Finding 1157025 (2024-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
C
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-09-30
Audit: 369341
Organization: Women's Center for Advancement (NE)
Auditor: Eide Bailly LLP

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Internal controls failed to ensure accurate reporting for the VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant, leading to discrepancies between expenses and amounts charged.
  • Impacted Requirements: The Organization's ability to prevent or detect misstatements in grant reporting was compromised due to turnover in the accounting department and inadequate reconciliation processes.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management is taking steps to improve reconciliation and review processes to align records with grant charges and ensure all allowable costs are billed and collected.

Finding Text

Criteria: The design or operation of the Organization’s internal controls should allow for management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements in reporting for grant awards on a timely basis. Condition: Certain underlying support related to the VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant did not agree to amounts charged to the grant. Supporting information and records indicated more funds were spent by the Organization than were charged to the grant. Cause: Due to turnover in the accounting department and a lack of appropriate reconciliation and review processes, variances existed between supporting information and records and amounts charged to the grant. Effect: The Organization’s records do not match requests for reimbursement under the grant and the Organization may have not billed and collected for all allowable costs incurred under the grant program. Questioned Costs: None. Views of Responsible Officials: Management acknowledges that due to turnover and ineffective reconciliation and review processes that variances exist between supporting documentation and records and amounts invoiced or charged to the grant. Management is implementing additional and revised processes and controls to address this oversight in future periods.

Corrective Action Plan

Condition: Certain underlying support related to the VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant did not agree to amounts charged to the grant. Supporting information and records indicated more funds were spent by the Organization than were charged to the grant. Planned Corrective Action: Management will review its processes, procedures and controls to ensure that reconciliation and review of grant reimbursement requests and supporting underlying documentation occurs in future periods. Planned Completion Date: Ongoing Person Responsible: Kim Reed, VP of Finance

Categories

Internal Control / Segregation of Duties Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Cash Management Reporting

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
14.267 Continuum of Care Program $431,960
16.575 Crime Victim Assistance $294,756
16.524 Legal Assistance for Victims $152,731
16.588 Violence Against Women Formula Grants $38,390
16.590 Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program $26,208
16.888 Consolidated and Technical Assistance Grant Program to Address Children and Youth Experiencing Domestic and Sexual Violence and Engage Men and Boys As Allies $22,204
93.671 Family Violence Prevention and Services/domestic Violence Shelter and Supportive Services $21,111
93.136 Injury Prevention and Control Research and State and Community Based Programs $4,620
16.833 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative $209