Poorly Written Expense Policy

What Happened: Mountaintop created an expense policy that caused widespread confusion in June and July 2024. While a vast majority of expense reports were submitted correctly, some were submitted out of compliance, leading to an administrative burden on the organization and challenges with Fellow morale.

How Mountaintop Responded: Mountaintop addressed individual issues of expense report non-compliance on a case-by-case basis. Mountaintop did not reimburse or pay for any expenses that were not in full compliance with our financial controls. Mountaintop then vastly simplified its expense policy, making clear that the expense form would virtually never be used and would be replaced by standardized payments given to Fellows for Leadership Institute meals, visa application fees, and other common expenses.​

Mountaintop's Learning and Commitment: Mountaintop has learned that, whenever possible, it is best to simplify policies and reduce administrative burden on both staff and Fellows. This will reduce confusion and keep Fellows focused on what is most important — growing their leadership. Mountaintop commits to holding true to this principle as the organization's complexity grows.