Gitcoin Grants Program Definitions

Term	Definition
Gitcoin Grants	Quarterly cycle where Gitcoin helps to drive awareness and funding to both Program and Community Rounds. This “hype cycle” generates buzz and excitement, creating opportunities for projects to gain exposure and secure funding. Gitcoin Grants act as a catalyst, attracting contributors, participants, and spectators and offering projects and round operators a unique opportunity to maximize impact, reach diverse audiences, and enhance credibility. Powered by Gitcoin Grants Stack.
A program	A set of rounds that are logically grouped together and named for what connects them… Examples: GreenPill Network creates a program, and within that program the team has the ability to run multiple rounds that tie in with the theme of said program. The Climate Solutions round(s) fall within the Climate Program. The ETH Infra, Web3 Community & Education and OSS rounds fall within the Gitcoin Grants/ETH/Gitcoin Program. Each program is run by a team of round operators responsible for the execution and success of the rounds.
The program	The Gitcoin Grants flagship program (the program for short) is the entity that operates and runs the flagship rounds that are managed by Gitcoin contributors. These include ETH Infra, OSS, Web3 Community & Education (and have, in the past, included Climate & ZKTech). This program serves to dogfood Gitcoin Grants, to build a flagship program that others can emulate, and to fund Gitcoin’s most OG constituency, OSS Devs.
Round	Time-delimited campaign which, run on Gitcoin Grants Stack, is a time period in which matching funders, crowdfunders, and grantees, can contribute to funding what matters in their ecosystem.
Main Round	Rounds that occur within the Gitcoin Grants quarterly cycle, and refers to the specific grant rounds directly managed and overseen by DAO contributors. These rounds are meticulously curated and optimized to align with Gitcoin’s mission and values, emphasizing transparency, decentralization, and community engagement.
Community Round	Round that is run on Grants Stack / Allo Protocol by a community member (typically not funded or administered by Gitcoin). Community rounds are run in parallel with Program Rounds during the quarterly Gitcoin Grants cycle.
Round Operator	Responsible for the running, execution and success of a round. Usually includes a few key team members.
Gitcoin-run Round	Round that is run on Grants Stack / Allo Protocol and is administered by someone who is compensated by Gitcoin.