Who did what
Every step records the person and the time. With segregation of duties on, the person who prepared a reimbursement cannot also approve it.
The lifecycle
One status per reimbursement, recorded step by step.
Each program-month is one reimbursement. Its status moves only when someone with the right role moves it.
1Draft2Needs Review3Fiscal Approved4Ready to Voucher5Submitted6Paid↩Returned✎Resubmitted
Gates before it goes out
A critical review issue blocks Fiscal Approved, and an unexplained reconciliation difference blocks Ready to Voucher — unless an authorized person overrides it with a written reason, which stays on the record.
The version that was filed
Each generated voucher is saved as a version, so what was submitted can be shown later even if the records change.
Why one “paid” column is not enough
Submitted, approved, paid and outstanding are different numbers.
Most spreadsheets track a reimbursement with one amount and a “paid” checkbox. That hides the cases finance teams actually spend time on: the funder approved $5,000 less than was claimed, the payment arrived in two parts, or a payment was recorded against the wrong month. Prove It records each of these separately:
- Submitted — the amount claimed, the submission date and the funder’s reference.
- Approved — the amount the funder approved, when it is known.
- Paid — each payment as it arrives, with its date and reference; a payment entered in error is voided with a reason, never deleted.
- Outstanding — the approved amount (or the submitted amount when no approval is recorded) less the payments recorded.
| Illustrative example | Amount |
|---|---|
| Submitted | $100,000 |
| Approved by the funder | $95,000 |
| Paid — first payment | $50,000 |
| Paid — second payment | $25,000 |
| Outstanding ($95,000 − $75,000) | $20,000 |
Illustrative figures, not a customer’s.
Returned, corrected, closed
The record keeps every turn.
Returned by the funder
A returned reimbursement is recorded with the funder’s reason and reworked as a draft; the resubmission is recorded as its own submission.
Paid in full, or closed short
A reimbursement is marked Paid when the payments cover it. If the funder pays less and nothing more is expected, it is closed short with a written reason.
Older records with gaps
A voucher marked Paid before payments were tracked, with no payment amount, is shown as a gap — never counted as paid.
For the audit
What an auditor will ask for is already there.
For each reimbursement: who prepared, reviewed and approved it, the version that was filed, every payment with its reference, and every override with its reason. Changes and exports are written to a permanent audit history, and roles decide who can record what. Federal awards follow the same record through the SF-425 workflow.
Boundaries
Recorded by your team — not pulled from a bank.
Prove It reads no bank account and no funder portal. Submissions, approved amounts and payments are recorded by your staff, and nothing is marked submitted, approved or paid automatically. Receiving cash never changes what was spent: recorded expenses and the spending forecast are kept separate from collections. See grant receivables tracking for aging, follow-up and advances.
Related: the monthly checklist · how vouchers are prepared · payroll allocation · spenddown forecasting · funders such as NYC DYCD, HHS Head Start and DOJ OJP.
See your last reimbursement, tracked to paid.
Bring one contract and one submitted reimbursement. Record what was approved and paid, and see exactly what is still outstanding.
Questions
Common questions
Can Prove It submit our reimbursement to the funder?
No. Your team submits through the funder’s own system. Prove It prepares the reimbursement and records the submission, approval and payments you enter.
Does it handle partial payments?
Yes. Each payment is recorded with its date and reference; outstanding is the approved (or submitted) amount less the payments recorded, and a mistaken payment is voided with a reason rather than deleted.
What happens when the funder approves less than we submitted?
Record the approved amount. Outstanding is then measured against it, and both figures stay visible. Your recorded spending does not change.
Does a payment change our budget-to-actual or forecast?
No. Spending is what was recorded as expense; cash received is tracked separately in Receivables.