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 | — | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | — | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | — | 42 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | — | 36 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 43 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERNEST DAWKINS | Executive Director | — | ||
| STEVE BERRY | Treasurer | — | ||
| WILL FABER | OFFICER | — | ||
| ADAM ZANOLINI | OFFICER | — | ||
| LINNAE BRYANT | LAWYER | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERNEST DAWKINS | Executive Director | — | ||
| STEVE BERRY | Treasurer | — | ||
| WILL FABER | OFFICER | — | ||
| ADAM ZANOLINI | OFFICER | — | ||
| LINNAE BRYANT | LAWYER | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERNEST DAWKINS | OFFICER | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 195 other orgs in IL with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 13 points above the peer median (45 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 25 → 39 over 5 years (improving by 14 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.
- 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.