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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | 38.2% | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2023 | — | — | 36.8% | 39 | Governance-Stressed | Gov Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 41.4% | 39 | Governance-Stressed | Gov Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 24.2% | 42 | Governance-Stressed | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 19.6% | 41 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 27.4% | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | 30.4% | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 13.4% | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 24.5% | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | 16.4% | 37 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | 14.3% | 39 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | 14.6% | 39 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | 16.3% | 37 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WENDY KNOX | Treasurer | 26.5% of Rev | ||
| SPENCER PUTNEY | Board President | — | ||
| CAROL GRADY | Secretary | — | ||
| LAURA MATSON | Secretary | — | ||
| RHIANNON FISKRADATZ | Secretary | — | ||
| LEIF JURGENSEN | Secretary | — | ||
| LUCAS ERICKSON | Treasurer | — | ||
| VIRGINIA BURAN | Secretary | — | ||
| JANIS HARDY | Secretary | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WENDY KNOX | Treasurer | — | ||
| LEIF JURGENSEN | Treasurer | — | ||
| JANIS HARDY | Secretary | — | ||
| GINNY BURAN | Secretary | — | ||
| CAROL GRADY | Secretary | — | ||
| SPENCER PUTNEY | Secretary | — | ||
| LUCAS ERICKSON | Board President | — | ||
| BILL SCHOPPERT | Secretary | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 47 other orgs in MN with NTEE prefix A2.
Most-divergent component: governance score sits 8 points below the peer median (42 vs. 50).
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 41 → 35 over 5 years (declining by 6 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 38.2% is above the 90th percentile for orgs of this size (healthy band: 18–22%).
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Reduce top-officer compensation from 38.2% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~32 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.