Walker and Company, LLP, Financial Management Institute

Albuquerque, NM, March 22–24, 2006

Session Description (DOC) | Detailed Institute Agenda (DOC)

DAY ONE—March 22, 2006

11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. - Registration

1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. - Opening Plenary

This session will provide all attendees with an overview of CNCS and the conference and set the tone for the importance of all our work in the national and community service fields.

Presenters

  • Gina Fulbright Powell
  • Rudy M. Garcia
  • Steve Patrick
  • Ernesto Ramos
  • Peg Rosenberry
  • Kristina Tecce

2:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m. - Break

3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. - Training Block 1

Key Focus Areas for Staff—Grantees with AmeriCorps Members
This session will provide fiscal staff specific areas to focus on to ensure fiscal accountability for their CNCS grant funds. Topics will include match, documentation, financial reporting and member management issues.

View the PowerPoint presentation and download the Word file for this section:

Presenters

  • Kristina Tecce
  • Michael Kenefick

Key Focus Areas for Staff—Senior Corps Projects
This session will provide fiscal staff specific areas to focus on to ensure fiscal accountability for their CNCS grant funds. Topics will include budgeting, external oversight, internal controls and documentation.

Presenters

  • Susan Meche
  • Michael Ward

Key Focus Areas for Staff—Learn and Serve Programs
This session will provide fiscal staff specific areas to focus on to ensure fiscal accountability for their CNCS grant funds. Topics will include match, financial reporting, external oversight and subgrantee oversight.

Presenters

  • Corland Forrester
  • Gillian Brown

5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m. - Reception and Networking Opportunity and Reflection

At the reception, we will have an opportunity to get to know one another better, sharing common concerns and effective practices. Don't miss out on the light hors d'oeuvres and give-aways!

DAY TWO—March 23, 2006

7:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. - Continental Breakfast and Networking

Come start your day with a nice breakfast. Take time to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, or share resources and ideas.

9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. - Training Block 2

Budgeting and Proposed Cost Allocation — Introductory
An essential part of budgeting is identifying costs attributable to your National Service Program. Participants will gain information about how they can equitably distribute costs to various cost objectives within their organization.

Presenter

  • Michael Ward

Preparing for an OIG Audit—General
This session will provide participants with information relating to the Office of Inspector General audits and how they can best prepare their organization for such an audit. This presentation will include information on how grantees can concentrate their efforts to most efficiently utilize their time and energy to prepare. This session will also review common audit findings compiled from previous audits so participants can learn from the experience of other grantees and establish systems to prevent the findings within their organization.

Presenter

  • Carol Bates, Acting Inspector General

Reading and Understanding Financial Statements — Intermediate
This session will provide participants information that will assist them in reading and understanding financial statements. If participants are knowledgeable on how to read financial
statements, they can use them as a tool to run their organizations and/or monitor subgrantees.

Presenters

  • Corland Forrester
  • Gillian Brown

Risk Assessment of Subgrantees— General
This session is for any organization that has subgrantees. This session will provide the participant with concrete methods to incorporate a risk-based approach in the assessment and review of their subgrantees. Some CNCS grantees are required to incorporate a risk-based monitoring system, some grantees utilize a risk-based approach to increase their efficiency and effectiveness of the oversight of their subgrantees.

Presenters

  • Michael Kenefick
  • William Cole

Documentation, Match and In Kind—For AmeriCorps Programs
Since proper documentation has continued to be an audit and compliance issue this is an important topic. This session will provide the participants with information on how to properly document expenses and in-kind donations for grant accountability. There will also be information about how calculate the value of these donations.

Presenter

  • Susan Meche

11:15a.m.–1:00 p.m. - Plenary Session and Lunch

The impacts on nonprofit organizations as a result of Sarbanes-Oxley legislation
The law that was created in response to the Enron, Tyco and other accounting scandals is intended to rebuild trust in the public sector. Currently the provisions only apply to publicly traded corporations; however there is a cascading effect that will eventually affect nonprofit organizations

Presenter

  • Peg Rosenberry, Director Office of Grants Management

1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. - Training Block 3

Financial Reporting and Using HHS Payment Management System Introductory Level
This session is designed to assist participants to be more informed about their financial reporting requirements, specifically Financial Status Reports (FSRs) and PMS 272s. This session will not only go through the nuts and bolts of completing the reports, but will also review the information needed to properly complete the reports and have a clear audit trail.

Presenter

  • Corland Forrester

Risk Assessment of Subgrantees - General
This session is for any organization that has subgrantees. This session will provide the participant with concrete methods to incorporate a risk-based approach in the assessment and review of their subgrantees. Some CNCS grantees are required to incorporate a risk-based monitoring system, some grantees utilize a risk-based approach to increase their efficiency of the oversight of their subgrantees.

Presenters

  • Michael Kenefick
  • William Cole

Documentation, Match and Inkind—Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America General
Since proper documentation has continued to be an audit and compliance issue this is an important topic. This session will provide the participants with information on how to properly document expenses and inkind donations for grant accountability. There will also be information about how calculate the value of these donations.

