We Have the Grant, Now What? A Toolbox for Grant Intake and Audit Preparation-Video Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Carla McMullen, Senior Director of Grants Compliance at Wake Technical Community College, offers an extensive overview of managing grants effectively to ensure audit readiness. With two decades of experience overseeing large federal grants and a comprehensive portfolio of 60-80 grants at Wake Tech, she shares best practices centered on centralized grant administration and documentation. Key points include establishing a primary contact for all funder communications to ensure consistent documentation; conducting thorough kickoff meetings to familiarize grant leads with award specifics, budgets, and compliance rules; and enforcing adherence to the most restrictive regulations among federal, state, and institutional policies. Carla emphasizes the importance of clear roles within grant teams, delegating tasks such as budget tracking, data collection, procurement, and reporting to ensure accountability and efficiency. She highlights using practical tools like Excel workbooks and shared folders for tracking project activities, budgets, time and effort reporting, and compliance documentation, noting the absence of grant management software at her institution. Carla also details the necessity of detailed, written procedures—“understanding documents”—that outline steps for contract processing, procurement, equipment inventory, and closeout processes, all vital for meeting audit standards. Regular monitoring through annual or more frequent meetings enables early identification of challenges and interventions. Proper documentation of expenditures, modifications, and communications protects against disallowances and hefty penalties. Additionally, she underscores timely and accurate data management, clear reporting responsibilities, and proactive training of project directors. Carla invites institutions to adopt or adapt these resources and shares her willingness to provide materials and guidance to support others in maintaining compliance and successful grant administration.

Keywords

Grants Compliance

Audit Readiness

Federal Grants Management

Centralized Grant Administration

Grant Documentation

Funder Communications

Budget Tracking

Compliance Regulations

Grant Team Roles

Project Monitoring

Grant Management Tools