Structural Deficit
What does this mean?
Persistently low financial health over 5 years despite strong programmatic output. They are borrowing from their future (or bleeding an endowment) to pay for today's programs.
The Path Forward
The Truth-Teller
Forces necessary, painful cuts to preserve the core. It demands that the organization stop borrowing from its future and align its current programmatic output with actual sustainable revenue.
Title
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | — | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | — | 37 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 47 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 5.2% | 36 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 4.2% | 38 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 35 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2010 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Bass | Board Member | Hidden | ||
| Ines Zeller Bass | Board Member | Hidden | ||
| Virginia Scholl | Board President | — | ||
| Karen Blanchard | Board President | — | ||
| Mark Baker | Treasurer | — | ||
| William Ploog | Secretary | — | ||
| Jennifer Crowell | Board Member | — | ||
| Victoria Mitchell | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Bass | Artistic Director | Hidden | ||
| Ines Zeller Bass | Board Member | Hidden | ||
| Brad Heck | Board President | Hidden | ||
| Julian Gerstin | Secretary | Hidden | ||
| Victoria Mitchell | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael Szostak | Board Member | — | ||
| Virginia Scholl | Board Member | — | ||
| Janice Leary-Jones | Board Member | — | ||
| William Ploog | Treasurer | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 35 other orgs in VT with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 26 points below the peer median (15 vs. 41).
5-year trend: Structural Deficit
Persistently low financial health over 5 years despite strong programmatic output. They are borrowing from their future (or bleeding an endowment) to pay for today's programs.
Overall score has gone from 29 → 35 over 5 years (improving by 6 points).
What's driving this score
- All-volunteer org with no paid officers — governance signal is neutral (default 50), not absent.
- Financial resilience score in the bottom quartile — reserves and liabilities ratios warrant review.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Build cash reserves to at least 3 months of operating expenses — moves financial resilience score meaningfully (~10 points).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.