Financial Oversight Lessons - Knight Foundation

As a private foundation that achieves its mission using tax-exempt funds, the Knight Foundation must ensure that grantees appropriately spend funds to produce public benefit. This financial oversight responsibility led Knight to develop and launch the Grant Expenditure Monitoring (GEM) program in 2006 in partnership with accounting firm KPMG.

The GEM program plays a crucial role in maintaining compliance and accountability by supporting a series of financial reviews with Knight grantees. While the overwhelming majority of financial reviews conducted with grantees have indicated that projects were proceeding as planned and found no financial irregularities, a handful of reviews have turned up significant financial issues that prompted us to take corrective actions. Though the GEM was originally conceived as purely a financial review, the process has also provided opportunities for Knight staff and grantees to collaborate more closely. The program has been a key resource for program staff by bringing KPMG?s high level of business expertise to the complex operational issues that grantees face. Meanwhile, reviews have helped grantees identify ways to strengthen their capacities and operations. To examine the impact of the GEM and improve its ongoing effectiveness, we commissioned a pair of assessments in 2011 which analyzed the design of the program from an accounting perspective and gathered feedback from grantees and staff. The assessments affirmed the value of the GEM program but also led us to make some key adjustments to the program.

This report outlines the lessons we have learned about financial oversight from managing the GEM program, and it provides guidance and helpful tools to support others interested in the program. The report contains our latest thinking, and discusses some of the ongoing adjustments we are making to the program based on key findings. We hope that other funders?especially trustees and staff in finance and governance positions?will find this guide useful as they monitor and advance the work of their own grant partners.

Juan J. Martinez
Vice President/Chief Financial Officer

Source: http://www.knightfoundation.org/publications/financial-oversight

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HGH Supplement Store

Are you too skinny or fat or have wrinkles on your face? All these questions make you feel shy to answer. Every one of us wants a good looking face and body. In today's world we are too busy; we cannot just stay dependent on diet and workout because we don't get time to do all this. Moreover we are so much dependent on the luxuries of life that we use cosmetics which have so many side effects. But, HGH (Human Growth Hormone) is luckily the product which gives you result in a short duration without side effects. The best thing about HGH products is that they can be used by both men and women.

Article by Health-and-Fitness:Anti-Aging Articles from EzineArticles.com (c) Health-and-Fitness:Anti-Aging Articles from EzineArticles.com - Read full story here.

Source: http://anti-aging.fitnessthroughfasting.com/anti-aging/hgh-supplement-store.php

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UK watchdog to probe BBC payoffs

LONDON (AP) ? Britain's public spending watchdog says it will investigate severance packages at the BBC in the wake of a highly-criticized payout to the broadcaster's former director general.

The probe comes after a group of British lawmakers accused the BBC of being cavalier with taxpayers' money by paying 450,000 pounds ($730,000) in severance to George Entwistle ? double the amount he was entitled to ? when he quit last month over the BBC's disastrous handling of fallout from the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.

Barry Lester, a spokesman for the National Audit Office, said Wednesday the watchdog had written to the BBC saying it wanted to look at Entwistle's payout and that the broadcaster had responded by asking the NAO to undertake a wider study in 2013 on its severance packages.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-watchdog-probe-bbc-payoffs-135318856.html

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agakhan: Renting Cabins In GeorgiaTravel & Leisure | Travel ...

The peach state, Georgia offers a lot of relaxing southern atmosphere. Some people prefer to take in this beautiful state by renting cabins instead of hotel rooms. Renting Cabins In GeorgiaGeorgia is a great vacation spot for friends and family. Whether you would rather stay in north Georgia, home of the Blue Ridge Mountains, or closer to Florida, Georgia is the way to go. Cabins are an economical and fun way to stay together as a family without the hustle and expense of a hotel. While being more like a home away from home, they offer the amenities of a house with the rustic charm of camping ? all with Southern hospitality.If you think you might enjoy the hiking, fishing and natural wonders of the Blue Ridge mountains, north Georgia is definitely for you. This area is home to mountain peaks of over 4000 feet, and even a spot where you can see three states! The town of Blue Ridge, Georgia, is a great place to set up your home base, and with tons of different cabin options to choose from, you will be sure to find one that suits your needs.Premier Cabin Rentals, based out of Blue Ridge, offers many different styles of cabin for rent. All cabins include a hot tub and at least one fireplace for that relaxing country feel. Cabins are available on Lake Blue Ridge (these range from three to five bedrooms), as well as in the mountains themselves. Amenities vary by cabin, and some have game rooms, arcades and other additions to their standard list of items. Standard amenities include a kitchen stocked with utensils, pots and pans and other necessities, linens and towels, as well as entertainment: a TV with satellite and a DVD player or VCR.The Last Resort, also located in Blue Ridge, offers both rustic and deluxe cabins with one to four bedrooms each. These cabins are all situated in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and they all include hot tubs, satellite TV, and fully furnished kitchens. Air conditioners are present in the bedrooms, and all linens and other needs are provided (bring your own toiletries).The deluxe cabins also have central air.Choosing to stay in one of the many Georgia cabin options available can make a family trip even more memorable. Whether you would rather get away from it all with a rustic touch, or enjoy the feel of home on your trip, Georgia cabins are the way to do it all in style. Many of the cabins are not just family friendly, but pet friendly (be sure to ask your resort), so the entire family, furry included, can be in on the fun!

