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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | — | — | 37.7% | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 13.4% | 37 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 14.6% | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 39 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 4.5% | 42 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | 6.9% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 37 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 7.6% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL O'BRIEN | Board Member | 37.5% of Rev | ||
| DAN EDELMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| ED LAKE | Board Member | — | ||
| MEGAN NICOLE O'BRIEN | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVE PACEK | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE VAUGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| DEBORAH PINES | Board Member | — | ||
| RAYMOND MURPHY | Board Member | — | ||
| ANNELYSE GAST | Board Member | — | ||
| ALAN BLUMENTHAL | Board President | — | ||
| BRIAN SEAMAN | Board President | — | ||
| SUSAN VERONA | Treasurer | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL O'BRIEN | Board Member | 20.1% of Rev | ||
| BRIAN SEAMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| DAN EDELMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| ED LAKE | Board Member | — | ||
| MEGAN NICOLE O'BRIEN | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVE PACEK | Board Member | — | ||
| ANTHONY RUGGIERO | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE VAUGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| DEBORAH PINES | Board Member | — | ||
| RAY MURPHY | Board Member | — | ||
| ALAN BLUMENTHAL | Board President | — | ||
| SUSAN VERONA | Treasurer | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 296 other orgs in PA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 28 points below the peer median (10 vs. 38).
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 42 → 23 over 5 years (declining by 19 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 37.7% 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 37.7% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~31 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.