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 | — | — | 5.4% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 4.9% | 40 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 14.8% | 28 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 11.0% | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 2.6% | 42 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 39 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VANESSA BESSLER | Executive Dir. | 5.4% of Rev | ||
| DORIS SLAY-BARBER | Board President | — | ||
| COURTNEY MYERS | Board Member | — | ||
| TIM BESSLER EDD | Secretary | — | ||
| LESLEY REMINGTON | Treasurer | — | ||
| CAMILLE DENTON | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK MORRILL | Board Member | — | ||
| MONIKA DARYLMPLE | Board Member | — | ||
| MARTHA VALADEZ | Board Member | — | ||
| SHANNON TURNER | Board Member | — | ||
| JANETTE SURRETT | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VANESSA BESSLER | Executive Dir. | 5.4% of Rev | ||
| DORIS SLAY-BARBER | Board President | — | ||
| COURTNEY MYERS | Board Member | — | ||
| TIM BESSLER EDD | Secretary | — | ||
| LESLEY REMINGTON | Treasurer | — | ||
| CAMILLE DENTON | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK MORRILL | Board Member | — | ||
| JENNIFER TODD | Board Member | — | ||
| MARTHA VALADEZ | Board Member | — | ||
| SHANNON TURNER | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VANESSA BESSLER | Executive Dir. | 2.2% of Rev | ||
| DORIS SLAY-BARBER | Board President | — | ||
| COURTNEY MYERS | Board Member | — | ||
| TIM BESSLER EDD | Secretary | — | ||
| LESLEY REMINGTON | Treasurer | — | ||
| CAMILLE DENTON | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK MORRILL | Board Member | — | ||
| JENNIFER TODD | Board Member | — | ||
| MARTHA VALADEZ | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 132 other orgs in TX with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 27 points below the peer median (5 vs. 32).
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 42 → 32 over 5 years (declining by 10 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 5.4% 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.