The Acronym Buster

There are a few voluntary sector, public sector, funding (pdf) and social enterprise jargon buster sites around. My personal favourite is this wiki-one that anyone can edit and add to.

One of the labyrinthine jargon challenges is the acronyms that pervade the sector, and all the different government departments. I realised this the other day when I was discussing the cabinet reshuffle with a colleague the other day, and there was a truly horrific sentence that went something along the lines of:

“so the VCGU has gone to the OTS; and so has the SEU, from the DTI; what about the ACU (or ACD)?: that’s moved from the Home Office, but has it gone to DCLG (previously ODPM) or also gone to the OTS?”

Well, quite. Now some of the sector specialists out there will simply nod sagely at this and understand every word. But new entrants to the sector, as many of our students are, find this an incomprehensible lingo-babble…and rightly so. So I’m thinking of an acronym buster for social entrepreneurs, that tells you your DWP from your DTI, your SEEDA from your SEEM, your GLA from your LEGI, and your LSP from your LSC.

So here’s a start:

ACEVO Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations

ACF Association of Charitable Foundations, and also Adventure Capital Fund

ACU Active Communities Unit (part of Active Communities Directorate, previously in Home Office)

ALM Action Learning for Managers

 

Bassac British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centres

BitC Business in the Community

BLF Big Lottery Fund (also Black Londoners’ Forum)

BME Black and Minority Ethnic

BURA British Urban Regeneration Association

 

CAF Charities Aid Foundation

CBI Confederation of Business Industry

CDF Community Development Foundation

CEMVO Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations

CES Charities Evaluation Services

CIC Community Interest Company

CPD continuing professional development

CRT Coalfields Regeneration Trust

CRU Civil Renewal Unit

CSR Corporate Social Responsibility

CSV Community Service Volunteers

CVS Council for Voluntary Service

 

DCLG Department for Communities and Local Government
(was ODPM – Office of the Deputy Prime Minister)

DCMS Department for Culture, Media and Sport

DEFRA Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(was MAFF / DETR)

DfES Department for Education and Skills
(was DfEE)

DfT Department for Transport

DoH / DH Department of Health

DSC Directory of Social Change

DTA Development Trusts Association

DTI Department for Trade and Industry

DWP Department for Work and Pensions

 

OK – for now, that’ll do. Will be updated in time….

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