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 | — | — | 21.7% | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 32.2% | 36 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 54.1% | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 35.6% | 36 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 41.4% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 39 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 35 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 51 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WENDY MATTHEWS | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA DRESDNER | Board Member | — | ||
| TATIANA FONSECA DASILVA | Board President | — | ||
| ELIZABETH FISK BARISSER | Artistic Director | — | ||
| ELISE DREW | Secretary | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELIZABETH FISK BARISSER | Artistic Director | Hidden | ||
| CHRISTINE HARRIS | ASSOCIATE DI | Hidden | ||
| LISA DRESDNER | Board Member | — | ||
| ANDREW DASILVA | Board Member | — | ||
| TATIANA FONSECA DASILVA | Board President | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELIZABETH FISK BARISSER | Artistic Director | Hidden | ||
| CHRISTINE HARRIS | ASSOCIATE DI | Hidden | ||
| ANDREW DASILVA | Board Member | — | ||
| TATIANA DASILVA | Board Member | — | ||
| KEVIN HARRIS | Board President | — | ||
| CATHERINE KONNIK | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 131 other orgs in CT with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 23 points below the peer median (15 vs. 38).
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 36 → 33 over 5 years (declining by 3 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 21.7% 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:
- Separate signing authority from fundraising authority when both are held by one person — removes the concentration penalty (~12 points).
- 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.