bassac ~ supporting people sustaining communitiesVoluntary and community sector jargon
The voluntary and community sector has more than its fair share of jargon and confusing acronyms. Listed below are the definitions to the most commonly occuring ones.
New jargon is being created all the time and this is not an exhaustive list, please email Jo Shardlow for terms that are missing off this list.
A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P Q R S T V
ABCD – see 'Achieving Better Community Development' or ‘Asset Based Community Development’.
ABI – see ‘Area Based Initiative’.
Accountability – the responsibility you have to the people whom you represent or work with. Being accountable involves listening to their views and continually reporting on what you are doing.
Achieving Better Community Development - this is a general framework for planning, evaluating and learning from community development interventions.
Advocacy – arguing on behalf of a particular community, idea or issue, in order to influence political decisions and policy.
Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) – seeks to uncover and highlight the strengths within communities as a means for sustainable development. The basic tenet is that a capacities-focused approach is more likely to empower the community and therefore mobilise citizens to create positive and meaningful change from within. Instead of focusing on a community's needs, deficiencies and problems, the ABCD approach helps them become stronger and more self-reliant by discovering, mapping and mobilising all their local assets.
Approved Provider Standard (APS) - a national benchmark for organisations providing one-to-one, volunteer mentoring or befriending.
Area Based Initiative (ABI) – an initiative usually targeted on areas of social or economic disadvantage, which aims to improve the quality of life of residents.
Baseline – a measurement taken at the start of a project or activity. At the end of the initiative, you can judge how effective it has been by comparing the results with the baseline measurement.
Beacon councils - a government scheme which identifies excellence and innovation in local government.
Benchmarking – the process of comparing your organisation’s performance with that of other organisations of a similar type, structure or size.
Beneficiary – someone who gets the benefit of an activity or a service, or who receives money from a charity.
BAME – Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic
BME – Black and Minority Ethnic.
BMER - Black, Minority Ethnic and Refugee
Bottom up – decision-making that comes from the community or ‘grassroots’ rather than an individual or organisation in a position of authority. The opposite of ‘bottom up’ is ‘top down’, when decision-making originates from officials in centralised agencies, ministries or departments.
Capacity building – the process of helping communities take advantage of economic and social opportunities by encouraging and supporting the growth of skills, information, knowledge and confidence at a community level.
Capital funding - money spent on the purchase or improvement of fixed assets such as buildings, roads and equipment.
CBO – see ‘Community Based Organisation’.
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) – a legal structure for charitable organisations in England and Wales that provides the benefits of incorporation without the organisation having to become a registered company.
Charitable objects – see ‘objects’.
Charter Mark (The) - a national, externally assessed quality standard for customer service for public or voluntary organisations.
Citizenship – the idea of encouraging individuals to become aware of their duties and rights as citizens, through, for example, volunteering or community service.
CIC – see ‘Community Interest Company’.
CIO – see ‘Charitable Incorporated Organisation’.
Claw back – when grant money is reclaimed by a funder, usually due to a breach of the original funding contract or the project costing less than the original budgeted costs.
Commissioning - the cycle of assessing the needs of people in an area, designing and then securing an appropriate service.
Community Action Plan – sets out what a community wants and how it is to be delivered.
Community Based Organisation (CBO) – an organisation formed within a community, where the decisions are made by the community as a whole.
Community-based regeneration – any activity initiated by the community for the community, in order to improve its economic, environmental or social lot.
Community cohesion – the way in which a community creates and maintains internal links, and avoids falling apart. Community cohesion initiatives celebrate diversity between people in local communities, promoting understanding and reducing hostilities.
Community development – the process of increasing the ability of local people to take greater control of their own situations and communities, for the benefit of all.
Community Empowerment Fund (CEF) - aims to help community and voluntary groups to become empowered in order to participate in Local Strategic Partnerships and neighbourhood renewal.
Community enterprise - an enterprise that has social aims and financial viability and is owned and run by local people (usually on a notforprivate profit basis).
Community of interest – a group of people that comes together because of a common interest (such as art, craft, disabilities, youth etc.) regardless of where they live or come from.
