How EDF cut reimbursement delays and strengthened control

Environmental Defense Fund’s legacy expense and corporate card systems created reimbursement backlogs, late fees, and delays in financial close. Manual processes also made it harder to trace global spending to the programs donors intended to support. After evaluating nearly 20 solutions, EDF selected Emburse Enterprise and Emburse Card to connect employee spending, corporate cards, and financial systems. The result was an estimated 60% to 65% efficiency improvement and reimbursements that moved from weeks to days.

When expense friction gets in the way of the mission

For Environmental Defense Fund, financial operations carry an added responsibility.

Every transaction must do more than comply with an expense policy. It must support a defined environmental program, reflect the intention of a donor or funder, and withstand internal and external scrutiny.

But EDF’s previous expense management and corporate card environment made that responsibility harder to fulfill.

Card transactions did not always flow reliably into the expense system. Employees struggled to match charges and receipts. Accounts payable teams spent time double-checking information and clearing backlogs. Reimbursements were delayed, corporate card balances generated late fees, and incomplete transactions complicated the accounting close.

The experience frustrated employees and created additional work for finance.

“Prior to Emburse, we had billing issues, reimbursement issues, and credit cards that were not linked properly,” said Vivek Nadarajah, Financial Applications Manager at EDF. “Accounts payable had to double-check the information, and we had backlog issues.”

The impact extended beyond operational inconvenience. When expense activity did not enter the financial system accurately and on time, EDF could not close its books as efficiently or produce the timely reporting its leaders required.

The organization faced several connected challenges:

• Card transactions did not consistently flow into expense reports
• Employees experienced long reimbursement delays
• AP teams spent time validating and correcting transactions
• Unsubmitted expenses created backlogs
• Late card payments generated unnecessary fees
• Financial close and reporting could be delayed
• Global offices relied on inconsistent, sometimes manual processes
• Finance lacked a seamless view from employee spend to the general ledger

The system could record spending eventually. EDF needed a way to control, understand, and report on that spending while it was happening.

A global process held together by spreadsheets and email

The limitations were especially visible outside the United States.

In Japan, for example, employees did not have an automated expense management process. They entered expenses into Excel, attached receipts as PDFs, and emailed the report to EDF’s headquarters in New York.

Program directors then reviewed the submissions for approval. Because supporting documents could be in Japanese, local employees also needed to verify the expenses before the reports could move forward.

The process introduced multiple handoffs, language challenges, and long approval cycles.

Finance teams had to determine what each transaction represented, whether the cost was appropriate, and which program should receive the charge. Accuracy depended on people manually interpreting and transferring information between systems.

For an organization operating across countries, currencies, languages, and environmental programs, the process could not scale.

EDF needed a global platform that could create consistency without ignoring local requirements.

Nearly 20 solutions, one clear direction

EDF’s senior leadership asked the finance and technology teams to find a better approach.

The organization conducted an extensive review, evaluating approximately 18 or 19 expense management and card solutions.

The team prioritized several capabilities:

• A user-friendly mobile experience
• Reliable corporate card integration
• Faster transaction processing
• Flexible card controls
• Compatibility with NetSuite and Workday
• Global scalability
• Strong security
• Better customer support
• More timely and transparent reporting

Emburse stood out because it connected the employee experience with the accounting process.

Employees could complete reports through an intuitive mobile application. Card activity could flow directly into the expense workflow. Approved transactions could move through to EDF’s general ledger in NetSuite, creating a more connected process from purchase to close.

The Emburse Card program added another important level of control. EDF could issue cards according to a specific employee need, duration, or spending limit rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all card structure.

“If an employee needs a card for six days, 30 days, or six months, we can provide it based on that need,” Vivek said. “That flexibility was a big plus for EDF.”

Transaction alerts also gave employees and administrators more immediate awareness of card activity. Instead of waiting for a statement or discovering a problem during reconciliation, teams could respond closer to the point of spend.

