Finding 1216608 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-06-04
Audit: 403079
Auditor: WIPFLI LLP

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Project NOW, Inc. failed to reconcile key accounts and improperly recorded a business acquisition, leading to a material weakness in internal controls.
  • Impacted Requirements: Non-compliance with Federal Regulation 2 CFR 200.302(4) regarding effective control and accountability over financial assets.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management should enhance closing procedures and account reconciliations to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting in the future.

Finding Text

Condition – At the time of audit fieldwork, Project NOW, Inc. had not reconciled significant accounts such as grants receivable, accounts receivable, investments in partnerships, property and equipment, accounts payable, accrual accounts, long term debt and the corresponding revenue and expense accounts. In addition, Project NOW, Inc. did not properly record an acquisition of a business that occurred during the audit year. As a result, Wipfli, LLP proposed and management posted adjusting journal entries to the aforementioned accounts. Lastly, due to the lack of audit preparedness, the audit extended past the required nine-month deadline for submission. Due to Project NOW, Inc.’s lack of audit preparedness that led to a delinquent audit submission as well as the breakdown in internal controls surrounding reconciliation of accounts which led to multiple adjusting journal entries, a material weakness exists in Project NOW, Inc.’s internal controls over financial reporting. Criteria – Federal Regulation 2 CFR 200.302(4) requires that an organization have…Effective control over, and accountability for, all funds, property, and other assets. Cause – During the audit year, Project NOW, Inc. experienced turnover in its business office while preparing for the audit which contributed to the lack of adequate and timely closing procedures, account reconciliation's, and review processes. Effect – As a result of not reconciling and adjusting certain account balances, a material weakness exists in internal controls. Recommendation – We recommend management and those charged with governance evaluate the operation of the business office and implement adequate and timely closing procedures to ensure that financial statement amounts are being reconciled and adjusted appropriately which will lead to timely submission of the audited financial statements in the future. View of Responsible Officials – Management agrees with the assessment and has committed to a corrective action plan.

