“Getting Together at Federal Expense” — A Guide for Grantees and Subgrantees on Careful Charging of Travel, Meeting, Conferences, Training and Participant Support Expenses

September 18, 2012 Webinar - Listen On-Demand or Get a CD!

The On-Demand recording will be available immediately upon purchase* as a link within a PDF file of the accompanying written materials. CDs and printed materials are shipped via USPS.

Get Practical Tips to Avoid Cost Charging Problems Under Federal Grants

The news about wasteful spending by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) on a conference in Las Vegas went viral a couple of months ago. Since then, Congressional watchdogs, federal auditors and the media have been drilling down hard on those types of expenses at GSA — and at other federal agencies, too — and looking for “over-the-top” charges. Like a lot of people, you probably shook your head and maybe commented on how clueless the federal officials who put on that event were about the current federal fund accountability atmosphere. But, if you think that kind of scrutiny is being limited to the federal government itself, you better think again.

The federal cost principles imposed on the various sectors of the grant recipient community make allowable a number of expenses involving legitimate justified gatherings of staff, beneficiaries, and other grant and subgrant stakeholders. But the problem is that expenses that are charged to these cost categories have more than occasionally been ones that are wasteful, abusive and unreasonable. Some auditors have been known to refer to the multiple categories that cover these costs as the “fun and games” sections. And, with fresh “horror stories,” like the one at GSA, there’s little question that these types of expenses are going to be on the audit radar screen for grantees and subgrantees.

So, it makes sense to take a careful look at the various cost categories involved and to examine the nuances of the federal policies so that your organization can fashion a solid strategy about whether and how to charge for these costs. This webinar will provide the guidance for you to do so. You’ll learn about properly charging:

• Travel costs
• Meeting expenses, including meals and incidentals
• Professional activity costs
• Training and education charges
• Membership fees
• Employee morale, health and welfare costs
• Participant support stipends and subsistence

And, you’ll learn about differentiating these costs from unallowable charges for entertainment, and for goods and services for personal use.

Level: Intermediate
Prerequisites: Some knowledge of federal grant management and audit requirements is helpful
Advanced preparation: None

Hand-out Materials

Attendees will receive presentation slides as well as access to background documents.

Course Instructor

BOB LLOYD is a respected authority on policies and practices affecting the award, administration and oversight of federal grants, contracts and subawards. Mr. Lloyd has nearly 40 years of experience in federal award implementation. Prior to starting his management consulting practice in Washington, D.C., in 1982, he served as the executive director of the Grants Management Advisory Service and held staff positions in two large federally funded organizations. Since then, he has been a consultant, trainer or advisor to award and audit units in sixteen federal award-making departments and agencies, and to recipient and subrecipient organizations and their professional advisors located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, several U.S territories and 18 foreign countries. He is the principal author of several reference works on federal grants management and audits, and currently serves as contributing editor to Federal Grants News and Federal Auditing News, published jointly by Atlantic Information Services, NACUBO and NCURA. He also is a Charter Life Member of the National Grants Management Association and served on its Board of Directors for five years.

Who Should Attend?

• Finance managers
• Grant and subgrant administrators
• Sponsored programs staff
• Human resources professionals
• Program managers
• Principal investigators
• Internal auditors
• External auditors

Allowable Charges

The costs of webinars sponsored by Federal Fund Management Advisor are allowable charges to your federal grants and subgrants. Each of the sets of federal cost principles issued by OMB for federal awards administered by state, local, and tribal governments, colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations explicitly states that the costs of training for employee development and vocational effectiveness are allowable. For your records, the specific citations are:

• OMB Circular A-21 (2 CFR 220), Appendix A, Paragraph J.51—Colleges and Universities
• OMB Circular A-87 (2 CFR 225), Appendix B, Paragraph 42—State, Local and Tribal Governments
• OMB Circular A-122 (2 CFR 230), Appendix C, Paragraph 49(a)—Nonprofit Organizations

Shipping Information

CDs (and accompanying written materials) are shipped via UPS. Please give us your street address when you order (UPS does not deliver to PO boxes). You should receive your order within two weeks.* Shipping and handling cost is $12.

The On-Demand Recording will be delivered as a link within a PDF file of the accompanying written materials. Shipping will NOT be charged for this item.

• If you order the On-Demand Recording before the conference date (by itself or in combination with the live Webinar), you will be sent an email with the PDF file attached once the recording is available.*
• After the On-Demand Recording is available*, if you order on this website through our secure shopping cart, you will receive an email, immediately after submitting your order, with a link directing you to download the PDF file. If you order through our customer service department (by phone, mail, fax or email), you will be sent an email with the PDF file attached.

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*On-Demand recordings will be available within a week of the conference and CDs will be available within two weeks.

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