Connecting cards, expenses, and accounting

EDF adopted Emburse Enterprise and Emburse Card to create one connected expense process.

The new environment linked employee transactions, card data, approvals, reimbursements, and accounting systems. That reduced the gaps where transactions had previously been delayed, duplicated, or lost.

Key improvements included:

Integrated corporate card activity

Card transactions flow into the expense platform with the supporting details employees need to prepare and submit their reports. Finance teams no longer have to rely on disconnected card files and manual reconciliation to the same extent.

Flexible card controls

EDF can configure cards around the purpose and duration of the expense. Limits can be tailored to an employee’s approved need instead of providing unrestricted access for an indefinite period.

Real-time card alerts

Employees can receive notifications when charges occur, helping them identify transactions, retain supporting documentation, and begin the expense process sooner.

Mobile expense reporting

Employees can use a smartphone to complete reports, reducing the dependence on desktop systems and making expense management more accessible to people working or traveling internationally.

Automated reminders

When reports remain incomplete, alerts encourage employees to take action before unresolved expenses delay payment or financial close.

Duplicate detection

The platform can flag potential duplicate activity, helping finance prevent unnecessary payments and improve the accuracy of expense reporting.

Connected financial workflows

Approved expenses integrate with EDF’s NetSuite general ledger and its broader financial application environment, improving the timeliness and consistency of accounting data.

The result is a workflow in which information moves instead of waiting to be chased.

Reimbursements moved from weeks to days

Under EDF’s previous system, an employee reimbursement could take several weeks.

Transactions had to appear correctly, receipts needed to be matched, reports had to be reviewed, and payment information had to move through disconnected processes. Backlogs created frustration for employees who had used personal funds for business expenses.

With Emburse, approved reimbursements can be completed within a few days.

Vivek estimated that the reimbursement process is now approximately 90% faster than it was under EDF’s previous environment.

“Before Emburse, people were frustrated because reimbursement took weeks,” he said. “Now, once the report is submitted and approved, they can be reimbursed within a few days.”

The faster experience benefits both employees and finance.

Employees receive their money sooner. AP teams face fewer inquiries about outstanding reimbursements. More timely submissions also give accounting a clearer picture of current obligations and expenses.

The improvement has helped EDF:

• Reduce reimbursement times from weeks to days
• Increase employee satisfaction
• Reduce expense report backlogs
• Pay corporate card balances on time
• Avoid the late fees associated with its previous card program
• Complete monthly accounting processes more efficiently
• Improve transaction tracking from card swipe to general ledger

An estimated 60% to 65% improvement in efficiency

EDF’s Financial Applications team estimates that its expense process has become approximately 60% to 65% more efficient since implementing Emburse.

The improvement is not limited to one part of the workflow.

Employees spend less time submitting reports. Accounts payable teams perform less manual validation. Corporate card transactions are easier to identify and reconcile. Reimbursements move faster. Approved activity flows into NetSuite more consistently, helping accounting complete its work on schedule.

“After implementing Emburse, I would say our process improved by 60% to 65%,” Vivek said. “It is not only accounts payable. The information also flows through to our general ledger, which makes the accounting team and senior management more productive.”

Responsive support has reinforced that efficiency.

When EDF encounters an issue, the team can contact its Emburse representative or open a support ticket. According to Vivek, questions are answered quickly, helping the organization maintain momentum instead of allowing small issues to become new backlogs.

Global consistency without losing local context

EDF has expanded its Emburse environment across operations in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom, China, Indonesia, and Japan, with additional global implementation work underway.

The platform gives EDF a way to standardize expense management while still supporting different languages, currencies, and regional processes.

The transformation in Japan illustrates the impact.

Instead of building expense reports manually in Excel and emailing PDF receipts across borders, employees can use an automated workflow. Receipt information can be captured and routed through a consistent process, reducing the need for repeated interpretation and manual data transfer.

Local reviewers can still apply the context needed to validate expenses. But the transaction reaches approvers and finance teams in a cleaner, more transparent format.

