Our Path to Excellence

Internal Controls

AmeriCorps has made it a priority to strengthen internal controls, which will also improve the efficiency of our processes. Internal controls are processes and procedures that support the integrity of financial information, promote accountability, and prevent fraud. Internal controls are essential for reliable financial reporting and compliance with relevant regulations. Our internal controls strategy for improvements includes developing strong corrective action and preventive action programs grounded in root cause analysis and increasing leadership accountability and transparency.

Modernization

AmeriCorps is aligning our IT modernization efforts with our financial oversight and accountability improvement goals. AmeriCorps established the Modernization Office to support the implementation of the systems modernization initiative detailed in our Strategic Plan. Modernization is focused on updating AmeriCorps’ grant and member management technology systems and retooling our grant and member management business processes, to increase efficiencies related to the grant and member lifecycle. These efforts are aimed at creating a more simplified and enhanced experience for grant applicants, members, and volunteers through modernized systems, training and resource development.

Audit Readiness

AmeriCorps is prioritizing audit readiness by making investments in identifying and remediating financial statement audits weaknesses. Audit readiness involves being fully prepared for an audit by maintaining accurate and complete financial records. AmeriCorps has conducted a series of workshops with internal stakeholders to define a roadmap to remediating financial statement audit weaknesses across key financial processes. Through the Audit Readiness effort, AmeriCorps continues to focus on improving engagement and communication with the financial statement auditors.

Shared Services

AmeriCorps partners with the Treasury Department Administrative Resource Center (ARC) to provide us with financial management, procurement, travel, and human resources services. Working with a shared services provider helps AmeriCorps shift our focus from transactional to strategic work. As part of the FOR, we continue to strengthen collaboration and ways of working with our shared services provider, ARC, to optimize our working relationship and joint performance as it relates to financial management and audit readiness.

Achievements and Goals

FY2023
  • Developed a new organizational strategy to address gaps across people, process, and technology
  • Identified the key business processes to focus remediation work and gap analysis
  • Published the Annual Management Report (AMR) in a timely manner and with notable improvements from FY22
  • Implemented new processes for data quality reviews for Provided by Auditee (PBA) deliverables
  • Defined system requirements and began systems building and testing for the Modernization effort
  • Conducted financial and data integration testing, including testing of ARC and Trust
FY2024
  • Conducted current state assessments, developed recommendation roadmaps and created end-to-end business process narratives and flowcharts for key business processes
  • Collaborated with ARC on process improvements
  • Developed user stories to define software features for replacement systems as part of the Modernization effort
  • Created an Audit Handbook to outline guidance for the Annual Financial Statement Audit and conducted training on the Audit Handbook to relevant stakeholders, including shared services providers
FY2025
  • Implement organizational design recommendations within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO)
  • Implement business process improvement recommendations identified through current state assessments
  • Create new learning opportunities for OCFO employees and others across AmeriCorps 
  • Continue change management efforts to support adoption of new processes and systems across AmeriCorps and with external partners
  • Conduct user preparation and training leading up to the launch of the Grantee and Sponsor Portal (GSP)
  • Launch initial version of GSP and continue ongoing development and testing of the new member and volunteer management system

Additional Resources

To see AmeriCorps' annual management reports, budget requests, grantmaking and sustainability plans, and performance and accountability reports, please visit Budget and Performance Plans.