Presenter

  • Susan Meche

Budgeting and Proposed Cost Allocation— Intermediate
An essential part of budgeting is identifying costs attributable to your National Service Program. Participants will gain information about how they can equitably distribute costs to various cost objectives within their organization.

Presenter

  • Michael Ward

Indirect Costs/Administrative Costs—Intermediate
This session will include information on what expenses should be classified as indirect costs and what should be classified as direct costs. This session will include information to be considered in determining if your organization should negotiate a federally approved indirect cost rate. The presenter will also review the steps of the negotiation process.

Presenter

  • Glenda Somerville

3:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. - Break

3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. - Training Block 4

Preparing for an OIG Audit—General
This session will provide participants with information relating to the Office of Inspector General audits and how they can best prepare their organization for such an audit. This presentation will include information on how grantees can concentrate their efforts to most efficiently utilize their time and energy to prepare. This session will also review common audit findings compiled from previous audits so participants can learn from the experience of other grantees and establish systems to prevent the findings within their organization.

Presenter

  • Carol Bates, Acting Inspector General

Monitoring and Assisting Subgrantees to Mitigate Risk—General
This session is for any organization that sub-grants any of the funding that it receives from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). This session will provide the participant with concrete methods on how to monitor and assist their subgrantees in mitigating risk.

Presenters

  • Michael Kenefick
  • William Cole

Monitoring for Senior Corps Grantee— General
This session is designed for Senior Corps grantees to prepare them for monitoring by CNCS. This session will focus on the fiscal aspects of how their organization will be reviewed. Tips and tools will be provided on how to create their systems and structures to prepare for upcoming visits.

Presenter

  • Kristina Tecce

Grant Closeout - Intermediate
This session will provide participants with the information on how to properly conduct the Closeout Process to closeout their grant. Grantees will become familiar with the steps necessary to complete the necessary paperwork.

Presenter

  • Gillian Brown

Financial Reporting and Using HHS Payment Management System—Intermediate
This session is designed to assist participants to be more informed about their financial reporting requirements, specifically Financial Status Reports (FSRs) and PMS 272s. This session will not only go through the nuts and bolts of completing the reports, but will also review the information needed to properly complete the reports and have a clear audit trail.

Presenter

  • Corland Forrester

DAY THREE—March 24, 2006

7:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. - Continental Breakfast and Networking

Come start your day with a nice breakfast. Take time to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, or share resources and ideas.

8:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m. Training Block 5

Grant Closeout— Introductory
This session will provide participants with the information on how to properly conduct the Closeout Process to closeout their grant. Grantees will become familiar with the steps necessary to complete the necessary paperwork.

Presenter

  • Gillian Brown

Monitoring and Assisting Subgrantees to Mitigate Risk—General
This session is for any organization that sub-grants any of the funding that it receives from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). This session will provide the participant with concrete methods on how to monitor and assist their subgrantees in mitigating risk.

Presenters

  • Michael Kenefick
  • William Cole

Documentation, Match and In Kind— AmeriCorps General
Since proper documentation has continued to be an audit and compliance issue this is an important topic. This session will provide the participants with information on how to properly
document expenses and inkind donations for grant accountability. There will also be information about how calculate the value of these donations.

Presenter

  • Susan Meche

Indirect Costs/ Administrative Costs— Intermediate
This session will include information on what expenses should be classified as indirect costs and what should be classified as direct costs. This session will include information
to be considered in determining if your organization should negotiate a federally approved indirect cost rate. The presenter will also review the steps of the negotiation process.

View the PowerPoint presentation for this section: Indirect Costs/ Administrative Costs (PPT).

Presenter

  • Glenda Somerville

Reading and Understanding Financial Statements and A-133 Audits — Advanced
This session will provide participants information that will assist them in reading and understanding financial statements. If participants are knowledgeable on how to read financial statements, they can use them as a tool to run their organizations and/or monitor subgrantees.

Presenter

  • Michael Ward

10:30 a.m.–10:45 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m.–11:45 a.m. - Program Group Meeting

There will be a chance for each of the different program types to meet and have specific discussions.

AmeriCorps

Presenters

  • Kristina Tecce
  • Michael Kenefick

Senior Corps

Presenters

  • Susan Meche
  • Michael Ward

Learn and Serve

Presenters

  • Corland Forrester
  • Gillian Brown

11:55 a.m.–1:00 p.m. - Closing Plenary Session and Lunch

The Office of Inspector General Fraud Awareness presentation is intended to help managers and staff of nonprofit organizations prevent and detect fraud affecting their organization, and to know when and who to call when a fraud is suspected. The presentation defines fraud and identifies fraud offenses that commonly affect nonprofit organizations. It includes a discussion of the conditions that must exist for fraud to occur and the "Red Flags" or fraud indicators that might be evident if fraud is occurring.

Presenter

  • Robert Shadowens, Deputy Inspector General