NACAA has received and reviewed the draft audit report for fiscal year 2025 conducted November 25, 2025. We have provided our auditors DeLeon & Stang with a Management Response to include with the audit. This document will outline NACAA’s course of corrective action for those findings. Finding 1: Th...
NACAA has received and reviewed the draft audit report for fiscal year 2025 conducted November 25, 2025. We have provided our auditors DeLeon & Stang with a Management Response to include with the audit. This document will outline NACAA’s course of corrective action for those findings. Finding 1: The Organization charged indirect costs to the major federal program in excess of the amount permitted under its approved NICRA for the fiscal year ended September 20, 2020. In addition, amounts reported on the annual Federal Financial Report (FFR) to the federal funder were incorrect, reporting the wrong base and charged amounts. The amounts reported on the FFR did not match the actual indirect cost base and charges for fiscal year 2025. Background As noted in the audit finding, NACAA’s NICRA has historically been based on a salary and fringe benefits allocation base. During fiscal year 2025, NACAA experienced significant turnover of longtenured employees, resulting in a substantial decrease in salaries and wages and, accordingly, a reduction in the approved indirect cost rate. As a result, indirect costs were overcharged to the federal program by $96,196. The annual Federal Financial Report (FFR) submitted on November 6, 2025, was based on internal year-end reports not NACAA’s audited final numbers. The information reported as the indirect cost rates and amounts were taken from the NICRA applications for the FY24 final and FY25 provisional negotiated rates. Remediation In order to address these findings, NACAA has contacted its EPA Project Officer and Grant Specialist to discuss appropriate corrective action. We explained that NACAA is having trouble paying its overhead expenses using the current negotiated indirect cost rate of 16.84% due to the substantial changes in our staff since the rate was negotiated. NACAA’s 2025 provisional indirect costs rate was calculated based on a SWF amount of $1,306,688. At year end because of staff changes, NACAA’s 2025 SWF amount is only $950,264, which makes our base for calculating indirect costs $356,424 less than when the rate was set. The indirect cost limit based on the old SWF was $220,046, while it’s $160,024 based on the new. NACAA’s indirect costs for 2025 were $256,919. After speaking with EPA, NACAA met with its auditors and accountant to discuss corrective action. It was recommended that some of NACAA’s overhead costs that have traditionally been added to the indirect cost pool (professional fees, rent, office insurance, etc.) be charged as direct costs using NACAA’s grant-related salaries and fringe benefits to allocate expenses between direct and indirect costs. To correct the other issue related to the Federal Financial Report (FFR) errors, NACAA will work with its accountant to complete the required FFRs and other grant reports to ensure that all figures being reported at correct. Reclassifying Indirect Charges to Direct Cost Categories NACAA has contacted the EPA Grants Management team to determine if our anticipated corrective course of action would be acceptable to EPA. We have received concurrence by email that the suggestion made by NACAA’s Auditors that pro-rating costs using salary as a basis for allocating overhead charges as direct costs is reasonable. This method should be used to allocate all expenses that are “traditionally” allocated as indirect costs. NACAA is currently drafting a request to re-budget its 2026 expenses, allocating many of the expenses traditionally part of the indirect cost pool as direct expenses, pro-rating costs using salary as a basis for allocating overhead charges as direct costs. NACAA’s Project Officer needs to approve that request so an amendment can be made for the current year of NACAA’s two-year cooperative agreement. Accountability Once NACAA’s re-budgeting request has been approved, NACAA’s Operations Manager and Accountant will be responsible for ensuring that expenses are correctly allocated every month using salary as a basis for allocating overhead charges as direct costs. Please see a description of NACAA’s Time and Attendance System and Method of Fringe Benefit allocation. These will be used to determine the percentage of expenses that will be allocated as direct costs: Salaries and Wages: Time & Attendance System: NACAA’s staff complete detailed timesheets on the 15th and last day of each month. Personnel Time Allocation Policy: Traditionally, activities of the NACAA headquarters office fall into three categories: federal grant-related activities; non-grant related activities; and indirect functions. Fringe benefits are allocated into these three categories based on the number of hours worked in each. Non-grant related activities are funded by the NACAA treasury. A very modest amount of time is allocated as Indirect Salaries, Wages and Fringes. Indirect salaries are included in NACAA’s indirect cost pool. Fringe Benefits: Fringe Benefits for NACAA’s staff members include employer-paid share of payroll taxes, health, life and disability insurance and a retirement plan. NACAA allocates fringe benefits based on a fringe benefit rate and distributes them based on salaries and wages.