You Received a Million-Dollar Grant. But Without an Accountant, You’re Leaving Money Behind

You did it. You secured a million-dollar grant. The news made it into your newsletter, your board celebrated, and your program teams got to work. But now, months later, the pressure is setting in—and it’s not about the impact you’re delivering. It’s about the dollars you're struggling to account for.

At PLUS Accounting Services, we’ve seen this exact situation unfold more times than we can count. Nonprofits win large grants and begin expanding programs, but no one is hired to manage the financial side of the grant. Vouchers go unsubmitted, budgets remain unmonitored, and deadlines quietly pass. Eventually, the emails from the funder start coming in. They want documentation. They want expense tracking. They want to know why the money isn’t being spent as planned.

The result? Lost funding, delayed reimbursements, and missed opportunities. In some cases, the nonprofit ends up returning tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars simply because they didn’t have the right accounting infrastructure in place.

Here’s what’s often missing when no dedicated grant accountant is hired:

• Vouchers are not prepared or submitted on time, delaying reimbursement.

• Budgets are not broken down by funder categories, leading to rejected expenses.

• Program teams are left to guess how to code purchases or allocate staff time.

• Funds sit unused because no one is tracking the spend-down timeline.

• Future grant renewals are jeopardized due to poor reporting and documentation.

• Critical reports are submitted late or with errors, creating compliance risks.

Take for example a client we supported recently. They had secured a $1.2 million government grant to expand youth programming citywide. Their team was strong, their mission was compelling, and their results were real. But they had no financial staff dedicated to the grant. Six months in, less than half of the budget had been spent, and the funder was asking why. The organization scrambled to gather receipts, submit vouchers, and move funds—but by then, $150,000 was at risk. Not because they didn’t do the work. Because they couldn’t prove it—on paper.

This is where PLUS steps in.

We help nonprofits not only meet grant requirements, but truly maximize their funding. Our team becomes your accounting department, or seamlessly integrates with your current one. We ensure that budgets are tracked, vouchers are submitted, and deadlines are never missed. We help you understand where you’re under-spending, where you might be non-compliant, and how to make adjustments before it’s too late.

Here’s what we offer:

• A grant-ready accounting structure tailored to your specific funder requirements.

• Real-time budget tracking to ensure every dollar is spent strategically.

• Accurate and timely voucher preparation with full backup documentation.

• Staff training so that everyone involved in the grant—from operations to program—knows their role.

• Ongoing support to keep your organization audit-ready year-round.

You worked hard to secure that grant. It’s not just about spending the money—it’s about spending it wisely, documenting it accurately, and setting your organization up for future success. A million dollars is an incredible opportunity, but without the right accounting team, it can quickly turn into a liability.

Don’t let poor financial tracking derail your impact.

PLUS is here to make sure your funding works as hard as your mission does.

Let’s make sure not a single dollar is left on the table.