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 | Hidden | Hidden | 29.0% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 20.0% | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 35.6% | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 20.6% | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 21.1% | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 25.3% | 24 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 22.6% | 24 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | 24.9% | 24 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | 29.3% | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | 12.6% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | 10.3% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | 9.9% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Kerr | Board Member | 14.1% of Rev | ||
| Christopher Zimmerman | Board Member | 7.6% of Rev | ||
| Jose Figueroa | Chairman | — | ||
| John Lockhart | Treasurer | — | ||
| Thomas Brownell | Secretary | — | ||
| Eric Moore | Board Member | — | ||
| Leland Schwartz | Board Member | — | ||
| Thomas Murphy | General Counsel | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Kerr | Board Member | 13.8% of Rev | ||
| Christopher Zimmerman | Board Member | 7.2% of Rev | ||
| James McKeever Jr | Chairman | — | ||
| Jose Figueroa | Vice Chairman | — | ||
| John Lockhart | Treasurer | — | ||
| Thomas Brownell | Secretary | — | ||
| Eric Moore | Board Member | — | ||
| Thomas Murphy | General Counsel | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Kerr | Executive Director | 13.8% of Rev | ||
| Christopher Zimmerman | Artistic Director | 9.7% of Rev | ||
| James McKeever Jr | Chairman | — | ||
| Jose Figueroa | Vice Chairman | — | ||
| John Lockhart | Treasurer | — | ||
| Thomas Brownell | Secretary | — | ||
| Eric Moore | Board Member | — | ||
| Thomas Murphy | General Counsel | — | ||
| Andrea Connolly | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 146 other orgs in VA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 31 points below the peer median (5 vs. 36).
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 27 → 30 over 5 years (improving by 3 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 29.0% is modestly above the sector's healthy band (18–22%) — worth monitoring.
- 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:
- Reduce top-officer compensation from 29.0% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~14 points.
- Separate signing authority from fundraising authority when both are held by one person — removes the concentration penalty (~12 points).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.