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 | — | — | 8.8% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2022 | — | — | 6.8% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 14.5% | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 8.8% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 11.2% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | 10.4% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 12.0% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 17.7% | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 12.4% | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | 16.5% | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | 11.3% | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOMER HANS BRYANT | Artistic Director | 9.0% of Rev | ||
| CALVIN LYONS | CHAIRMAN | — | ||
| CHERYL TAYLOR | Secretary | — | ||
| KARYN LEWIS | Treasurer | — | ||
| STACEY MORTON | Board Member | — | ||
| CARL JEFFRIES | Board Member | — | ||
| RONALD CHILDS | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBIN EDWARDS | Executive Director | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOMER HANS BRYANT | Artistic Director | 9.0% of Rev | ||
| HOMER HANS BRYANT | Artistic Director | 9.0% of Rev | ||
| CHERYL TAYLOR | Treasurer | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| VINCENT WILLIAMS | Board Member | — | ||
| JULIE ALI | Board Member | — | ||
| TOI HUTCHINSON | Board Member | — | ||
| HALEY HUNTER-GILMORE | Board Member | — | ||
| CHERYL TAYLOR | Treasurer | — | ||
| JULIE ALI | Board Member | — | ||
| TOI HUTCHINSON | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 10 other orgs in IL with NTEE prefix A9.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 47 points below the peer median (0 vs. 47).
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 32 → 34 over 5 years (improving by 2 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 8.8% 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:
- 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.