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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | — | 20.1% | 24 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 21.4% | 28 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 28.4% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 9.1% | 36 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 43 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 47 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 51 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JENNA TAMISIEA ELSER | Artistic Director | 19.2% of Rev | ||
| DR CHRISTIAN ELSER | Executive Director | 0.9% of Rev | ||
| KEVIN KIRTLEY | Treasurer | — | ||
| TAMMY MOORE | Board Member | — | ||
| ASHLEY KING | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVE COMPTON | Board Member | — | ||
| GENE CONROY | Board President | — | ||
| STEVEN GREEN | Board Member | — | ||
| JESSICA ADKINS | Board Member | — | ||
| PAUL HYDE | Board Member | — | ||
| SHANE FARMER | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JENNA TAMISIEA ELSER | Artistic Director | 11.9% of Rev | ||
| DR CHRISTIAN ELSER | Executive Director | 5.5% of Rev | ||
| KEVIN KIRTLEY | Treasurer | — | ||
| TAMMY MOORE | Board Member | — | ||
| ASHLEY KING | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVE COMPTON | Board Member | — | ||
| GENE CONROY | Board President | — | ||
| STEVEN GREEN | Board Member | — | ||
| JESSICA ADKINS | Board Member | — | ||
| PAUL HYDE | Board Member | — | ||
| SHANE FARMER | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JENNA TAMISIEA ELSER | Artistic Director | 11.0% of Rev | ||
| DR CHRISTIAN ELSER | Executive Director | 5.0% of Rev | ||
| KEVIN KIRTLEY | Treasurer | — | ||
| TAMMY MOORE | Board Member | — | ||
| ASHLEY KING | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVE COMPTON | Board Member | — | ||
| GENE CONROY | Board President | — | ||
| STEVEN GREEN | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 97 other orgs in SC with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 33 points below the peer median (0 vs. 33).
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 35 → 24 over 5 years (declining by 11 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 20.1% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- 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:
- Separate signing authority from fundraising authority when both are held by one person — removes the concentration penalty (~12 points).
- 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.