| AFD | Agence Française de Développement, French Development Agency |
| AFE | Association of Family and Corporate Foundations |
| BMGF | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| BMZ | Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany |
| CEO | Chief Executive Officer |
| CIFF | Children’s Investment Fund Foundation |
| CIMMYT | International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center |
| CSO | Civil society organisation |
| CRC | Cancer Research Centre |
| DAC | OECD Development Assistance Committee |
| DCD | OECD Development Co-operation Directorate |
| DEV | OECD Development Centre |
| DFID | Department for International Development of the United Kingdom |
| DIBs | Development Impact Bonds |
| DPG | Development Partners Group |
| DPL | Dutch Postcode Lottery |
| EFC | European Foundation Centre |
| EU | European Union |
| FGM | Female genital mutilation/cutting |
| GIZ | German Agency for International Cooperation |
| GNI | Gross national income |
| GPE | Global Partnership for Education |
| GPEDC | Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation |
| HGBF | Howard G. Buffet Foundation |
| HNWI | High Net Worth Individual |
| IADB | Inter-American Development Bank |
| IATI | International Aid Transparency Initiative |
| IBRD | International Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
| IDA | International Development Association |
| IDRC | International Development Research Centre |
| IFC | International Finance Corporation |
| IFPRI | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| IITA | International Institute of Tropical Agriculture |
| IMF | International Monetary Fund |
| INGO | International non-governmental organisation |
| IPPF | International Planned Parenthood Federation |
| IRS | Internal Revenue Service (of the United States) |
| IsDB | Islamic Development Bank |
| KPI | Key performance indicator |
| LDC | Least developed country and territory |
| LIC | Low-income country and territory |
| LMIC | Lower middle-income country and territory |
| MDG | Millennium Development Goal |
| MEC | Ministry of Education of Brazil |
| MENA | Middle East and North Africa |
| MRIs | Mission-related investments |
| M&E | Monitoring and evaluation |
| NDA | Non-disclosure agreement |
| netFWD | OECD Network of Foundations Working for Development |
| NGO | Non-governmental organisation |
| ODA | Official development assistance |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development |
| OOF | Other official flows |
| OSF | Open Society Foundations |
| PPPs | Public-private partnerships |
| PRIs | Programme-related investments |
| PSI | Population Services International |
| RPA | Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors |
| RBF | Rockefeller Brothers Fund |
| SDG | Sustainable Development Goal |
| SDGPP | SDG Philanthropy Platform |
| SIBs | Social Impact Bonds |
| SIDS | Small island developing states |
| SME | Small and medium-sized enterprises |
| STBF | Susan Thompson Buffet Foundation |
| STD | Sexually transmitted disease |
| UHC | Universal Health Coverage |
| UHNWI | Ultra-High Net-Worth Individual |
| UMIC | Upper middle-income country and territory |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNCDF | United Nations Capital Development Fund |
| UN-DESA | United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs |
| UNDP | United Nations Development Programme |
| UNHCR | United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
| UNICEF | United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund |
| USAID | United States Agency for International Development |
| USD | United States dollar |
| WFP | World Food Programme |
| WHO | World Health Organization |
| WINGS | Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support |
| WWF | World Wildlife Fund |