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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | 49 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2023 | — | — | — | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 17.9% | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | — | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 21 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 37 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAWRENCE CARLISLE III | Artistic Director | 5.3% of Rev | ||
| LYNN PRYER | Board Member | — | ||
| JASMINE COLEMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBYNE PARRISH | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA WALKER | Board Member | — | ||
| DANIEL McLOUD | Board Member | — | ||
| CLAUDIA WARGA | Board Member | — | ||
| LeJUANE BOWENS | Board Member | — | ||
| ROGER BOBER | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVEN G BATES | Board Member | — | ||
| ARTHUR MAYFIELD | Board Member | — | ||
| AMANDA BRIGGS | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA KOTSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MARIE SMARTWOOD LOWE | Board Member | — | ||
| AMY STEFFAN | Board President | — | ||
| SARA OSWALD | Board President | — | ||
| ANNA MEYER | Secretary | — | ||
| CHRIS WALKER | Treasurer | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAWRENCE CARLISLE III | Artistic Director | 4.8% of Rev | ||
| MARIE SMARTWOOD LOWE | Board Member | — | ||
| AMANDA BRIGGS | Board Member | — | ||
| AMY STEFFAN | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA KOTSON | Board Member | — | ||
| LYNN PRYER | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBYNE PARRISH | Board Member | — | ||
| JASMINE COLEMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| ARTHUR MAYFIELD | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVEN G BATES | Board Member | — | ||
| BILL POPE | Board Member | — | ||
| JAMAUL JOHNSON | Board Member | — | ||
| SARA OSWALD | Board President | — | ||
| DR GERALD ELLISON | Board President | — | ||
| BRENDA ALT | Secretary | — | ||
| MONICA STOKES | Treasurer | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 145 other orgs in NC with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 14 points above the peer median (45 vs. 31).
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 21 → 49 over 5 years (improving by 28 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- All-volunteer org with no paid officers — governance signal is neutral (default 50), not absent.
- Two consecutive years of deficit spending.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Stabilize program expenses or grow earned-income revenue to break the consecutive-deficit pattern (~8 points to financial score).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.