Girls Empowerment Network Uses ClickTime to Pass Grant Reviews and Audits

Steve Hamilton, CFO at Texas-based nonprofit Girls Empowerment Network, remembers his first day on the job very clearly. “I was hired, and my boss said, ‘By the way, your first week on the job, you’ll be dealing with a state grant audit,’” he recalls.

At the time, Girls Empowerment Network had around 15 employees, all of whom were tracking time via paper semi-monthly timesheets. Hamilton felt this method of time tracking was a bit outdated for 2016, but he handed the timesheets over to the review board and let them do their work.

Sure enough, the committee came back with a report saying the nonprofit’s time tracking data was inadequate. With unsigned timesheets, unclear notes, and vague time entries showing up in the state grant review, Hamilton knew there had to be a better way.

Girls Empowerment Network Uses ClickTime to Pass Grant Reviews and Audits

After signing up for a free trial of ClickTime, Hamilton knew he’d found the solution to Girls Empowerment Network’s timekeeping issues. On advice from the review committee, employees began tracking time more precisely. Instead of using averages or estimates, they were able to easily record their time down to the minute. And requiring notes for each time entry provided helpful descriptions of each activity to support the recorded hours.

With automated reminders and notifications, employees were prompted to turn in accurate, completed timesheets. Program managers also received prompts to review and approve timesheets before they submitted them to accounting, making Hamilton’s job as CFO much less stressful than before.

Gone were the days of tracking people down for signatures or for more details about hours worked. Employees recorded their time accurately, managers approved their timesheets, and Hamilton crunched the numbers for payroll and reimbursement. Now they just needed the state grant reviewers’ approval.

When Hamilton sent the follow-up reports showing a month’s worth of timekeeping from ClickTime, the auditor noted that it now met his expectations, adding, “This is the most thorough time reporting I’ve ever seen.”

“Using ClickTime’s reports, we are able to keep an eye on all of Girls Empowerment Network’s grants to help program managers see where they and their teams need to spend their time.”

Steve Hamilton

CFO at Girls Empowerment Network

ClickTime’s Timesheets Help Girls Empowerment Network Receive Maximum Funding

The details from employee timesheets also provide necessary proof for funders that time is spent running programs.

As Hamilton points out, “People are much more expensive, typically, than finding efficient technology.” ClickTimes’s easy-to-complete timesheets and automated reminders save employees massive amounts of time each month. With less time and money dedicated to tracking down and completing timesheets, more money can go directly toward Girls Empowerment Network’s programs.

And like many nonprofit CFOs, Hamilton also says, “It’s a time challenge for me to make sure that we are meeting our requirements for the three or four different reimbursable grants we [currently] have.” Using ClickTime’s reports, he’s able to keep an eye on all of Girls Empowerment Network’s grants to help program managers see where they and their teams need to spend their time.

With detailed timesheet data — and Hamilton’s vigilant accounting methods — he proudly reports, “We have not left any money on the table on any of those grants or had to return any of [our funding from them].”

ClickTime Data Helps Girls Empowerment Network Justify Their Spending to Funders

The details from employee timesheets also provide necessary proof for funders that time is spent running programs.

Hamilton brings up an example of an auditor attempting to classify Girls Empowerment Network’s CEO’s time as “100% fundraising” when, in actuality, she also spent time working directly with programs. By mining her timesheet data, using both time entry records and the notes that summarized her activities, Hamilton was able to verify the CEO’s program work. While it was a small percentage of the CEO’s salary that was classified as program expenses instead of fundraising or general administrative, every cent that’s reimbursable helps a nonprofit put more money toward its mission.

But ClickTime’s time tracking data also indirectly helps Girls Empowerment Network justify their fundraising efforts. To grow their programs, the nonprofit has to first grow their fundraising. However, Hamilton recounts a struggle of many nonprofit organizations: some funders who get caught up in how much is spent on overhead compared to running programs.

“That ratio between the two is significant,” says Hamilton. “Some funders want to see that we’re below a certain percentage [of money spent on fundraising and general administration compared to program expenses].” Using employee timesheet data, Hamilton can prove to funders that, while they do have to spend time raising more money, they spend more than an adequate amount of time actually running their programs.

When considering the more intense reporting needed for federal funding, Hamilton says, “I am completely satisfied I’ll be able to meet any requests they have for us with ClickTime.”

With ClickTime, Girls Empowerment Network Can Spend More Time and Money Helping Girls All Over the World

Five years after moving on from paper timesheets, Girls Empowerment Network now has 24 employees tracking time in ClickTime. In addition to expanding their staff, they’ve also been able to expand their reach. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting Zoom fatigue decreased attendance for Girl Connect, the nonprofit’s school-based program. And their annual We Are Girls conference wasn’t an option in the past year. However, newer programs, such as self-guided Spark Kits, have helped Girls Empowerment Network reach girls all over the globe. Most recently, an organization in Congo placed an order for Spark Kits to help Congolese girls realize their inner power.

With increased reach comes a chance to qualify for different types of funding, including more competitive federal grants. Those grants require even more stringent timekeeping compliance than the initial state grant that prompted an overhaul of Girls Empowerment Network’s time tracking method in 2016. However, Hamilton isn’t worried about more rigid oversight.

When considering the more intense reporting needed for federal funding, Hamilton says, “I am completely satisfied I’ll be able to meet any requests they have for us [with ClickTime].”

Make Sure Your Nonprofit Receives Maximum Funding

Tracking employee time through digitized, easy-to-use timesheets helps you meet stringent grant requirements at the state and federal levels. With time tracking data on hand, you can also ensure you’re getting the most out of your hard-won grants.

Detailed time entries approved by the appropriate managers help you get reimbursed for all your relevant program activities. And being able to track time spent on grants throughout the month helps ensure you’re allocating enough time each grant.

Start your free trial of ClickTime to see how better timekeeping can benefit your nonprofit. Qualified 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible for significant discounts on ClickTime service.