Corrective Action Plan

Project NOW, Inc. submits the following corrective action plan for the identified finding for the audit period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. 2025-001 - Delinquent Audit Submission, Audit Preparedness, Timely Reconciliations and Material Adjustments Corrective Action: Lack of audit preparedness, reconciliations not done or not completed timely, and material adjustments either not completed properly and accurately or just not done at all were the cause and the reason for the delinquent audit submission. The Accounting Manager and one Grant Accountant left the organization early to mid FY2025. The CFO then decided to scale back her work hours before eventually leaving the organization prior to completing her agreed upon task of preparing the organization for the audit. The new CFO was hired in September 2025, and a temp Grant Accountant was hired full time in November 2025. Instead of replacing the Accounting Manager, a third Grant Accountant was brought in as a temp in February 2026 and will be hired full time in June 2026. Steps in the Corrective Action Process: Train and Crosstrain Finance Staff and Grant Accountants: Upon the new CFO's arrival, many of the duties for grant reporting as well as the majority of the month-end closing entries fell under one grant accountant. Some duties were delegated to the temp grant accountant, but a majority of the workload still fell to the other accountant. We will make sure that each grant accountant is trained on the grants they are responsible for as well as cross trained on other grants so grant reporting obligations do not go undone in the absence of one accountant. Person(s) Responsible: Steve Morenz, CFO Timing for Implementation: Current and ongoing Training the Accounting Staff in month end closing entries and the handling of material acquisitions and disposals: It was found during the audit that a new agency acquisition was not added to Project NOW's books properly, a new LLC had not been properly set up in the accounting system, and the sale of houses and the sale of vehicles were not handled correctly. The CFO will monitor such activities and make sure the proper accounting for such transactions is completed in the accounting system either at the time of sale or time of acquisition. Person(s) Responsible: Steve Morenz, CFO Timing for Implementation: Current and ongoing Returning to and following a strict month end closing schedule, having the books closed by the 15th of each month: At one point, from the last corrective action plan to this one, the Finance staff was current with their month end closings. But with the transitions that occurred they had again fallen behind, and at one point being up to six months behind in closing the months. With a fully trained Finance department, starting in January 2026 we were able to close two months during each calendar month and were current with our statement's closings by March 2026. The staff will work diligently to maintain this schedule. This will also help ensure grant reporting is done on a timely basis as well. Person(s) Responsible: Steve Morenz, CFO Timing for Implementation: Current and ongoing Balance Sheet Account Review and Reconciliation: Apparently other than monthly bank reconciliations, there has been no balance sheet account review done for quite some time. Moving forward, the CFO will work with the accounting staff to see that reconciliations of all balance sheet accounts for all entities will be done regularly and correctly so we are better prepared for audit season. Person(s) Responsible: Steve Morenz, CFO Timing for Implementation: Current and ongoing Monthly departmental revenue and expense reports distributed to each director by the 20th of each month: Again, prior to the latest staffing transitions, R&E reports were sent to department directors every month. This practice then fell by the wayside. We have re-implemented the distribution of month financial reports to all directors showing all revenues and expenses for the departments they manage and the grants they are responsible for. Regular meetings will be held between the CFO, specific grant accountant, and the directors to review their statements to see how their department is running and their compare financial results versus their budget. This will also help monitor activity on the organization's income statement, making sure those balances are accurate and complete. Project NOW, Inc. submits the following corrective action plan for the identified finding for the audit period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. 2025-001 - Delinquent Audit Submission, Audit Preparedness, Timely Reconciliations and Material Adjustments Corrective Action: Lack of audit preparedness, reconciliations not done or not completed timely, and material adjustments either not completed properly and accurately or just not done at all were the cause and the reason for the delinquent audit submission. The Accounting Manager and one Grant Accountant left the organization early to mid FY2025. The CFO then decided to scale back her work hours before eventually leaving the organization prior to completing her agreed upon task of preparing the organization for the audit. The new CFO was hired in September 2025, and a temp Grant Accountant was hired full time in November 2025. Instead of replacing the Accounting Manager, a third Grant Accountant was brought in as a temp in February 2026 and will be hired full time in June 2026. Steps in the Corrective Action Process: Train and Crosstrain Finance Staff and Grant Accountants: Upon the new CFO's arrival, many of the duties for grant reporting as well as the majority of the month-end closing entries fell under one grant accountant. Some duties were delegated to the temp grant accountant, but a majority of the workload still fell to the other accountant. We will make sure that each grant accountant is trained on the grants they are responsible for as well as cross trained on other grants so grant reporting obligations do not go undone in the absence of one accountant. Person(s) Responsible: Steve Morenz, CFO Timing for Implementation: Current and ongoing Training the Accounting Staff in month end closing entries and the handling of material acquisitions and disposals: It was found during the audit that a new agency acquisition was not added to Project NOW's books properly, a new LLC had not been properly set up in the accounting system, and the sale of houses and the sale of vehicles were not handled correctly. The CFO will monitor such activities and make sure the proper accounting for such transactions is completed in the accounting system either at the time of sale or time of acquisition. Timing for Implementation: Current and ongoing Returning to and following a strict month end closing schedule, having the books closed by the 15th of each month: At one point, from the last corrective action plan to this one, the Finance staff was current with their month end closings. But with the transitions that occurred they had again fallen behind, and at one point being up to six months behind in closing the months. With a fully trained Finance department, starting in January 2026 we were able to close two months during each calendar month and were current with our statement's closings by March 2026. The staff will work diligently to maintain this schedule. This will also help ensure grant reporting is done on a timely basis as well. Person(s) Responsible: Steve Morenz, CFO Timing for Implementation: Current and ongoing Balance Sheet Account Review and Reconciliation: Apparently other than monthly bank reconciliations, there has been no balance sheet account review done for quite some time. Moving forward, the CFO will work with the accounting staff to see that reconciliations of all balance sheet accounts for all entities will be done regularly and correctly so we are better prepared for audit season. Person(s) Responsible: Steve Morenz, CFO Timing for Implementation: Current and ongoing Monthly departmental revenue and expense reports distributed to each director by the 20th of each month: Again, prior to the latest staffing transitions, R&E reports were sent to department directors every month. This practice then fell by the wayside. We have re-implemented the distribution of month financial reports to all directors showing all revenues and expenses for the departments they manage and the grants they are responsible for. Regular meetings will be held between the CFO, specific grant accountant, and the directors to review their statements to see how their department is running and their compare financial results versus their budget. This will also help monitor activity on the organization's income statement, making sure those balances are accurate and complete. Person(s) Responsible: Steve Morenz, CFO Timing for Implementation: Current and ongoing Person(s) Responsible: Steve Morenz, CFO

Categories

Material Weakness Reporting Equipment & Real Property Management Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1216609 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.568 LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE $4.28M
93.600 HEAD START $3.09M
93.569 COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT $610,321
93.045 SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR THE AGING_TITLE III, PART C_NUTRITION SERVICES $568,874
14.267 CONTINUUM OF CARE PROGRAM $346,651
81.042 WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE FOR LOW-INCOME PERSONS $305,610
14.231 EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT PROGRAM $181,561
20.509 FORMULA GRANTS FOR RURAL AREAS AND TRIBAL TRANSIT PROGRAM $175,438
10.558 CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM $145,306
93.052 NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVER SUPPORT, TITLE III, PART E $22,790
93.044 SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR THE AGING_TITLE III, PART B_GRANTS FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND SENIOR CENTERS $21,927
93.324 STATE HEALTH INSURANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM $5,124
93.518 AFFORDABLE CARE ACT - MEDICARE IMPROVEMENTS FOR PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS $250