Governmental Audits
Public confidence in your financial reporting.
Annual financial audits for cities, counties, and authorities — prepared in accordance with GAAP, GAS, and GASB.
Morgan Hill · California · Since 1998
Helping California governments & nonprofits build trust through accountability.
Independent audit and assurance for the organizations entrusted with public resources — local governments, special districts, public agencies, and the nonprofits that serve California communities.
Member & section affiliations
- AICPA
- CalCPA
- GAQC
- GFOA
- CSMFO
The Idea
Public trust starts with financial accountability.
When a city issues a financial report, a special district presents to its board, or a nonprofit writes to its donors, something quiet but essential is happening: the people who fund the work are being asked to keep believing in it.
Our role is to make that belief defensible. To verify what is being said. To raise the questions that should be asked. To return a report — independent, unhurried, and on time — that taxpayers, communities, boards, donors, and stakeholders can actually rely on.
Accountability is not paperwork. It is the operating system of public service.
Leadership Built On Public Trust
Meet our founder, Sheldon Chavan, CPA.
Sheldon is a California CPA who has practiced public accounting since 1998 and holds a B.S. in Business from San Jose State University. He is a member of AICPA, CalCPA, CSMFO, GAQC, and GFOA — the technical communities that set the standard for governmental and nonprofit audit work in this state.
His career has been a deliberate one. While many firms treat governmental and nonprofit engagements as one practice line among many, Sheldon built his around them — high net worth individuals, privately held corporations, foreign subsidiaries, trusts, nonprofits, local governments, federal and state agencies — with the same standard of personalized service across every engagement.
His goal has not changed since the firm began: maintain a very high and personalized level of service for every client we are privileged to work with.
- —California CPA · Since 1998
- —Government audit expertise
- —Nonprofit audit expertise
- —Single Audit (2 CFR 200) leadership
- —Governmental Accounting Standards
- —Long-term public accountability work
The Specialty
California audit specialists. This is what we do — not one of many services.
Governmental audits. Nonprofit audits. Special districts. Single Audits. Compliance audits. Financial audits. The engagements other firms accept occasionally, we structure our calendar around.
Special District Audits
Compliance certainty for the agencies that keep California running.
Water, sanitation, fire, parks, and community services districts — engagements scoped to the statutes that govern you.
Single Audits
Federal awards spent — and reported — with integrity.
Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) Single Audits with the program-level discipline funders expect.
Nonprofit Audits
Donor trust, board confidence, regulator clarity.
Independent audits for 501(c)(3) organizations, foundations, and charter schools — clean reports your stakeholders can rely on.
Compliance Audits
Regulatory exposure, identified and resolved.
Grant compliance, program audits, and agreed-upon procedures aligned to the specific framework your funders require.
Advisory & Accounting Support
A finance function ready for the next audit cycle.
GASB implementation, internal control consultations, and interim accounting support between engagements.
The Trust Section
Why governments & nonprofits choose Chavan & Associates.
01Specialized expertise
We do one thing.
Independent audit and assurance for organizations entrusted with public resources. Not a side practice — the practice.
02California focus
Rooted in the work.
Deep familiarity with California governmental reporting, special district structures, and the agencies that oversee them.
03Partner involvement
The partner is in the room.
Sheldon Chavan is engaged from planning through report. No layered handoffs, no learning curve at your expense.
04Responsiveness
Calls returned the same day.
Audit committees, finance directors, and executive directors get straight answers — on the timeline the calendar requires.
05Reliability
Reports that close on time.
Predictable fieldwork, predictable deliverables, predictable filings. The calendar your board approved is the one we hit.
06Long-term relationships
Built to be your auditor for years.
Our typical engagement is measured in cycles, not seasons. Stewardship is a relationship, not a transaction.
The Team
Senior professionals. Real continuity.
Our engagements are staffed by experienced California CPAs who know governmental and nonprofit reporting on sight. Below is the firm's leadership; the rest of the team is introduced personally during planning.
Founder · Managing Partner
Sheldon Chavan, CPA
California CPA since 1998. Practice leader for governmental and nonprofit assurance. Member: AICPA, CalCPA, CSMFO, GAQC, GFOA.
Tax Director
Luis Sierra, CPA
Leads tax services across the firm's nonprofit and closely-held client base, with deep experience in entity structuring and multi-state filings.
Tax Director
Jacqueline Phan, CPA
Directs tax compliance and planning, partnering with audit teams on exempt-organization reporting and high-touch advisory matters.
Team photos used with permission · Additional staff introduced during engagement planning
Where We Work
Morgan Hill. South Santa Clara County. California.
Our office sits on Monterey Road, a few minutes from the civic buildings, special districts, and nonprofits we audit. Being close to our clients is not a marketing line — it is how the work gets done.
Specialized expertise. Trusted accountability.
If you lead a city, district, public agency, or nonprofit and you are evaluating your audit relationship, we would welcome the conversation. Most engagements begin with a 30-minute consultation by phone or in our Morgan Hill office.
Office
16450 Monterey Road, Suite #5
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
- Hours
- Mon – Fri
8:30 – 5:30 PT - Serving
- California governments, districts & nonprofits
- Affiliations
- AICPA · CalCPA · GAQC · GFOA · CSMFO
- Practice
- Audit · Assurance · Compliance · Advisory