Prudent Accountants Content

  For many Health & Human Services organizations, fall does not arrive quietly. Summer programs wind down. School and family schedules change. Service demand may increase. Staffing needs shift. New grants or contract periods may be underway while reporting requirements tied to existing funding continue on their own schedules. More clients and more funding are usually positive developments. But from a financial standpoint, growth in an HHS organization has a habit of creating pressure before it creates breathing room. An organization may serve more clients in September, incur the related payroll immediately, submit claims later, and wait even longer for reimbursement. A new grant may increase available resources while also introducing a separate budget, allowable-cost requirements, documentation expectations, reporting deadlines, and restrictions on how the money can be used. That is where a busy fall can expose weaknesses that were much easier to manage at a smaller scale. For ...