Finding 1175580 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
C
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-02-26
Audit: 389399
Organization: Disability Rights Michigan (MI)
Auditor: HUNGERFORD

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Organization requested reimbursement for federal grants that exceeded actual, allowable expenditures, violating cash management requirements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Non-compliance with 2 CFR §200.305(b) due to reliance on estimated costs instead of actual expenditures.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement internal controls to ensure reimbursement requests are based only on incurred allowable expenditures prior to submission.

Finding Text

Cash Management - Significant Deficiency in Internal Controls over Major Programs Condition: The Organization requested reimbursement of certain federal grant awards in excess of actual, allowable expenditures incurred at the time of the request. Major Programs: ALN 93.138 - Protection and Advocacy or Individuals with Mental Illness; ALN 84.240A - Program of Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights. Criteria: 2 CFR §200.305(b) requires non-federal entities to minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of federal funds and disbursement or incurrence of costs. Under the reimbursement method, drawdowns should be limited to actual, allowable expenditures incurred and not estimates or projections of future expenditures. Cause: The Organization did not follow their internal control procedures in place to ensure that reimbursement requests were supported by expenditures incurred prior to submission. Management relied on estimated expenditures rather than reconciling to actual amounts incurred at the time of the request. Effect: Federal funds were drawn in excess of actual expenditures incurred, increasing the risk of noncompliance with Uniform Guidance cash management requirements. Questioned Costs: While funds were drawn in advance, all amounts were subsequently expended on allowable program costs. Ultimately no questioned costs were noted, however, the excess funds were matched against allowable costs incurred after the grant period end of September 30, 2025. Recommendation: The Organization should follow internal control procedures necessary to ensure requests for reimbursement are based solely on allowable expenditures that have been incurred prior to the date of the request. View of Responsible Officials: The Organization agrees with the finding and will implement corrective action necessary to address the condition.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding Number: 2025-001 Responsible Person: Michele Brand, Director Finance/HR/IT Management Views: Management agrees with the finding and immediately implemented the recommendation. Corrective Action: This was a one-time error due to end-of-year accrual adjustments and spending allocation modifications that reduced the amount of spending in certain grants. This is the first time estimates were used, and we deviated from our normal procedures. Estimates will not be used in the future. Anticipated Completion Date: Already complete.

Categories

Cash Management

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1175579 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
96.009 SOCIAL SECURITY STATE GRANTS FOR WORK INCENTIVES ASSISTANCE TO DISABLED BENEFICIARIES $1.26M
93.630 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES BASIC SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY GRANTS $1.05M
93.138 PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS $1.04M
84.240 PROGRAM OF PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS $574,617
84.161 REHABILITATION SERVICES CLIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM $436,227
93.268 IMMUNIZATION COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS $169,514
93.843 ACL ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY STATE GRANTS FOR PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY $161,974
93.873 STATE GRANTS FOR PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SERVICES $152,778
93.618 VOTING ACCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES-GRANTS FOR PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SYSTEMS $112,630
93.433 ACL NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DISABILITY, INDEPENDENT LIVING, AND REHABILITATION RESEARCH $24,487
93.048 SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR THE AGING, TITLE IV, AND TITLE II, DISCRETIONARY PROJECTS $8,642