Audit flags $705,448 in mismanaged DOJ grants at San Francisco nonprofit

A June 2 U.S. Department of Justice inspector general audit found Huckleberry Youth Programs in San Francisco mismanaged $705,448 in grant money meant for youth crime victims, leaving federal officials unable to verify how the money was spent. The audit identified $724,578 in questioned costs and five recommendations after finding accounting records that were inaccurate and unreliable.

Huckleberry’s spreadsheets did not separate federal and state grants, making it impossible to determine exactly which expenses were covered by the DOJ money. It did not keep timesheets for employees paid with federal funds and allowed its director to both approve purchases and sign checks, a combination that increased the risk of fraud. The audit did not find evidence that the federal money was actually stolen or misused, but it said the weak controls created conditions that could have enabled fraud.

The California Governor’s Office agreed with all of the audit’s findings. The grant program flowed through the state office to Huckleberry, a San Francisco nonprofit that has received DOJ grants since 2014 and serves about 6,000 youth each year across the Bay Area.

Huckleberry’s own public materials list Mark Welther as interim CEO and identify the group as a 501(c)(3) with a San Francisco address. Its 2025 Form 990 data show about $11.3 million in revenue, $9.32 million in expenses, $9.09 million in assets and $3.2 million in liabilities. It received $6.2 million in government grants in 2025, raised $4.9 million from other sources and paid its executive director $222,421.