic performance. In 1996, 64 nations were in the low-income category ($725 or less), 65 in the lower middle-income ($726-$2,895) and 35 countries in the upper middle-income group ($2,896-$8,955). In 1996, the lowest income countries were all in Africa.

Human Rights: Privileges claimed or enjoyed by every human being by virtue of being human. The concept developed from the Roman idea of ‘natural law’. Early milestones in establishing human rights include the British Magna Carta (1215), Habeas Corpus Act (1679) and Bill of Rights (1689). None of these were as fundamentally comprehensive as the US Bill of Rights (1788) or France’s Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789). During the nineteenth century, human rights began to be enshrined in international law, best illustrated by the Geneva Conventions, a series of treaties which governed the humane treatment of civilians, soldiers and prisoners during times of war. The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948. It stated that people have the right to life, liberty and education; to freedom of movement, religion, association and information; to a nationality and to equality before the law. Many nations still deny their citizens basic rights.