Governance and Financials
DIG Statement on CPA Audits
A letter from the DIG Board to members, October 1, 2025.
Dear DIG Members,
Last year, some members of Deaf in Government (DIG) asked for more information about our financial operations, specifically requesting a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) audit and for the findings to be shared with the membership.
In response, the DIG Board asked its Business Manager to investigate what it would take to perform an audit of DIG's finances. The Business Manager issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) outlining detailed criteria for CPA firms. Two CPA firms responded, and both offered valuable insights into the differences between a full CPA audit and other financial review services.
What the CPA firms recommended
After careful review, each firm independently recommended that a Financial Statement Review would be more suitable for DIG at this time, based on:
- DIG's relatively small organizational size
- The absence of paid employees
- Our modest operating budget (less than $1 million a year)
- A limited accounting structure, with only the volunteer Business Manager/Treasurer performing accounting functions
One firm also offered hourly accounting consulting to help DIG strengthen our financial policies, procedures and internal controls, an opportunity that could improve the long-term stability and accountability of our organization.
Comparing the options
Financial Statement Review
$5,000 to $10,000 a year
Recommended by both CPA firms. This is what the board voted to do.
Full CPA Audit
From about $20,000
Significantly more rigorous and time-consuming. Cost can increase depending on scope and complexity.
Forensic audit of prior years
From $20,000
Requested by some members for years under previous Business Managers. Neither CPA firm performs this specialized service; a referred firm quoted this minimum starting fee.
The board's decision
DIG is facing financial difficulty at this time, which makes it challenging to pay for any type of audit. The DIG Board has voted to follow the CPA firms' recommendation and conduct a Financial Statement Review.
All results of the Financial Statement Review and all other financial reports will be made available on DIG's website. If you have questions about these reports, please contact us at contact@deafingov.org so we can respond to any concerns.
We want to emphasize that our current financial position is extremely constrained, especially since DIG has not received any new revenue following the NAD 2024 Conference.
We sincerely thank our members for understanding these limitations and for your continued support. Fiscal responsibility remains at the heart of DIG's mission, and we are committed to moving forward with integrity and accountability.
Warm regards,
DIG Board