Working Fund

This fund is available for disbursements that may not fit the requirements of typical Accounts Payable purchases. It is designed to help in emergencies. Because availability of funds is limited, we review each request on a case-by-case basis and may or may not be approve a request as a working fund transaction. We also conduct the review to ensure that only purchases which cannot be handled in another manner are the only requests using monies from the Working Fund.

Please note: Your procrastinating and lack of adequate planning does not constitute an emergency for the Working Fund.

Qualifying Requests

Every request for a Working Fund advance is not qualified. Qualified requests include:

• Salary Advances for new employees
• Registration fees for conferences when direct billing or a purchase order can not be used
• Establishment of petty cash fund
• Exchange checks
• Emergencies

Steps to Request a Working Fund Check

Be sure to submit any Working Fund request at least 2 business days before you need the check. We appreciate as much time as possible to review and process requests.

Step 1: The designated requester for a department must create a purchase requisition to buy all goods and services.

Each requisition must include all necessary information pertaining to the goods and services that are to be procured for example; description, quantity, UOM, category, price, shipping information. Please Note: when entering a requisition, enter WORKING FUND as the vendor's name. 

Step 2: The designated requester submits the purchase requisition to an approver for review and approval. Each approver must check the following for each requisition:

• amount
• valid chart field information
• budget availability

Once the approver completes the approval process successfully, the approver forwards requisition to the Office of Procurement.

Step 3: The Office of Procurement processes the requisition. Once processed, Procurement generates a purchase order, and can provide additional information regarding the status of the requisition/purchase order number.

Step 4: Complete a Working Fund check request form, then attach it to the purchase requisition. We will not disburse any checks without sufficient documentation and justification.

All advance recipients must either return receipts for approved expenditures or actual cash. If you do not repay your working fund advance within 48 hours after the event, we will not honor your future requests for funds. If the advance is not repaid, we will forward your account to the Maryland State Central Collections Unit, where they assess collection fees.

Forms and Downloads