You should assign one person to be the audit coordinator. In a small nonprofit, that may be the bookkeeper or executive director. In a larger organization, it may be the finance director. The audit coordinator should have access to all in formation the auditors may need, and should plan to be available to the auditors while they are on-site. In addition, some thought should be given to setting aside a physical location for the auditors so they can work efficiently.
Most organizations select an auditor prior to the end of their fiscal year.
About the time your fiscal year ends, you will want to meet with your auditor to determine what information will be required for the audit. If your financial management system is reasonably well organized, the audit can usually begin within two months of the end of your fiscal year. However, new government funding and other complicating factors may extend the amount of time needed to prepare for the audit.