The following is an overview of the funder interests categories as used by Funders Online. This system is based on the European Foundation Centre Classification System.

Subject Focus
Geographic Focus
Population Focus
Types of Support

Subject Focus

Arts & Culture
Includes: performing arts; visual arts & architecture; historic societies & historic preservation; humanities, literature & philosophy; media & communications; museum services.

Education & Initial Training
Includes: pre-school to end of secondary education; vocational training & technical education; other education structures; higher education; professional & graduate education; adult & continuing education; libraries.

Science
Includes: physical & earth sciences; engineering & technology; life sciences.

Social Science
Includes: anthropology; economics; psychology & behavioural science; political science; population studies & demographics.

Environment
Includes: pollution abatement & control; natural resources conservation & protection; environmental beautification & open spaces; sustainable development; wildlife preservation & protection.

Animal Welfare
Includes: the care, protection or understanding of wildlife, pets or speciality animals.

Recreation & Sports
Includes: promoting or providing services to meet the recreational needs of individuals and communities.

Health
Includes: disease-specific focus; medical care; medical research; mental health; public health & safety; reproductive health & family planning; substance abuse.

Social Services
Includes: assistance for specific population groups; crisis intervention; counselling & support groups; disaster and relief services; food distribution programmes.

Religion
Includes: programmes operated for the purpose of worship, religious training or study; the governance or administration of organised religions; the promotion of religious activities.

Community Development & Housing
Includes: community, economic & social development; rural development & agriculture; employment & continuing training; business promotion; housing.

Civil Society, Law & Civil Rights
Includes: citizen participation; civil rights & advocacy; human rights; law & legal services; public affairs & administration.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Non-Profit Infrastructure
Includes: philanthropy promotion; voluntarism promotion; non-profit support services.

International Development & Relations
Includes: international peace & security; promotion of international understanding; international development & relief services.

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Geographic Focus

Geographic focus refers to the stated geographic areas where a funder has or is currently developing initiatives. It does not refer to individual grants made in the past. Both individual countries and geographic regions could be used to describe the geographic areas where a funder is involved.

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Population Focus

Currently includes the following categories:
Ageing/The Elderly
Alcohol/Drug Addicts
Children & Youth
Disadvantaged/Low Income
Ethnic Minorities
Families
Disabled
Immigrants/Refugees
Offenders/Ex-Offenders
Women/Girls

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Types of Support

General Support/General Purposes
Includes grants for the day-to-day operating costs of an existing programme or organisation or to further the general purpose or work of an organisation.

Capital Support
Includes general or unspecified capital support awards, such as grants for: building/renovation; equipment; collections acquisition; information systems.

Programme Development
Grants to support specific projects or programmes as opposed to general purpose grants. Includes support for: conferences/seminars; publications; curriculum development; professor/faculty development; staff development.

Student Aid
Assistance in the form of educational grants, loans or scholarships to institutions or individuals. Includes: scholarships: chiefly for pupils or undergraduates; fellowships: chiefly for graduates.

Other Types of Support:

Continuing Support: awards to maintain a project or programme beyond an initial funding period.

Challenge/Matching Support: awards that match a specified amount to be pledged or already pledged by another source(s).

Funder-Operated Programme: awards to a programme or project operated directly by the funding organisation.

Gifts In Kind: gifts of equipment, furnishings or other materials.

Grants To Individuals: other than Student Aid.

Research: funds to cover the costs of investigations and clinical trials, including demonstration and pilot projects.  (Research grants for individuals as part of graduate studies are usually referred to as fellowships).

Public Awareness Campaigns

Technical Assistance (by third party): grant to the recipient organisation to pay for a third party to offer operational or management assistance, including fundraising assistance, budgeting and financial planning, programme planning, legal advice, marketing and other aids to management.

Corporate Sponsorship: support given in return for promoting the corporate image.

Employee Matching Gifts: pledges by corporations or corporate foundations to match gifts made by corporate employees.

Employee Volunteering/Technical Assistance: corporations paying employees’ salaries while the latter assist the recipient organisation, usually through technical assistance.

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