Compensation Escalation Cycle
What does this mean?
Revenue grows modestly, but top officer compensation grows consistently for 5 years, breaching danger zones. The executive is negotiating aggressive raises against a compliant board.
The Path Forward
The Steward
Re-establishes board supremacy over executive extraction. It freezes compensation and mandates that all future financial rewards be tied strictly to verifiable mission expansion.
Title
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2024 | — | — | 35.9% | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2023 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 54.6% | 28 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2021 | — | — | — | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 3.1% | 38 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David A McConnell | Artistic Director | 35.9% of Rev | ||
| Jane Read | Board President | — | ||
| Robert Kull | Board President | — | ||
| Robert A Wiedemann | Treasurer | — | ||
| Linda Silber | Secretary | — | ||
| Catherine Judd Hirsch | Board Member | — | ||
| Justin Lacombe | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David A McConnell | Artistic Director | 35.9% of Rev | ||
| Jane Read | Board President | — | ||
| Robert Kull | Board President | — | ||
| Carole Moore | Secretary | — | ||
| Robert A Wiedemann | Treasurer | — | ||
| Linda Silber | Board Member | — | ||
| John Wagnor | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David A McConnell | Artistic Director | 2.8% of Rev | ||
| Kenneth K Guilmartin | Board President | — | ||
| Rob Long | Board President | — | ||
| Linda Weaver | Secretary | — | ||
| Robert A Wiedemann | Treasurer | — | ||
| Carey Nash | Board Member | — | ||
| Paula Mirabile Willard | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 175 other orgs in NJ with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 11 points below the peer median (15 vs. 26).
5-year trend: Compensation Escalation Cycle
Revenue grows modestly, but top officer compensation grows consistently for 5 years, breaching danger zones. The executive is negotiating aggressive raises against a compliant board.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 35.9% is above the 90th percentile for orgs of this size (healthy band: 18–22%).
- Financial resilience score in the bottom quartile — reserves and liabilities ratios warrant review.
- Sustained governance decline: score fell from 58 to 42 across 4 years — a multi-year pattern, not a single bad filing.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Reduce top-officer compensation from 35.9% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~28 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.