Travel claims that fail expense tests

Travel is often where fund expense audits find friction. Staff move quickly; claim rules move slowly. The same gaps appear across charities and foundations in Hong Kong.

Evidence that is often missing

Boarding passes or e-ticket confirmations, overnight itineraries that match hotel invoices, and pre-trip approvals dated before the ticket was bought. Screenshots of booking apps without amounts or passenger names rarely satisfy a donor letter that asks for “original transport evidence.”

Timing of approvals

If the policy says managers must approve travel above a threshold before booking, a signature after the trip does not cure the breach — though it may still be useful management context. We log the timing as an exception and note whether management has since tightened the form.

A practical fix between audits

Ask claimants to attach a one-page trip summary: purpose linked to the fund, dates, and a checklist of required attachments. It is dull paperwork. It also shortens the next sampling cycle.