Compensation Escalation Cycle
Compensation Escalation Cycle
Market
Archetype
Mechanical
Natural
Tier
Priority Review
Trajectory Thumbprint
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.
The Steward
Institutional Health Scores
5-yr trend: Compensation Escalation Cycle ↓
Overall
39
Score
Governance
45
Score
Financial
30
Score
Program
45
Score
Title
-
Institutions
-
Avg Revenue
-
Risk Profile
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Financial Era
Governance Era
Trajectory Era
Compensation Escalation
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 21.1% | 39 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 12.2% | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 18.8% | 47 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 13.1% | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 9.5% | 40 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 11.1% | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 11.4% | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | 10.8% | 39 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 10.8% | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | 13.6% | 37 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | 13.5% | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2012 | — | — | 12.0% | 37 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | 14.8% | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2026
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Sass | Executive Dir. | 22.7% of Rev | ||
| Stephen Noyes | Board President | — | ||
| John Buttolph | Board President | — | ||
| Daniel Pinkerton | Secretary | — | ||
| Steve Boland | Treasurer | — | ||
| Jean Morrison | Board Member | — | ||
| Marissa McDowell | Board Member | — | ||
| Virginia Sutton | Board Member | — | ||
| Katie Schmieg Miller | Board Member | — | ||
| Temma Shankman | Board Member | — | ||
| Rick Cousins | Board Member | — | ||
| Ellie Skelton | Board Member | — | ||
| Mollie O'Connor | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Sass | Executive Dir. | 21.1% of Rev | ||
| Libby Lincoln | Board Member | — | ||
| John Buttolph | Board President | — | ||
| Dan Pinkerton | Secretary | — | ||
| Stephen Noyes | Board President | — | ||
| Ellie Skelton | Board Member | — | ||
| Jean Morrison | Board Member | — | ||
| Virginia Sutton | Board Member | — | ||
| Steve Boland | Treasurer | — | ||
| Marissa McDowell | Board Member | — | ||
| Temma Shankman | Board Member | — | ||
| Richard Ericson | Board Member | — | ||
| Richard Cousins | Board Member | — | ||
| Katie Schmieg Miller | Board Member | — | ||
| Char Mason | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Sass | Executive Dir. | 16.1% of Rev | ||
| Libby Lincoln | Board President | — | ||
| John Buttolph | Board President | — | ||
| Dan Pinkerton | Secretary | — | ||
| Susan Haas | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael Haney | Board Member | — | ||
| Jean Morrison | Board Member | — | ||
| Ginny Sutton | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Lincoln | Board President | — | ||
| John Buttolph | Treasurer | — | ||
| Dan Pinkerton | Secretary | — | ||
| Joel Sass | Artistic Director | — | ||
| Susan Haas | Board Member | — | ||
| Renee Harberts | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael Haney | Board Member | — | ||
| Jean Morrison | Board Member | — | ||
| Virginia Sutton | Board Member | — | ||
| Amy Warner | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Haas | Executive Dir. | 7.8% of Rev | ||
| Michael Sommers | Board Member | 1.2% of Rev | ||
| Keith Lester | Board President | — | ||
| Dan Pinkerton | Secretary | — | ||
| Charlie Vanek | Treasurer | — | ||
| John Buttolph | Board Member | — | ||
| Craig Harris | Board Member | — | ||
| Elizabeth Lincoln | Board Member | — | ||
| Dr Susan Schaefer | Board Member | — | ||
| Ginny Sutton | Board Member | — | ||
| Amy Warner | Board Member | — |
Officer contact details, exact compensation figures, and active litigation are available to verified members.
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Score breakdown
Score breakdown
Financial resilience
30 / 100
weight 40%
Governance risk
45 / 100
weight 40%
Program scale
45 / 100
weight 20%
Overall
39 / 100
Priority Review
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 256 other orgs in MN with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 21 points below the peer median (30 vs. 51).
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.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 21.1% 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.