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 | — | — | 6.4% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 12.2% | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 21.7% | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 14.0% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 6.5% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | 6.8% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 6.1% | 40 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 7.8% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | 12.5% | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | 11.9% | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | 8.1% | 50 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 8.2% | 38 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DENNIS ASSAF | Artistic Director | 5.7% of Rev | ||
| TIMOTHY T SIMMONS | Executive Director | 4.6% of Rev | ||
| KYLE POTTS | Board President | — | ||
| STEPHEN I DWYER | Board President | — | ||
| MELISSA P CRUSE | Secretary | — | ||
| JESSICA M COGGINS | Treasurer | — | ||
| MARY VIRGINIA CRAWFORD | Board President | — | ||
| FREDDIE LANDRY | PARLIAMENTARIAN | — | ||
| TARYN GUIDRY ANDERSON | Board Member | — | ||
| DARREL BEERBOHM | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBERT DEVINEY JR | Board Member | — | ||
| VALERIE ANNE JONES-FRANCIS | Board Member | — | ||
| LAWERNCE C GIBBS | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBBIN HARDEE | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA THOMPSON HERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| EDWARD L MARSHALL | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROL WATSON SMITH | Board Member | — | ||
| TOM VAUGHN | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DENNIS ASSAF | Artistic Director | 6.0% of Rev | ||
| TIMOTHY SIMMONS | Executive Director | 4.5% of Rev | ||
| STEPHEN I DWYER | Board President | — | ||
| KYLE POTTS | Board President | — | ||
| FREDDIE G LANDRY | PARLIAMENTARIAN | — | ||
| KELLIE M BARNES | Secretary | — | ||
| DARREL BEERBOHM | Board Member | — | ||
| GINGER CRAWFORD | Board Member | — | ||
| MELISSA CRUSE | Board President | — | ||
| LAWERNCE GIBBS | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA THOMPSON HERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| ED MARSHALL | Board Member | — | ||
| JESSICA COGGINS | Treasurer | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DENNIS ASSAF | Artistic Director | 6.0% of Rev | ||
| STEPHEN I DWYER | Board President | — | ||
| KYLE POTTS | Board President | — | ||
| ARLENE O TAFARO | Secretary | — | ||
| FREDDIE G LANDRY | PARLIAMENTARIAN | — | ||
| KELLIE M BARNES | Board President | — | ||
| DARREL BEERBOHM | Board Member | — | ||
| GINGER CRAWFORD | Board Member | — | ||
| MELISSA CRUSE | Board Member | — | ||
| LAWERNCE GIBBS | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA THOMPSON HERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| ED MARSHALL | Board Member | — | ||
| STEPHANIE BOISFONTAINE SCHOTT | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 49 other orgs in LA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 36 points below the peer median (0 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 34 → 34 over 5 years (stable by 0 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 6.4% 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.