Finding 2024-001 - Internal Controls Over Accounting and Financial Reporting Fiscal Year Finding Initially Occurred: FY 2024 (Initial Finding) Name of Federal Agency: U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Award Year: 2021, 2023, and 2024 Criteria or specific requirement: Under the ...
Finding 2024-001 - Internal Controls Over Accounting and Financial Reporting Fiscal Year Finding Initially Occurred: FY 2024 (Initial Finding) Name of Federal Agency: U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Award Year: 2021, 2023, and 2024 Criteria or specific requirement: Under the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), non-Federal entities that receive Federal awards must maintain an accounting and financial management system that provides adequate internal control, accountability, and reporting. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) require revenues and expenses to be recognized in the period in which they are earned or incurred. Assets, liabilities, and net assets should be accurately recorded and reported as of the applicable reporting date. Organizations should maintain effective controls to ensure proper period-end cutoff and accurate financial reporting. Condition: During our audit, we identified material accounting errors in accounts receivable, equity investments, property and equipment, accumulated depreciation, construction in progress, accounts payable, and the classification of net assets with donor restrictions, where account balances were not recorded, were recorded improperly, or improperly classified. With respect to revenues and expenses, we identified transactions that were recorded in accounting periods other than those in which the underlying economic events occurred. Specifically, some revenues and expenses that should have been reported in the 2023 accounting year were recorded in the 2024 accounting year, Another condition related to this finding is that accounting personnel do not close the books at year-end each year. This condition required SC UpLift's management to engage the services of a third-party Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to correct the underlying accounting records before year-end financial statements could be prepared. The accounting records required approximately 30 adjusting, reclassifying, or correcting journal entries, to get the accounting records ready for financial reporting. Cause of condition: The primary cause of this condition appears to be a lack of skill, knowledge, experience, and training of accounting personnel with respect to GAAP, and governmental bookkeeping, accounting, and financial reporting requirements. A secondary cause of this condition may be a lack of supervisory oversight and review of accounting transactions by a knowledgeable individual. Potential effect of condition: The potential effect of this condition is the possible material misstatement of interim and/or year-end financial reporting. Management may make decisions using inaccurate financial information, which could negatively affect SC Uplift's ability to secure additional funding for its programs. Section II - Financial Statement Findings (continued) Finding 2024-001 - Internal Controls Over Accounting and Financial Reporting (continued) Fiscal Year Finding Initially Occurred: FY 2024 (Initial Finding) Recommendation: We recommend Management strengthen daily accounting, and period-end closing and review procedures to ensure all transactions are recorded in the appropriate accounting period. Recommended actions include: 1. Implementing formal cutoff procedures for revenue, expense, asset, and liability transactions; 2. Strengthening supervisory review and approval of period-end journal entries and reconciliations; 3. Performing timely reconciliations of significant balance sheet accounts; 4. Providing training to accounting personnel regarding period recognition requirements and accounting cutoff principles; and 5. Establishing documented review controls to verify the completeness and accuracy of period-end financial reporting. Response of Responsible SC UpLift Official: Management of SC UpLift Community Outreach, Inc. acknowledges and understands the audit finding regarding financial reporting and year-end accounting procedures. We appreciate the auditor's recommendations and are committed to strengthening our accounting and financial reporting processes to ensure continued compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), and nonprofit financial reporting standards. As a small nonprofit organization with limited administrative resources, SC UpLift has consistently sought to maintain sound financial management practices by engaging qualified Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) to assist with our accounting and financial reporting. However, due to the financial constraints common among small nonprofit organizations, we have not always been able to retain those services on a continuous basis because of the associated costs. This was SC UpLift's first Single Audit, and we recognize that the increased reporting requirements associated with federal funding require additional expertise, stronger internal controls, and more formalized year-end closing procedures. We have already engaged a third-party CPA to assist with the preparation of the 2024 audited financial statements and will continue working closely with both our bookkeeper and CPA throughout the upcoming fiscal year to improve our financial reporting processes. Specifically, management will: • Develop and implement formal month-end and year-end closing procedures. • Perform timely reconciliations of all significant balance sheet accounts. • Strengthen supervisory review of journal entries, reconciliations, and financial reports. • Ensure revenues, expenses, assets, and liabilities are recorded in the proper accounting period. • Continue utilizing the expertise of our third-party CPA to review financial records, provide guidance on GAAP compliance, and assist with staff training and implementation of best practices. Management believes these corrective actions will significantly strengthen our internal controls over financial reporting and reduce the likelihood of similar findings in future audits. We are committed to continuous improvement and maintaining financial records that accurately reflect the organization's financial position while meeting all applicable federal and nonprofit reporting requirements. Target Completion Date: December 31, 2026