Dear Colleagues,

Two months into 2019, PAVIR is engaged in another busy and exciting year, and we are hard at work on many fronts. You have been busy submitting sponsored research proposals (28 since January 1st!), and we have received several new awards which you can read about elsewhere in this newsletter.

We have been through two recent external audits, and PAVIR received stellar findings. The VA’s National Nonprofit Program Office (NPPO) spent two days on-site in late January; they audit the VA Nonprofit Corporations (NPCs) like PAVIR every three to four years. PAVIR’s last review was in January 2015. The NPPO audit is extremely broad and comprehensive and found no violations and issued no findings, which is unprecedented! PAVIR’s Audit Committee last week reviewed the FY18 financial audit report of our external auditors. The auditors issued a clean and “unmodified” report, which means that there are no financial issues and that PAVIR’s accounting and financial management practices meet and exceed all standards.

Both audit outcomes are the result of the strong work done every day by the PAVIR core staff. You can’t scramble at the last minute to prepare for these audits and come out as clean and respected as PAVIR did. You can and should take pride in the quality and integrity of the work your core staff colleagues perform. We are solid stewards of your strong work.

I have noted in an earlier newsletter and some townhall meetings with PIs that PAVIR is facing some financial challenges because our sponsored research activity and revenue are flat while operating expenses – salaries and benefits, equipment maintenance – continue to increase. While we have financial challenges that will require some difficult decisions and changes, I want to assure you that PAVIR is financially healthy and sustainable, as evidenced by the findings of the NPPO and financial audit. In fact, PAVIR’s financial health is among the strongest of the VA affiliated NPCs. The three overwhelmingly largest NPCs are in California – NCIRE (San Francisco), VMRF (San Diego) and PAVIR; PAVIR is the second largest. The following two tables demonstrate just how strong PAVIR is financially.

Table one shows NPC revenue since 2008 for NCIRE, VMRF, SIBCR (Seattle) and PAVIR. PAVIR has had solid, steady growth over these years, while two NPCs have lost revenue.



Table two shows NPC net assets since 2008, and once again demonstrates that PAVIR is growing and thriving.



I will be holding open town halls in March and April to meet with you and discuss PAVIR’s financial situation and plans. Please look for emails announcing these meetings, which will allow remote participation through zoom.

I want to remind PIs that PI ADM funds that were in your account balance on September, 2018, and distributed to you in FY19 must be spent no later than August 31, 2019, or they will be reabsorbed for central services and support. 

I hope you enjoy reading about PAVIR’s news and some of the remarkable activities that make PAVIR a vibrant community. As we work through 2019 together, I want to thank you for your ongoing partnership and support of PAVIR.

• Monday, May 27, 2019 - Memorial Day