This presentation helps you understand:
1. What is a successful audit?
2. Auditor responsibilities vs. auditee
3. Board of Directors vs. Investment comittee
4. Managing investments
5. What do auditors look for
6. Common management letter comments
1. Effective Management of
Nonprofit Investments:
The Auditor’s Perspective
Trevor Williams, CPA
Senior Audit Manager
September 18, 2012
2. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Trevor W. Williams, CPA
Senior Audit Manager, Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman CPAs
Nearly 20 years of experience with audit functions,
contractual compliance rules, regulations and policies
Supervises the overall planning and administration of
audit, review and compilation engagements
Nonprofit Involvement:
– Board member, MD/DC/VA Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of
America
– Board member, Mentors, Inc.
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 2
3. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Table of Contents
I. What is a successful audit?
II. Auditor responsibilities vs. auditee
responsibilities
III.Board of Directors vs. Investment
Committee
IV. Managing investments
V. What do auditors look for?
VI. Common management letter comments
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 3
4. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
I. What is a successful audit?
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 4
5. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Organization is key
Advance preparation
Pull, scan, or copy information requested by
the auditor
Maintain a list (or backup copy) of information
provided
Make sure supporting documentation is
complete and accurate
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 5
6. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
II. Auditor vs. Auditee Responsibilities
Have a clear understanding of:
1. Your auditor’s responsibilities
2. Your responsibilities
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 6
7. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Auditor’s Responsibilities
Gather information about your
organization to provide reasonable
(not absolute) assurance that your
financial statements are fairly
presented, in all material respects, in
conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles.
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 7
8. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Auditor’s Responsibilities (cont.)
Examine on a TEST
basis evidence
supporting the
amounts and
disclosures in the
financial statements.
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 8
9. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Auditor’s Responsibilities (cont.)
Not to prepare
schedules
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 9
10. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Auditor’s Responsibilities (cont.)
Not to perform
bookkeeping
functions
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 10
11. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Auditor’s Responsibilities (cont.)
Not to catch fraud,
waste, abuse, etc.
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 11
12. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Your Responsibilities
(Management)
Establish and
maintain internal
controls
Select and apply
accounting principles
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 12
13. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Your Responsibilities
(Management)
Establish an accounting and financial
reporting process
Ensure fair presentation of the financial
statements in conformity with U.S.
generally accepted accounting principles
Management decisions
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 13
14. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Your Responsibilities
(Governing Body)
Designate individuals with suitable skill,
knowledge, or experience to oversee the
programmatic, financial and tax needs
of the organization
Establish and maintain internal controls
Monitor financial and programmatic
performance (financial reporting)
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 14
15. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
III.Board of Directors
vs.
Investment
Committee
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16. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Board of Directors
Trustees of the organization’s assets;
stewards of public trust
– Objective, honest and efficient
– Must exercise good decision-making
without placing organization at
unnecessary risk
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17. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Investment Committee
Smaller sub-group within the larger
framework of the board that assists
in fulfilling the board’s oversight
responsibility for the investment
assets of the organization
The committee is responsible for
formulating the overall investment
policies and establishing investment
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 17
18. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Finance/Investment Committee
The committee monitors the
management of the portfolio for
compliance with the investment policies
and guidelines and for meeting
performance objectives over time
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 18
19. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Accountability
“The state of being
accountable, subject to
the obligation to
report, explain or
justify something;
responsible;
answerable”
- Webster’s Dictionary
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20. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
IV.Ingredients of Managing Investments
Investment policy
Internal controls and procedures
Adequate approvals of investment decisions
Sufficient knowledge of makeup of investments
Monthly statements
Transaction statements
Annual statements
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 20
21. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
V. What do auditors look for?
Why won’t they just
leave us alone?
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 21
22. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
What do auditors look for? (cont.)
Current or updated investment policy
Evidence that the Investment Committee is
adhering to its charter/roles and
responsibilities
Evidence that the organization’s
investments are in accordance with the
investment policy
Evidence internal controls and procedures
exist and are consistently applied
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 22
23. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
What do auditors look for? (cont.)
An understanding about types of investments
permitted by law, agreements with donors,
endowments, etc.
Whether all aspects of investments have been
calculated correctly and properly recorded
If the organization’s investments are managed by a
broker/investment advisor, whether that
broker/investment advisor has had a service
organizations report (aka SSAE 16 – formerly SAS
70)
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 23
24. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Things to Consider
Segregation of duties
Small organization with limited
resources
Mitigating circumstances (checks and
balances)
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 24
25. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Things to Consider (cont.)
Adequate resources
Inexperienced/unqualified staff
Accounting and industry training
programs and seminars
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 25
26. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
VI.Common Management Letter Comments
Incomplete accounting records
– No (or infrequent) reconciliation of
– investments to general ledger
– Unrecorded transactions
– Unsupported account balances
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 26
27. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Common Management Letter Comments (cont.)
Lack of an Official Investment Policy
– Outdated
– Too conservative/too aggressive
– Management not adhering to policy
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 27
28. Effective Management of Nonprofit
Investments: An Auditor’s Perspective
Common Management Letter Comments (cont.)
Donor’s intentions not honored
(restricted contributions)
Organizations that use a
broker/investment advisor should
obtain SSAE 16 report and designate
someone within the organization to
read it
Trevor W. Williams, CPA • twilliams@grfcpa.com 28
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Connect with Us
Trevor W. Williams, CPA
Email: twilliams@grfcpa.com
Telephone: (301) 951 – 9090
Website: www.grfcpa.com
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