Finding 1237518 (2025-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
B
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-09-28

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Organization lacks a consistent approval process for expenditures, risking unauthorized payments.
  • Impacted Requirements: Responsibilities for transaction authorization, recording, and custody are not properly segregated, violating best practices.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Ensure a management member or Board member reviews and initials all disbursements, preventing self-approvals for reimbursements.

Finding Text

United States Department of the Treasury Federal Assistance Listing Number 21.027 2025-03: Approval for expenditures Criteria: The assignment of responsibilities should be segregated so that one person is not responsible for the authorization and recording of a transaction and the custody of the related asset. Approvals should be noted on all expenditures by an individual outside of the recordkeeping and custody functions to provide reasonable assurance that transactions are allowable and appropriate for the Organization. Condition: The Organization does not consistently document an approval process on source documents for expenditure. Effect: Activities or costs that are not allowed or allowable could potentially be paid, as well as errors or intentional fraud could occur and not be detected timely by management in the normal course of their responsibilities. Cause: There are no procedures in place to ensure source documents are consistently approved by a member of management prior to payment. Identification of a repeat finding: This is repeat finding from the immediate previous audit. Recommendation: We recommend that a member of management or the Board of Directors review and authorize all disbursements, as well as travel reimbursements. This authorization should be evidenced by the initialing of each disbursement reviewed. We also recommend that care be taken to ensure the payee is not approving reimbursements to themselves and that a member of the Board approves those reimbursements. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: The Organization agrees with this finding and will adhere to the corrective action plan on page 35 in this audit report.

Corrective Action Plan

2025-03: Approval for expenditures Name of contact person: Rhonda Gordon, Program Coordinator Corrective Action: A member of management or the Board of Directors will review and authorize all disbursements. This authorization will be evidenced by the initialing of each disbursement reviewed. Proposed completion date: The Board will implement the above procedure immediately.

Categories

Cash Management

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1237512 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1237513 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1237514 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1237515 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1237516 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1237517 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1237519 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
15.608 FISH AND AQUATIC CONSERVATION - AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES $492,455
10.443 OUTREACH AND ASSISTANCE FOR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED AND VETERAN FARMERS AND RANCHERS $240,759
17.289 COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING $192,666
10.862 RURAL DECENTRALIZED WATER SYSTEMS GRANT PROGRAM $163,229
10.912 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM $141,620
15.657 ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY IMPLEMENTATION $132,143
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $113,882
15.631 PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE $54,863
10.446 RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE $30,000
66.419 WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STATE, INTERSTATE, AND TRIBAL PROGRAM SUPPORT $25,687
10.868 RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM $21,156
10.902 SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION $12,904
66.460 NONPOINT SOURCE IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS $8,326