Community Interest Company (CIC) – a legal structure for social enterprises in the UK, where the organisation’s assets are ‘locked’, to be used only for the benefit of the community. CICs can’t be charities as well.
Community outreach – the process of engaging with specific groups in the community (usually those that have been previously neglected), and involving these groups in planning, delivering and participating in projects for themselves and for the general public.
Community sector – the collective term for organisations that are active on a local or community level; usually small, modestly funded and largely dependent on voluntary, rather than paid, effort. This can be contrasted with the voluntary sector, a term that is often used to describe larger, professionally-staffed charitable organisations. The phrase ‘voluntary and community sector’ is used to encompass the full range.
Compact – an agreement between two or more parties setting out how they will work together to achieve common aims, though not usually legally binding like a contract. In the voluntary sector it refers to an understanding between government (national or local) and the sector on how relations between the two should be conducted.
Constitution – the set of rules governing an unincorporated association, or the Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association governing a company.
Core funding – usually on-going funding to cover the day-to-day costs of a voluntary organisation, including administration, property costs and staff salaries. Also known as ‘revenue funding’.
Corporate governance - the system by which organisations are directed, accountable and managed.
Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) – local umbrella body for voluntary organisations, charities and campaign groups in a particular area.
Covenant – a promise made in a formal way, used to describe a tax-effective way of giving to a charitable organisation where the donor promises to pay a certain amount of money (from which tax has already been deducted) over a set period of time.
CSPs - Community Safety Partnerships.
Cultural diversity – to engage positively with the cultural differences that exist between people and communities.
Cultural entitlement – the concept that people have a basic right to access, and participate in, cultural activities. The UNESCO’s Declaration and Convention on Cultural Diversity states that it is our human right to take part in cultural life.
Cultural planning – this takes a holistic approach, looking at the big picture in a community and seeing how culture can help people enjoy safer, more integrated, attractive neighbourhoods.
CVS – see ‘Council for Voluntary Service’.
DCSF (formerly DfES) - Department for Children, Schools and Families (formerly Department for Education and Skills)
DDA – Disability Discrimination Act.
Development trusts - a network of independent, notforprofit, community based organisations which are engaged in the economic, environmental & social regeneration of a defined area or community.
DH - Department of Health
DRC - Disability Rights Commission (replaced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2007)
Empowerment – increasing the ability of a group or community to take responsibility for its own destiny, by making and implementing decisions that will help it achieve its goals and become more self-reliant.
Enabling environment – a political and social environment that allows a community to achieve its goals. Factors such as the attitudes of politicians and civil servants, and the rules and regulations imposed by local and national governments, all contribute to how enabling an environment is.
Equality and Human Rights Commission - Formed in October 2007 the EHRC replaced the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality, and the Disability Rights Commission. The new commission is working to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society.
EOP – Equal Opportunities Policy.
Evaluation – the process of determining the worth, value or meaning of something. It usually involves gathering data and using that data to reflect on which aspects of a project or initiative have succeeded or failed, and what could have been done better.
Feasibility study – a process of researching and reporting to assess whether a project or initiative can be done, what it will cost and whether it will be successful.
Focus group – a method of research that involves group discussion about a specific issue, guided by a moderator.
Full cost recovery – the principle that organisations should be paid for the ‘full cost’ of providing a service, including all the relevant overheads. The term is used especially for the delivery of public services through a government contract or service- level agreement.
Full value – a way of appreciating the total impact of your organisation, including the positive impacts and enjoyment you bring to both intended and unintended beneficiaries of your activities. The full value approach helps you to identify your ‘hidden’ value.
Good practice – within the voluntary sector, this usually means operating within full legal compliance, with policies and practices that exceed the minimum standards required, in an inclusive manner.
Governance – the leadership of an organisation by the Board or Management Committee.
Healthy Living Centres - an initiative funded from the National Lottery's New Opportunities Fund to offer a range of services to enhance the health and wellbeing of local people.
IAG – Information, Advice and Guidance.
ICT – Information and Communication Technologies.
IDeA - Improvement and Development Agency.
IIP – Investors in People.
Impact - the changes, effects or benefits that results from the services or activities of an organisation on the wider community. They can often be seen as being ’what happens as a result of the outcomes’. They result from the combination of those services or activities, rather than any one individual project or initiative. Impacts are often long term, broad and sustainable and can include affecting policy decisions at government level. Impacts often relate to the longer-term mission of an organisation and can best be seen in terms of what happens to a wider community rather than just those involved in a project. Any impact your organisation is making is likely to be on local social conditions, the local economy and the local environment.
Infrastructure – the systems that are needed for an organisation to operate properly, but that don’t necessarily form part of that organisation’s services. For example: administration, finance and computer systems.
Interculturalism – the philosophy of sharing and exchange between cultural groups. Interculturalism promotes dialogue by focusing on the commonalities between cultures.
Joined up thinking/working – when different agencies or departments work together to solve problems and/or provide services.
LA – Local Authority.
LDA – Local Development Agency.
LAA - Local Area Agreements set out the priorities for a local area agreed between central government and a local area (the local authority and Local Strategic Partnership) and other key partners at the local level.
Local Public Service Agreement - agreements between individual local authorities and the Government setting out the authority's commitment to deliver specific improvements in performance, and the Government's commitment to reward these improvements. The agreement also records what the Government will do to help the authority achieve the improved performance.
LSP - Local Strategic Partnerships - non-statutory, multi-agency partnerships, which match local authority boundaries. LSPs bring together at a local level the different parts of the public, private, community and voluntary sectors; allowing different initiatives and services to support one another so that they can work together more effectively. The LSP is responsible for developing and driving the implementation of the LAAs.
Match funding – many funders will require you to find another source of funding to match the amount they are prepared to give you. For either grant to be paid there usually needs to be an agreement stating that both grants have been approved.
Mission statement – a simple, clear statement that sets out what an organisation is trying to do.
Monitoring – the regular collection and analysis of data relating to a particular project or initiative.
Multiculturalism – acknowledging the existence of ethnic diversity and ensuring the rights of individuals to retain their own culture while enjoying full access to a commonly-shared culture.
NAVCA - National Association for Voluntary and Community Action
NCVO - National Council for Voluntary Organisations
NDPB – Non-Departmental Public Body (sometimes known as a quango).
Needs Audit - assessment of needs/desires within a target group or community to be met by proposed project/programme.
NEET – Not in Education, Employment or Training.
Neighbourhood renewal – the concept of local people and groups working with local authorities to improve the condition of neighbourhoods, particularly disadvantaged ones.
New Deal for Communities (NDC) - an initiative designed to provide intensive financial support (£50m over 10 years) to regenerate relatively small geographic areas.
New Opportunities Fund (NOF) - a former lottery distributor fund that has now been merged into the Big Lottery Fund.
NFP – not for profit.
NIP - National Infrastructure Partnership.
Objects – to become a registered charity, an organisation has to have charitable objectives or aims, known as ‘objects’.
Outcomes – the effects or changes brought about by the activities provided by an organisation (which may be the outputs). Measurements of outcomes show the degree of its effectiveness, rather than its size or productivity. They may be harder to measure, and they are likely to be affected by a range of factors which may not be in the direct control of the organisation delivering the outputs. Outcomes are often about changes in individuals and organisations.
Outputs – the activities, services and products provided by the projects, work programmes and other processes run by an organisation. They are matters which organisations themselves can deliver and have control over, but they are not usually ends in themselves.
Participation – the act of taking part or sharing in something with others.
Participatory learning and action (PLA) - Approaches and methods used by researchers to enable people to collect, analyse and present their knowledge about life and conditions, and to plan, act, monitor and evaluate.
Performance indicators – markers of how well you are doing or progressing. See ‘quantitative and qualitative’.
PQASSO – Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations. A quality assurance system developed specifically for small and medium-sized voluntary and community organisations, or for projects within larger organisations. It provides a system to self assess and improve all aspects of an organisation's work.
Primary Care Trust (PCT) - locally run, free standing NHS body which will commission all health care for its registered and resident population with the additional ability to employ community health care professionals, control assets and provide services.
Priority/target group – group of people prioritised for government support.
Procurement - the specific aspects of the commissioning cycle that focus on the process of buying services, from initial advertising through to appropriate contract arrangements.
