Effort sponsor

Sponsor is an individual or a group that provides resources and support for the project, program, or portfolio, and is accountable for enabling success. See also stakeholder.

Definition

According to the PMI Lexicon of Project Management Terms,

Sponsor. An individual or a group that provides resources and support for the project, program, or portfolio, and is accountable for enabling success. See also stakeholder.

According to the BABOK Guide (3rd edition),

Sponsor. A stakeholder who is responsible for initiating the effort to define a business need and develop a solution that meets that need. They authorize the work to be performed and control the budget and scope for the initiative.