Category: Public Funds Management

D.C. Homeless Program Overcharged

By Fredrick Kunkle. Washington Post. March 6, 2015. “An auditor’s report on the District’s programs for the homeless found that its main contractor overbilled the city by more than $5.3 million last year, largely through the use of an accounting practice that appears to be a violation of city and federal law.”

“The review also found that the contractor, the nonprofit Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, had inadequately distinguished between programmatic and administrative costs, a key indicator of whether funds are spent efficiently.”

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Grant Management Uniform Guidance: D +4 Weeks

The new federal grant management Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) went into effect on December 26, 2014. Are your organization’s policies, procedures and systems aligned with the new regulations?

This change impacts all non-federal organizations.

The Grant Doctors offers two options to help you prepare for the transition:

  1. Have us perform a Grant Documentation and Systems Review to examine your organization’s systems and to make recommendations for improvement if necessary.
  2. DIY: Use our Federal Grant Management Assessment tool to perform your own internal analysis. Our assessment covers 110 standards in the Uniform Guidance (i.e., administrative requirements, cost principles and audit requirements) and internal controls guidelines; and provides ample space to cite your current practices and to make notes regarding findings, action items and next steps. And, because the tool is a .pdf form, you can save your responses and re-use the assessment anytime. Click here to download the assessment tool.

We’re your partner. Let us know how we can help. Always feel free to contact us.

Grant Management Uniform Guidance: D-Day

The new federal grant management Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) goes into effect today. Are your organization’s policies, procedures and systems prepared for the new regulations?

This change impacts all non-federal organizations.

The Grant Doctors offers two options to help you prepare for the transition:

  1. Have us perform a Grant Documentation and Systems Review to examine your organization’s systems and to make recommendations for improvement if necessary.
  2. DIY: Use our Federal Grant Management Assessment tool to perform your own internal analysis. Our assessment covers 110 standards in the Uniform Guidance (i.e., administrative requirements, cost principles and audit requirements) and internal controls guidelines; and provides ample space to cite your current practices and to make notes regarding findings, action items and next steps. And, because the tool is a .pdf form, you can save your responses and re-use the assessment anytime. Click here to download the assessment tool.

We’re your partner. Let us know how we can help. Always feel free to contact us.

Annual systems review

The Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) that takes effect December 26, 2014 impacts all non-federal organizations.

As the federal grant management regulations change, so should your policies and procedures. Revisions will be necessary for all organizations-especially nonprofits. The regulation changes are significant enough that your current policies and procedures will not suffice.

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Change is coming!

The Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) that takes effect December 26, 2014 impacts all non-federal organizations.

As the federal grant management regulations change, so should your policies and procedures. Revisions will be necessary for all organizations-especially nonprofits. The regulation changes are significant enough that your current policies and procedures will not suffice.

Continue reading →

How often do you review your organization’s policies?

The Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) that takes effect December 26, 2014 impacts all non-federal organizations.

As the federal grant management regulations change, so should your policies and procedures. Revisions will be necessary for all organizations-especially nonprofits. The regulation changes are significant enough that your current policies and procedures will not suffice.

Continue reading →

Federal grant micro-purchases

Pay attention to this story from NBC-4 Washington, DC. It has the potential to impact your federal grant purchases under the new Uniform Guidance rolling out on December 26, 2014. NBC-4’s investigation found a number of highly questionable expenses ranging from personal clothing at JC Penney, gym memberships and one agency charging up to $30,000 at Starbucks for coffee gift cards. The micro-purchase authority used by federal agencies will also apply to federal grantees starting at the end of this year.

The Uniform Guidance allows federal grantees to make small purchases ($3,000 or less) without needing to obtain price quotes from vendors. If a grantee considers a price reasonable, they’re authorized to make the purchase. The idea is to make life easier for grantees when purchasing routine items like printer toner, copier paper, flip charts, small technology, staples, etc. (The $3,000 threshold is tied to the Federal Acquisition Regulations.) For this increased flexibility, grantees are expected to spread their purchases around to multiple vendors (i.e., don’t buy everything from a single source).

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Systems are the thing

The Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) that takes effect December 26, 2014 impacts all non-federal organizations.

As the federal grant management regulations change, so should your policies and procedures. Revisions will be necessary for all organizations-especially nonprofits. The regulation changes are significant enough that your current policies and procedures will not suffice.

Continue reading →