Financial Controls

Description (Grantees)

Description (Volunteers)

Financial Controls Project

Goals	Grantee & volunteer are familiar with their roles and responsibilities. Grantee & volunteer prepare for the project & their initial meeting
Timing	Complete this step prior to the first one-on-one meeting between the grantee and volunteer.
Activities	Meeting: Kick-off/ Orientation call Homework: Grantee documents business processes that need controls Homework: Volunteer reviews general financial controls resources Resource: Controls for Small Nonprofits http://www.blueavocado.org/content/five-internal-controls-very-small-nonprofit; Resource: Developing Financial Policy (including a sample) http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=Resources_PolicyGuidelines&category=Healthy%20Financial%20Practices
Deliverable	(Grantee) List of business processes that need controls
Outcome	Completed homework sent to all team members Volunteer schedules initial call with grantee

Goals	Volunteer understands the current state of financial controls and the business processes the grantee feels need financial controls. Grantee can ask questions, express ideas and concerns.
Timing	Complete this step during the first call between the volunteer and the grantee.
Activities	Meeting: Initial call between volunteer & grantee Volunteer reviews general financial controls best practices with the grantee and sees which controls they currently are using Grantee presents overview of business processes that need controls
Deliverable	none
Outcome	Volunteer understands existing financial controls & business processes that grantee feels need financial controls. Volunteer suggest additional areas that might need financial controls
Volunteer Tips	Ask lots of questions. Assess the grantee's familiarity with financial control concepts. Tailor your advice and project scope to the sophistication level of the grantee.
Grantee Tips	Ask lots of questions. Explain the types of things your organization does (business processes) that need financial controls to the volunteer in simple, narrative terms. You are already the expert on what you do... just share your expertise.

Step 2: Scope

Volunteer & grantee determine what is in and out of scope for the project
Deliverable: Written project brief & timeline
- Write down the priorities for the project, specifically document what will be done (in scope) and what will not be done (out of scope).
- Determine the timeline, including target dates for meetings & deliverables.
- Write down the specific list of deliverables agreed to.
- Distribute project brief & timeline to all participants. Send copy to NetSuite.org.

Note: Most SuiteVolunteer projects handle steps 1 & 2 during the first meeting.

Goals	Document the scope for the project.
Timing	Can be completed after the initial call between the grantee & volunteer.
Activities	Discuss, agree on & document the scope of the SuiteVolunteer Project. Determine what is in-scope Determine what is out of scope
Deliverable	Written project brief & timeline.
Outcome	.
Volunteer Tips	.
Grantee Tips	.

Step 3: Design & Implement Controls

Volunteer works with grantee to develop and document controls
- Volunteer suggests tools within NetSuite to support the financial controls.

Step 4: Sign-off