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 | — | — | 27.9% | 24 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 22.6% | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2021 | — | — | 22.7% | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 27.8% | 22 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 23.5% | 26 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 31.9% | 21 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 21.7% | 26 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 24.4% | 23 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | 16.4% | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 21 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAROLYN PAYNE | Executive Director | 23.2% of Rev | ||
| TOM DEBIASO | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBYNE ROBINSON | Board Member | — | ||
| LIZA FERRARI | Treasurer | — | ||
| YIJIA LI | Board Member | — | ||
| GRETCHEN GASTERLAND-GUSTAFSSON | Secretary | — | ||
| FRANK GRAZZINI | Board President | — | ||
| HEATHER WULFSBURG | Board President | — | ||
| JOHN C LEVY | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK SPENCER | Board Member | — | ||
| MARC DAVIS | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAROLYN PAYNE | Executive Director | 24.1% of Rev | ||
| TOM DEBIASO | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBYNE ROBINSON | Board Member | — | ||
| GRETCHEN GASTERLAND-GUSTAFSSON | Secretary | — | ||
| LIZA FERRARI | Treasurer | — | ||
| MARK SPENCER | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK GRAZZINI | Board President | — | ||
| HEATHER WULFSBURG | Board President | — | ||
| MARC DAVIS | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN C LEVY | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAROLYN PAYNE | Executive Director | 23.6% of Rev | ||
| HEATHER WULFSBURG | Board President | — | ||
| FRANK GRAZZINI | Board President | — | ||
| JOHN C LEVY | Board Member | — | ||
| MARC DAVIS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK SPENCER | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBYNE ROBINSON | Board Member | — | ||
| TOM DEBIASO | Board Member | — | ||
| LIZA FERRARI | Treasurer | — | ||
| GRETCHEN GASTERLAND-GUSTAFSSON | Secretary | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 6 other orgs in MN with NTEE prefix A5.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 40 points below the peer median (0 vs. 40).
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 26 → 24 over 5 years (declining by 2 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 27.9% is modestly above the sector's healthy band (18–22%) — worth monitoring.
- 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:
- Reduce top-officer compensation from 27.9% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~12 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.