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 | — | — | 35.2% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 41.8% | 28 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 19.8% | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 30.4% | 22 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2019 | — | — | 51.1% | 22 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 21 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 21 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAROLINE WHIDDON | EXECUTIVE DI | 16.2% of Rev | ||
| ANNEMARIE CIOFFARI | Board President | — | ||
| GARY CLARK | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA DWYER | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROLE FURR | Board Member | — | ||
| WENDY HOFFMAN | VICE PRESIDE | — | ||
| HEIDI KEEGAN | Treasurer | — | ||
| MARGIE LEITH | Secretary | — | ||
| JOHN HELZER MD | Board Member | — | ||
| MARCIA ZUCKERMAN MD | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFFREY MEANS | Board Member | — | ||
| KLEMENS MEYER | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAROLINE WHIDDON | EXECUTIVE DI | 14.1% of Rev | ||
| ANNEMARIE CIOFFARI | Board President | — | ||
| GARY CLARK | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROLE FURR | Board Member | — | ||
| WENDY HOFFMAN | VICE PRESIDE | — | ||
| HEIDI KEEGAN | Treasurer | — | ||
| MARCIA ZUCKERMAN MD | Board Member | — | ||
| JESSICA STUART | Secretary | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAROLINE WHIDDON | EXECUTIVE DI | 12.5% of Rev | ||
| RONALD BRAUNSTEIN | MUSIC DIRECT | 12.5% of Rev | ||
| ANNEMARIE CIOFFARI | Board President | — | ||
| WENDY HOFFMAN | VICE PRESIDE | — | ||
| JESSICA STUART | Secretary | — | ||
| GARY CLARK | Board Member | — | ||
| HEIDI KEEGAN | Treasurer | — | ||
| CAROLE FURR | Board Member | — | ||
| MARCIA ZUCKERMAN MD | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 245 other orgs in MA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 27 points below the peer median (15 vs. 42).
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 22 → 32 over 5 years (improving by 10 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 35.2% 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.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Reduce top-officer compensation from 35.2% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~26 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.