Public Service Agreement (PSA) – what a government promises to deliver.
Quantitative and qualitative – quantitative measures are numerical (sales, participants, income etc.), while qualitative measures are less tangible, such as users’ expressions of appreciation of your work, or critical acclaim of your artistic activity.
Quality Mark - (The Community Legal Service Quality Mark [England and Wales]). A standard specifically designed for organisations providing legal information and advice to the public. The Quality Mark has different levels to choose from.
Regeneration – upgrading an area through social, physical and economic improvements.
Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) - these are the nine Government agencies set up in 1999. To coordinate regional economic development and regeneration, enable the English regions to improve their relative competitiveness and reduce the imbalances that exists within and between regions.
Revenue funding – see ‘core funding’.
Ring fencing – keeping aside money for a specific purpose, within a larger fund.
Service Level Agreement (SLA) – an agreement negotiated between two organisations identifying the level of service required in return for a payment. SLAs are often used by government departments outsourcing public services to the private or voluntary sector.
Social audit – the process of measuring and reporting on an organisation’s effect on society, and improving on its performance. It assesses the social impact and the ethical behaviour of an organisation in relation to its aims and objectives.
Social capital – the value of social networks. Social capital is based on the theory that good community relations have an economic as well as a social benefit, and that economic models can be used to evaluate social structures.
Social enterprise – an organisation that uses trading activities for social benefit.These are businesses that combine the entrepreneurial skills of the private sector with a strong social mission.
Social economy – the part of the economy that is neither private nor public, but made up of community organisations and social enterprises working for the greater good of local communities and marginalised groups.
Social exclusion/isolation – shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low income, bad housing, high crime, poor health or lack of transport or access, or as a result of discrimination based on age, gender, sexuality, background or religion.
Social inclusion – overcoming the problems that lead to exclusion to ensure that everybody has the opportunity to fulfil their potential and participate fully.
SOFA – see ‘Statement of Financial Activities’.
SORP – see ‘Statement of Recommended Practice’.
Stakeholder – a person or organisation with an interest in an organisation, issue or process, be it financial, political, emotional or in any other way that may impact on the stakeholder.
Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) – required if UK charities submit accruals accounts. It is used instead of a statement of income and expenditure.
Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) – sets out standards for accounting by charities, including what information should be included in annual accounts.
Steering group – a group of people with responsibility for directing and ensuring effective completion of a particular project.
Sustainability – when something can be maintained indefinitely without expending an endless amount of resources on it. This term is used in the voluntary sector in a variety of ways. It is often used by funders who want to know how organisations plan to ensure that a project or initiative will continue beyond the term of their funding.
Sustainable development – activity that brings long-term economic, social and environmental benefits without compromising the needs of future generations.
Third sector – another collective name for voluntary and community organisations, as they are not part of the public sector or the private sector.
Top down – see ‘bottom up’.
Transparency – the belief that planning and decision-making processes should be open and visible to all those affected by them, rather than take place in secrecy. This helps reduce mistrust, apathy and marginalisation.
TSO – Third Sector Organisation.
Umbrella body – an organisation set up to support organisations rather than end users. Voluntary Arts Network is an umbrella body that supports voluntary arts and crafts groups, along with artform- and community-specific umbrella bodies.
Upskilling –training or improving people’s skills.
Value added – the difference in value between the cost of materials, salaries etc. of a project or initiative, and what that project or initiative is worth to your end users. Value added is the sum of everything you have brought to the experience.
Vision statement – a short, inspirational phrase used to sum up what an organisation stands for or what it wants to achieve.
VCO – voluntary and community organisation.
VCS – voluntary and community sector.
Voluntary Arts – VAN defines the voluntary arts as those arts and crafts that people undertake for self-improvement, social networking and leisure, but not primarily for payment.
Voluntary sector – the collective term for voluntary organisations, as opposed to the public sector or the private sector. Often used to describe larger, professionally staffed charitable organisations as opposed to ‘community sector’ which is used to describe smaller organisations dependent on voluntary, rather than paid, effort.
Online jargon resources
The above list has been compiled from the following resources: