Finding 2023-003--General Oversight--Significant Deficiency
Recommendation: We recommend that the Organization create policies and procedures to ensure proper oversight of the financial reporting function. In addition, we would recommend the Organization to consider the costs and benefits of restr...
Finding 2023-003--General Oversight--Significant Deficiency
Recommendation: We recommend that the Organization create policies and procedures to ensure proper oversight of the financial reporting function. In addition, we would recommend the Organization to consider the costs and benefits of restructuring the finance department. This could include allocating additional resources to hire additional employees, reallocation of responsibilities within the organization and less reliance on the contracted accounting services.
View of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The Executive Director has worked to reduce the reliance on outside contracted accounting services. Beginning in Q1 2022, agency leadership took necessary action to begin restructuring the Finance Department following a change in staffing with the contracted accounting service. In Q2 2022, the agency promoted a long-tenured staff member to the newly-created Director of Grants and Finance position, which separated and removed all finance duties from the Director of Administration. To support the Director of Grants and Finance, a full-time Grants and Finance Specialist staff position was created in Q3 of 2022
To further strengthen financial oversight and ensure timely access to grant funds, the organization implemented a structured monthly grant billing schedule. This process ensures that vouchering is completed on time, reducing delays in reimbursements and mitigating cash flow disruptions. As a result, grant reimbursements have been received more consistently, alleviating financial strain and improving overall fiscal stability.
Joseph’s House has created a 21-page Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual to ensure proper oversight of all fiscal functions. Changes are currently in process and will be sent for review by the Board’s Finance Committee followed by a final review and approval of the full Board of Directors.
The organization has scaled back reliance on the contracted accounting service and has ensured that all claims, with the implementation of personnel time-tracking systems, are submitted through our Finance Department. We continue to use a contracted accounting service for higher-level accounting duties and for on-going advisement that supplements, instead of replaces, the work of internal staff. We are confident these changes have improved the agency’s ability to provide adequate management oversight in the financial reporting process. This was completed in Q2 of 2023.