Reference Guide, part of The Grant Readiness Toolkit by Ownerhood: how grant money works, key terms, where to verify and who to ask, red flags, and every conversation guide in one place. 28 pages, 5 sections, fillable PDF.

Grant Glossary and Reference Guide

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Reference Guide, part of The Grant Readiness Toolkit by Ownerhood: how grant money works, key terms, where to verify and who to ask, red flags, and every conversation guide in one place. 28 pages, 5 sections, fillable PDF.
  • Reference Guide, part of The Grant Readiness Toolkit by Ownerhood: how grant money works, key terms, where to verify and who to ask, red flags, and every conversation guide in one place. 28 pages, 5 sections, fillable PDF.
  • Inside the Reference Guide, five sections: How Grant Money Works, Key Terms, Where to Verify and Who to Ask, Red Flags, and Conversation Guides, each with a one-line description.
  • All seven conversation guides in the Reference Guide, from testing your decision (1.9) and talking with a funder (2.7) to reviewing your award agreement (4.1) and setting up with your bookkeeper (4.3).
  • What you'll be able to do with the Reference Guide: understand how grant money works, look up key terms, check a rule with an official source or free advisor, spot red flags, and prepare for key conversations.
  • The reference Guide is for founders and leaders of U.S. for-profit businesses, nonprofits, and fiscally sponsored projects. Use it whenever you need a definition, an official source, a free advisor, or a quick check on an offer.
  • Reference Guide, part of The Grant Readiness Toolkit by Ownerhood: how grant money works, key terms, where to verify and who to ask, red flags, and every conversation guide in one place. 28 pages, 5 sections, fillable PDF.
  • Inside the Reference Guide, five sections: How Grant Money Works, Key Terms, Where to Verify and Who to Ask, Red Flags, and Conversation Guides, each with a one-line description.
  • All seven conversation guides in the Reference Guide, from testing your decision (1.9) and talking with a funder (2.7) to reviewing your award agreement (4.1) and setting up with your bookkeeper (4.3).
  • What you'll be able to do with the Reference Guide: understand how grant money works, look up key terms, check a rule with an official source or free advisor, spot red flags, and prepare for key conversations.
  • The reference Guide is for founders and leaders of U.S. for-profit businesses, nonprofits, and fiscally sponsored projects. Use it whenever you need a definition, an official source, a free advisor, or a quick check on an offer.
Grant Glossary and Reference Guide

Grant Glossary and Reference Guide

$0.00

Plain-language answers, all in one place

The Reference Guide is a grant glossary and quick reference for U.S. business owners and nonprofit leaders, and part of Ownerhood's Grant Readiness Toolkit. It explains the terms funders use, how grant money moves, where to verify the rules, and how to spot a scam, so you can check a term or a rule without starting a new search.

Grant language can make simple ideas sound hard. This guide puts them back in plain words, and points you to the official source whenever a rule matters.

Who it's for

  • Business owners reading their first funding notice and running into unfamiliar terms
  • Anyone who wants to check a rule at its source before relying on it
  • Business owners who've received a grant offer that seems too good to be true
  • Leaders of U.S.-based for-profit businesses, nonprofits, and fiscally sponsored projects, at any stage

What you'll walk away with

  • A clear picture of how federal, state and local, foundation, and corporate funders tend to work
  • 46 grant terms explained in plain words
  • Where to verify grant rules, and where to find free and low-cost help
  • The warning signs of grant scams, and what to do if you spot one
  • Seven conversation guides to bring to an advisor, a funder, or your accountant

What's inside

Five sections.

  • How Grant Money Works: what grants are and aren't, how each type of funder tends to work, what different kinds of money look for, grants versus contracts, and how grant money moves.
  • Key Terms: 46 grant terms explained in plain language, each pointing to where it comes up in the toolkit.
  • Where to Verify, Who to Ask: official sources by topic, free and paid help, and a log for recording what you checked.
  • Red Flags: warning signs, what legitimate funders do, and what to do if you're targeted.
  • Conversation Guides: all seven guides from the toolkit, one per page, ready to print or share with the person you're meeting. 

Good to know

  • Format: a PDF you read as you need it. One section, the verification log, is fillable; use a PDF reader that supports forms, such as the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  • Use it alongside the workbooks. Each terms lists the exercises where it comes up, so you can jump between the guide and your work.
  • Built to stay accurate: it describes how things generally work, without award sizes or deadlines that go out of date, and points you to the official source for each rule.
  • Honest about rules: every funder sets its own, so check the current rule before you rely on it. The guide isn't legal, tax, or financial advice, and it can't promise funding.

Part of the Grant Readiness Toolkit

The Reference Guide supports every step of the Grant Readiness Toolkit. Start Here shows you where to begin, and Workbook 1: Foundation & Fit helps you decide whether grants fit your work. You can get all three together in The Starter Set.

Coming next: Workbook 2: Readiness & Pipeline, Workbook 3: The Application, Workbook 3S: The SBIR/STTR Path, and Workbook 4: Managing the Award. The guide already covers the terms they use.

Questions business owners ask

Is it a list of grants? No. It's a reference for understanding and checking what you find. Grant lists go out of date quickly, so the guide shows you where to look and how to judge what you see.

Will it tell me the rules of my grant? No guide can, since every funder sets its own. It explains how things generally work, then shows you where to check the current rule and who can answer your questions.

Can I share the conversation guides? Yes. Each guide fits on one page, so you can print it or share it with the advisor or funder you're meeting.

I'm new to grants. Where should I start? Read about how to get your business grant-ready first, then keep the glossary open for any term that trips you up.

Questions? Email us at hello@joinownerhood.com. 

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