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 | — | — | 16.2% | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 10.1% | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 11.7% | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 12.2% | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 13.9% | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | 6.5% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | 7.8% | 36 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | 7.7% | 40 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | 7.9% | 40 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | 6.9% | 40 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | 6.3% | 40 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | 6.5% | 40 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANN CHANG | Executive Director | 5.3% of Rev | ||
| ERICA DE LA O | Artistic Director | 3.9% of Rev | ||
| LAUREN S KAVANAUGH | Board President | — | ||
| CHERYL GIBSON | Board President | — | ||
| KATHARINE HAMILTON | Treasurer | — | ||
| JUDITH SIPEK | Secretary | — | ||
| OJ MAVON | Board Member | — | ||
| JULIE MAYER-NARGANG | Board Member | — | ||
| KAY VEE RHOADS | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHLEEN SIEVERTSEN | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROLYN SCHANZER | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE SCHULTZ NEUMANN | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERGEY KOZADAYEV | Artistic Director | 7.2% of Rev | ||
| MARIA BROOKS | Executive Director | 4.7% of Rev | ||
| LAUREN S KAVANAUGH | Board President | — | ||
| CHERYL GIBSON | Board President | — | ||
| KATHARINE HAMILTON | Treasurer | — | ||
| JUDITH SIPEK | Secretary | — | ||
| OJ MAVON | Board Member | — | ||
| JULIE MAYER-NARGANG | Board Member | — | ||
| JANET MCLAUGHLIN | Board Member | — | ||
| KAY VEE RHOADS | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHLEEN SIEVERTSEN | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROLYN SCHANZER | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE SCHULTZ NEUMANN | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERGEY KOZADAYEV | Artistic Director | 10.0% of Rev | ||
| MARIA BROOKS | Executive Director | 7.9% of Rev | ||
| KATHARINE LS HAMILTON | Board President | — | ||
| CHERYL GIBSON | Board President | — | ||
| GREG SJULIE | Treasurer | — | ||
| LAUREN S KAVANAUGH | Secretary | — | ||
| OJ MAVON | Board Member | — | ||
| KEN NELSON | Board Member | — | ||
| JULIE MAYER | Board Member | — | ||
| KAY VEE RHOADS | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROLYN SCHANZER | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE SCHULTZ NEUMANN | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 376 other orgs in IL with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 57 points below the peer median (0 vs. 57).
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 31 → 29 over 5 years (declining by 2 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 16.2% 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.