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 | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | — | — | 5.2% | 44 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 17.9% | 37 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 16.2% | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 17.2% | 39 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 12.4% | 42 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | 12.9% | 44 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | 15.5% | 47 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | 10.3% | 52 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 8.7% | 54 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | 7.7% | 54 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | 9.1% | 54 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 13.4% | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | 15.5% | 43 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2010 | — | — | 15.8% | 43 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serafina Palandech | Executive Dir. | 8.7% of Rev | ||
| Steve Markus | Board Member | 1.3% of Rev | ||
| Len Goldfine | Treasurer | — | ||
| Mark Stevens | Board Member | — | ||
| Jamienne Studley | Board Member | — | ||
| Sally Baker | Board President | — | ||
| Sandi McCubbin | Board President | — | ||
| Andrea Caron | Board Member | — | ||
| Linda Loveland Reid | Secretary | — | ||
| John Cooper | Board Member | — | ||
| Omar Figueroa | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catherine Devriese | Creative Dir. | 6.3% of Rev | ||
| Una Glass | Executive Director | 4.7% of Rev | ||
| Len Goldfine | Treasurer | — | ||
| Mark Stevens | Board Member | — | ||
| Sally Baker | Board President | — | ||
| Sandi McCubbin | Board President | — | ||
| Andrea Caron | Board Member | — | ||
| Linda Loveland Reid | Secretary | — | ||
| Omar Figueroa | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catherine Devriese | Creative Direct | 5.8% of Rev | ||
| Una Glass | Executive Director | 3.6% of Rev | ||
| Lu Frazier | Treasurer | — | ||
| Steve Wax | Board Member | — | ||
| Mark Stevens | Board Member | — | ||
| Sally Baker | Board President | — | ||
| Sandi McCubbin | Board Member | — | ||
| Timothy Near | Board President | — | ||
| Erica Edell Phillips | Secretary | — | ||
| Andrea Caron | Board Member | — | ||
| Marsha Sue Lustig | Board Member | — | ||
| Linda Loveland Reid | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 171 other orgs in CA with NTEE prefix A2.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 30 points above the peer median (60 vs. 30).
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.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 5.2% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- Two consecutive years of deficit spending.
- 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).
- 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.