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Source: http://searchdamage.com/renting-cabins-in-georgia.html

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Source: http://agakhan47.blogspot.com/2012/12/renting-cabins-in-georgiatravel-leisure.html

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Stunning Photography: The Story of Torne River (Little green footballs)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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New Home Sales in November Hit Fastest Pace ... - AOL Real Estate

By

The Associated Press | Posted Dec 27th 2012 10:33AM
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Americans bought new homes last month at the fastest pace in more than two and a half years, adding to other recent evidence that the housing market is steadily recovering.

The Commerce Department says that sales of new homes rose 4.4 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 377,000. That's the strongest pace since April 2010, when a homebuyer's tax credit boosted sales.

New home sales have increased 15.3 percent in the past year. Still, the improvement comes from depressed levels. Sales remain below the 700,000 that economists consider healthy.

Rising sales have kept the supply of available homes low, which pushes up prices. Only 149,000 new homes were for sale at the end of last month, just above a record low of 143,000 in August. More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
Find homes for rent in your area.

Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook.

Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/12/27/new-home-sales-in-november-2012-hit-fastest-pace-in-2-5-years/

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Assad officials in Moscow to discuss end to civil war

By NBC News wire reports

BEIRUT --?Syrian President Bashar Assad dispatched senior diplomats to Moscow on Wednesday to discuss proposals made by international?envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to end the?21-month-old?conflict gripping Syria, Syrian and Lebanese sources said.?

Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and Assistant Foreign Minister Ahmad Arnous flew early Wednesday to Moscow, airport officials in Beirut told The Associated Press. The men hope to sound out Russian officials on details discussed with Brahimi earlier this week in Damascus.

Brahimi is trying to arrange a peaceful transfer of power, but has disclosed little about how this might be achieved.?Opposition sources have staunchly rejected any solution that would leave President Bashar Assad and his government in power.

"We have told every official we have met: the government and its president cannot stay on in power, with or without their powers. This is unacceptable to Syrians," wrote Moaz Alkhatib, the head of the opposition's National Coalition, on his Facebook page on Monday.

"The coalition leadership has told Lakhdar Brahimi directly that this type of solution is rejected."

On Monday, Brahimi said that the situation was "worrying" and gave no indication of progress toward a negotiated solution for the civil war.

In Syria's Aleppo, 'We're starving. I can bear it but what about my children?'

Brahimi is scheduled to go to Moscow before the end of the month.

ITV's Emma Murphy spoke with Syrian refugee women in Jordan who described harrowing, brutal treatment.

'A new mood'
Brahimi's previous proposal centered on a transitional government that left open Assad's future role, something which became a sticking point between the government, the opposition and foreign powers backing different sides.

Syria fires more Scud missiles at rebels; NATO chief condemns Assad regime

However, a Lebanese official close to Assad's government said Syrian officials were upbeat after talks with the envoy, who met Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem on Tuesday.

"There is a new mood now and something good is happening," the official said, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue. "Of course now they (Syrian officials) want to meet with their allies to discuss these new developments."

Channel Four Europe's Alex Thomson has the rare opportunity to meet some of Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops.

More than 44,000 Syrians have died in the revolt against four decades of Assad family rule, a conflict that began with peaceful protests but which has descended into civil war.

Israel: No proof chemical weapon was used in?Syria

The last several days have seen some of the heaviest fighting for three months. On Wednesday, rebels re-launched their assault on the Wadi Deif military base in the northwestern province of Idlib, in a critical battle for a major army base and fuel storage and distribution point.

Activist Ahmed Kaddour said rebels were firing mortars and had attacked the base with an explosives-rigged vehicle.

As violence has intensified in recent weeks, with Assad using his air power and artillery to contain rebel advances, daily death tolls have climbed. At least 190 were killed across the country on Tuesday alone, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Assad's key ally Russia says it's 'not concerned' about his fate

Also Wednesday, the head of Syria's military police changed sides and declared allegiance to the anti-Assad revolt.

"I am General Abdelaziz Jassim al-Shalal, head of the military police. I have defected because of the deviation of the army from its primary duty of protecting the country and its transformation into gangs of killing and destruction," the officer said in a video published on YouTube.

Watch World News videos on NBCNews.com

A Syrian security source confirmed the defection, but said Shalal was near retirement and had only defected to "play hero."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/26/16165202-assad-officials-head-to-moscow-to-discuss-end-to-syrian-civil-war?lite

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