Joseph Shaffer Email and Phone Number

•Skilled in interpreting laws, regulations, policies and procedures such as the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019, 2 CFR Chapter II, AmeriCorps’ regulations in 45 CFR Chapter XII and XXV and AmeriCorps Grant Terms and Conditions, among other items.•Ensures compliance with applicable laws and regulations through implementation of sampling analysis guidelines and procedures, testing protocols and reporting guidelines.•Provides excellent customer service and technical assistance to grantees and internal stakeholders.•Provides effective oral and written communications with internal and external stakeholders.•Develops tools, training and guidance to improve and support effective Payment Integrity processes.•Collaborates and coordinates with internal stakeholders during improper payments recovery activities.

As Director of Grants and Compliance, I am responsible for overseeing compliance responsibilities and the weekly grants cycle at CAF America. I lead the Grants and Compliance team within the Finance and Compliance Department.

Key member of the Finance and Compliance team, working inter-departmentally to facilitate grant-making, complete financial tasks and ensure compliance to protocols and procedures. Adept in prioritization in fast-changing environment, maintaining high level of accuracy, timely completion of key processes and maintaining established protocols. Skilled in communicating internally and externally, including sensitive and/or confidential materials.•Oversee the weekly grant-making process, coordinately closely with staff to facilitate donor advised grant recommendations to international and domestic charities.•Assist Finance team in multiple functions, including invoice payment, contribution processing, monthly bank reconciliation, reports (monthly financial statements, Form 990), coordinating with independent auditors to complete annual audit, and other tasks as assigned.•Lead Compliance team in completing due diligence tasks, performing final review, ensuring Compliance protocol relevant and up-to-date, with regular reporting to Executive team on status of compliance work.•Assisted in re-structure of Finance team in taking on new Compliance tasks and provided support during the transition of key staff members.•Directly manage 1 employee on the team, while coordinating closely with another employee on daily basis.•Manage the training and on-boarding process of new team members. Oversaw the on-boarding of 6 new employees in the past year.

As Grants Finance Officer, I engage in both Grants Administration, and Advisory Services and Fund Management. For Grants Administration, this entrails reviewing grantee applications and reports in conjunction with CAF America policies and US laws; managing the weekly grants cycle, which involves processing contributions into funds, grant suggestions to charitable organizations and creating weekly grant orders; maintainining databases and grants management systems; maintaining knowledge of regulations and laws affecting international grantmaking; and maintaining correspondence between donors and charitable organizations.For Advisory Services and Fund Management, providing a high level of customer service and maintain ongoing communication with fund holders to include reporting; establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with all clients and donors; and providing services that will assist donors with their strategic grantmaking.

As the Regional Disaster Services Training Program Development intern for the Western Pennsylvania Region of the American Red Cross, I was given the responsibility of creating a Regional Training Task Group. The purpose of the task group was to unite the disaster relief efforts of the Red Cross chapters in the Western PA region, as well as develop our capacity to respond to disasters at the regional level, without needing assistance from outside the region. Achieving the goals of the Task Group was long-term, but I was instrumental in starting the process by creating the Task Group and "getting the ball rolling".In addition, I analyzed Red Cross documents to determine where we had gaps in our positions for disaster response. I then identified which disaster courses provided by the American Red Cross are necessary for a candidate to fill these gap positions. I collected and updated information about instructors in our region and generated a list of these instructors, their certifications to teach Red Cross courses and how many of the courses in the gap positions are covered by these instructors. With this work complete, the task group can focus on acquiring new instructors and providing training to have the instructors necessary to cover for these positions. Outside of my official internship duties, I engaged in many opportunities to promote the Red Cross mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering by volunteering for Community Outreach events, engaging the youth by speaking about the Red Cross, taking as many training courses as I was able and by going out into the field and directly responding to disaster incidents and providing relief to victims of disaster in my community.

Assisted professor in research for graduate courseInteracted with high-ranking military and diplomatic officialsGreeted and assisted guests to the InstituteOrganized and set-up eventsPrepared detailed paper outlining US course of action regarding nuclear proliferation in Iran