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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | — | — | 6.6% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 7.3% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 9.2% | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 14.6% | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 51 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | 6.5% | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | 4.9% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Willis | Artistic Director | 8.5% of Rev | ||
| Melissa Davis | Board President | — | ||
| Christine Lee | Treasurer | — | ||
| Kala Kannan | Secretary | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Willis | Artistic Director | 5.4% of Rev | ||
| Alison Brandon | Board President | — | ||
| Sheila Hess | Treasurer | — | ||
| Natalia Zayat | Board Member | — | ||
| Grace He | Board Member | — | ||
| Cynthia Lorrain | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Willis | Artistic Director | 4.9% of Rev | ||
| Alison Brandon | Board President | — | ||
| Sheila Hess | Treasurer | — | ||
| Maria Denise Clarke | Treasurer | — | ||
| Natalia Zayat | Board Member | — | ||
| Grace He | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Willis | Artistic Director | 5.2% of Rev | ||
| Alison Brandon | Board President | — | ||
| Sheila Hess | Treasurer | — | ||
| Maria Denise Clarke | Treasurer | — | ||
| Natalia Zayat | Board Member | — | ||
| Grace He | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 235 other orgs in WA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 41 points below the peer median (0 vs. 41).
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.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 6.6% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- Net assets declined for 3 consecutive years of deficit spending; cash runway narrowing.
- 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:
- Build cash reserves to at least 3 months of operating expenses — moves financial resilience score meaningfully (~10 points).
- Stabilize program expenses or grow earned-income revenue to break the consecutive-deficit pattern (~8 points to financial score).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.