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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | — | 82.8% | 37 | Governance-Stressed | Gov Risk | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 15.4% | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 35.4% | 42 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | — | 61 | Stable | Stable Watch | |
| 2020 | — | — | 13.3% | 49 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 52 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 65 | Stable | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 51 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 57 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 57 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agata M Maruszewski | Executive Director | 14.9% of Rev | ||
| John Truitt | Board President | — | ||
| Conica Patnaik | Secretary | — | ||
| David Moore | Treasurer | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 830 other orgs in CA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 14 points above the peer median (45 vs. 31).
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.
Overall score has gone from 49 → 37 over 5 years (declining by 12 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 82.8% is well above the sector's 90th percentile (healthy band: 18–22%).
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Reduce top-officer compensation from 82.8% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~40 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.