Dear SCORE Volunteers:
I wanted to send this note to share a more complete picture of the current situation related to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit, with the goal of alleviating any concerns you may have.
There is a fair amount of change happening, but what hasn't changed is SCORE's mission, and the importance of our volunteers and the clients we serve. You are the heart and soul of this organization, and we don't want this to distract you from our mission of fostering vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. At the same time, we have promised you transparency and clarity in communicating what is happening at the national level.
As you may recall, periodic audits of all SBA resource partner programs occur regularly, and SCORE hadn't had one in several years. In May 2019, the OIG released their
audit findings and recommended actions, which necessitated some significant changes to show our stakeholders on the Hill, and at the SBA, that we are committed to making improvements that demonstrate we are good stewards of our federal funding.
We know what immediately need to be fixed and improved related to leadership and the audit findings, to ensure we prevent these issues in the future. Short term, there will be some shift in priorities at the national level. Long term, I believe the direction set forth in the Futures plan is the right one, focused on our clients' needs and growing our volunteer base to do so. We have a good roadmap, we are hitting some bumps getting there, but our true north hasn't changed.
The short term priority changes will most likely be around:
- Speeding up the rollout of centralized accounting, so that all chapters are on the centralized system earlier. This will alleviate the concerns around program income and commingling of restricted and unrestricted funds. We are reviewing various ways to do this without putting more burden on the field, and will be in touch very soon with that plan.
- Implementing stricter compliance processes, to ensure that we are closely following our grant terms and conditions for every national and chapter-level contract we sign.
- Clearly articulating the relationship and boundaries around the SCORE Foundation and Association as separate entities.
In making these changes, I am confident that SCORE will be stronger, and poised to achieve more growth and greater impact, because we took the time to make sure our foundation is solid.
We have responded to all the OIG's findings and follow-up inquiries from the Senate and House Small Business Committees. We are expecting a formal response from the SBA regarding the audit by July 30, and we will share that when we have it. However, we did not want to wait until then to share our initial plan with you. These areas will also be discussed at this year's National Leadership Conference.
Amidst these changes, what you do, and the positive impact you have on small business owners across the nation, will not change. I am excited by this opportunity to lead SCORE during this time, and I have complete confidence in your ability to serve our clients with the energy, passion, and focus they deserve, and that you excel in. It is also my commitment to continue to make SCORE a better place for you to volunteer. Together, we will continue to change people's lives by helping them achieve their business dreams.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, the Board, or your RVPs.
Thank you for what you do each and every day,
Bridget Weston
Acting CEO
