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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | — | 35 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | — | 37 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | — | 38 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 22.8% | 22 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 43 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 12.8% | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 2.5% | 36 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELLEN PHELPS | Board Member | — | ||
| SCOTT PHELPS | Artistic Director | — | ||
| DEBBIE SCOTT | Treasurer | — | ||
| SCOTT PHELPS | Artistic Director | — | ||
| ELLEN PHELPS | Board Member | — | ||
| DEBBIE SCOTT | Treasurer | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELLEN PHELPS | Board Member | — | ||
| SCOTT PHELPS | Artistic Director | — | ||
| DEBBIE SCOTT | Treasurer | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCOTT PHELPS | Artistic Director | 5.4% of Rev | ||
| ELLEN PHELPS | Board Member | 5.3% of Rev | ||
| DEBBIE SCOTT | Treasurer | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| ELLEN PHELPS | Board Member | — | ||
| SCOTT PHELPS | Artistic Director | — | ||
| DEBBIE SCOTT | Treasurer | — | ||
| ALLEN CHICHESTER | Board Member | — | ||
| MARY DWYER | Board Member | — | ||
| ERIN CUMMISFORD | Board Member | — | ||
| JANE MCCARTHY | Board Member | — | ||
| ALLEN CHICHESTER | Board President | — |
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: financial score sits 36 points below the peer median (0 vs. 36).
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.
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.