Acute Resource Divergence
What does this mean?
Revenue is contracting significantly, but executive compensation percentage is rising. The organization is refusing to adjust its administrative overhead to match its new economic reality.
The Path Forward
The Realignment
Forces immediate balancing of administrative bloat against actual programmatic output. It demands that every dollar extracted for overhead be justified by community impact.
Title
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 21.1% | 26 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 15.1% | 24 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 17.2% | 47 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 9.1% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 42 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 37 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 37 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAIL BECKER | Board Member | 8.5% of Rev | ||
| ANDREW ABRAMS | Artistic Director | 5.3% of Rev | ||
| PATRICK BARLOW | Board Member | — | ||
| MARIA HANSON | Board President | — | ||
| W EARLE SMITH | Treasurer | — | ||
| BONNIE ABRAMS | Secretary | — | ||
| AARON DEETS | Board Member | — | ||
| DIANE BLESS | Board Member | — | ||
| SHERI RICE | Board Member | — | ||
| MONA NELSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK DASPIT | Board Member | — | ||
| AMY FLESCH | Board Member | — | ||
| TERI FULTON | Board Member | — | ||
| ANGIE GAREY | Board Member | — | ||
| LORI RODEN | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 182 other orgs in WI with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 51 points below the peer median (5 vs. 56).
5-year trend: Acute Resource Divergence
Revenue is contracting significantly, but executive compensation percentage is rising. The organization is refusing to adjust its administrative overhead to match its new economic reality.
Overall score has gone from 42 → 26 over 5 years (declining by 16 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
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.