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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 56.4% | 37 | Governance-Stressed | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 14.0% | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 20.4% | 47 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 19.8% | 37 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 30.7% | 24 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 37 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 37 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHELLEY SURH | Executive Director | 26.9% of Rev | ||
| JAMES BUI | Board Member | — | ||
| Board Member | — | |||
| KIM HESTER | Board Member | — | ||
| BILL HAUBOLD | Board President | — | ||
| ALAN B TRAN | Treasurer | — | ||
| PAUL ROW DR | Secretary | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHELLEY SURH | Executive Dir. | 20.0% of Rev | ||
| JAMES BUI | Board Member | — | ||
| WALTER COLLINS | Board Member | — | ||
| KIM D HESTER | Board Member | — | ||
| BILL HAUBOLD | Board President | — | ||
| ALAN B TRAN | Treasurer | — | ||
| PAUL ROW DR | Secretary | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 829 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 24 → 37 over 5 years (improving by 13 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 56.4% 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 56.4% 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.