1. Finance 101 Staying out of Trouble with Grants
Nathan Branscome, CFO
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Innovating Criminal Justice, Empowering Victims

2. Grant Financial Management – Why it Matters
Who am I and Why am I here?
50 Federal Grant Awards - $200 million
State Grant Funds - $40 million annually
State and Federal Audit Experience
Whether you manage the money or you manage the person who manages the money, you need to know what questions to ask.

3. Grant Financial and Legal Oversight
Grant Responsibility Devolves From the Grantor (“Stuff rolls down hill”)
State Grant Funds can be reviewed by:
State Department of Audits and Accounts
State Office of the Inspector General
Local Auditors
State and Local Law Enforcement
Federal Grant Funds can be reviewed by:
US Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General
Federal Auditors from Funding Agency
Other Federal Law Enforcement
State & Local Entities Listed Above

4. The Basics of Accounting
Know what you spent.
Know when you spent it.
Know EXACTLY what you spent it on.
Know that it is an allowable expense.
Know what to do if the money comes back.

5. Accounting Structure At a minimum your accounting structure should:
Identify the receipt of grant funds
When, where, and who from
Identify the expenditure of grant funds
When, where, and who to
Separate grant funds both from different grants and from other operating funds
Never “comingle” funds
Provide, at a minimum, the level of detail that is presented in your budget
Balance over the Grant Period

6. Procurement Policy
Follow any procurement terms in the conditions of your grant award.
If you are a State Agency or your Agency follows State Procurement Policy you must follow policy when using grant funds.
Otherwise you must follow the procurement policy of your unit of government.
Grant funds never exempt you from procurement rules.
If grant conditions conflict with procurement rules ask your grant specialist.

7. Quick Tips on Expenses Every expense requires an invoice.
Invoices must:
Be from the organization providing service with organization’s information (name, address, phone)
Show date of service
Show itemized services provided
Reflect full cost of service
Never pay an invoice for a service that has not been rendered.
Special exception: Contract terms – Check with Grant Specialist
A credit card receipt is not an invoice unless it includes all of the above components
Every invoice requires a payment to be a valid expense.
Check copy, ACH copy, Financial Voucher, Bank Statement

8. A Final Note on Ethics It’s not a race to spend all the money.
“But everyone always says to never return grant funds.”
Avoid preferential dealings with friends and family. (Nepotism)
Never Lie or Fudge Numbers. It is much better to mess up and apologize than hide a mistake.
Always make sure you get exceptions to rules in writing.

9. Questions Nathan Branscome Director of Administration, CFO
(404)