For EDF, global standardization does not mean forcing every office into an inflexible process. It means providing a consistent financial framework that makes local spending easier to understand.

Transparency that protects donor intent

For a nonprofit, expense transparency is not merely a finance metric.

Donors, grant makers, government agencies, and auditors expect funds to be used for their intended purposes. If a donor supports work related to oceans, clean air, water, climate, or another environmental program, EDF must demonstrate that the associated spending was allocated appropriately.

That requires accurate coding, complete supporting information, and a clear audit trail.

Emburse helps EDF connect each expense to the correct business purpose and program. Finance teams can identify inappropriate or duplicate charges, confirm that card activity is business-related, and monitor spending categories that may be restricted by policy.

“All expenses need to be reported against the correct programs,” Vivek said. “We need 100% transparency to make sure we are spending according to the donor’s intention.”

That transparency supports several priorities:

• Demonstrating responsible stewardship of donated funds
• Reporting expenses accurately by environmental program
• Preparing for government and independent audits
• Preventing personal or unallowable expenses
• Identifying duplicate transactions
• Providing leadership with accurate financial information
• Maintaining confidence among donors and funding partners

Better expense management helps EDF prove that its financial operations are aligned with its values.

Every dollar can be traced to the work it was intended to advance.

Better cash flow and a more timely close

Unsubmitted and inaccurately reported expenses can distort an organization’s financial position.

When card activity remains outside the accounting system, finance teams do not have a complete picture of current spending. Late submissions can push expenses into the wrong period, delay reconciliation, and make it harder to close the books on time.

EDF’s connected Emburse workflow gives accounting a more current view.

Automatic reminders help bring expenses into the system. Card transactions arrive with better supporting information. Approved reports move into the general ledger more efficiently.

The result is a more meaningful monthly close.

Instead of waiting for disconnected transactions, EDF can complete its accounting process with greater confidence that the underlying expenses are accurate, properly approved, and allocated to the correct programs.

That helps senior leaders rely on the financial statements when evaluating cash flow, program activity, and future investment.

Making expense management feel more like a modern app

User adoption was central to EDF’s selection.

A system could offer strong accounting controls, but it would not solve the organization’s problem if employees found it too difficult to use.

Vivek described the Emburse experience as closer to the smartphone applications employees already understand. People can open the mobile app, review transactions, attach supporting information, and complete a report without navigating a dense or highly technical interface.

That ease of use matters for an international organization with employees working across different functions and locations.

A simpler process encourages people to submit expenses sooner. Timely reports improve card payment, reimbursement, accounting, and donor reporting.

The employee experience and the finance outcome reinforce each other.

From administrative backlog to mission momentum

EDF’s finance transformation supports work far beyond the accounting department.

Employees no longer need to wait weeks for out-of-pocket costs to be reimbursed. AP teams spend less time resolving card mismatches and processing backlogs. Accounting gains more complete information for monthly close. Leaders receive more accurate reporting, and donors gain confidence that funds are supporting the right programs.

For Vivek, that connection to EDF’s mission is personal.

With a background spanning accounting, finance, information technology, and audit, he joined EDF because he wanted his expertise to support an organization working to protect people and the planet.

Removing financial friction gives him and his colleagues more capacity to do that work.

Emburse does not deliver EDF’s environmental programs. It helps ensure that expense administration does not stand in their way.

Success at a glance

• Estimated 60% to 65% improvement in expense processing efficiency
• Reimbursements reduced from weeks to a few days
• Estimated 90% faster reimbursement
• Corporate card late fees eliminated under the new process
• Approximately 18 to 19 solutions evaluated before choosing Emburse
• Expense and card activity integrated with NetSuite and Workday
• Global expense workflows standardized across multiple countries
• Stronger program-level transparency for donors and auditors
• Improved monthly close and financial reporting
• Better duplicate detection, policy enforcement, and transaction visibility