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 | — | — | 10.6% | 38 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 6.4% | 44 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 10.1% | 42 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 10.3% | 38 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 17.5% | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | 11.5% | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Ashworth | Artistic Director | 10.6% of Rev | ||
| Therese Esperdy | Board President | — | ||
| Robert Fitzpatrick | Board Member | — | ||
| Sonja Berggren | Board Member | — | ||
| Stephen Foster | Board Member | — | ||
| Louise Proske | Board Member | — | ||
| Ethan Heard | Board Member | — | ||
| Liz Diamond | Board Member | — | ||
| Debra Valentine | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan Heard | Artistic Director | 7.8% of Rev | ||
| Louise Proske | Resident Dir. | 1.6% of Rev | ||
| Therese Esperdy | Board President | — | ||
| Robert Fitzpatrick | Board Member | — | ||
| Sonja Berggren | Board Member | — | ||
| Stephen Foster | Board Member | — | ||
| Christopher Earl | Board Member | — | ||
| Jill Steinberg | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan Heard | Co-Artist Dir. | 5.8% of Rev | ||
| Louisa Proske | Co-Artist Dir. | 4.1% of Rev | ||
| Robert Fitzpatrick | Board Member | — | ||
| Therese Esperdy | Board President | — | ||
| Stephen Foster | Board Member | — | ||
| Sonja Berggren | Board Member | — | ||
| Jill Steinberg | Board Member | — | ||
| Christopher Earl | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETHAN HEARD | CO-ARTIST DI | 4.8% of Rev | ||
| LOUISA PROSKE | CO-ARTIST DI | 4.1% of Rev | ||
| SONJA BERGGREN | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTOPHER EARL | Board Member | — | ||
| THERESE ESPERDY | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBERT FITZPATRICK | BOARD CHAIRP | — | ||
| STEPHEN FOSTER | Board Member | — | ||
| JILL STEINBERG | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 699 other orgs in NY with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 31 points above the peer median (60 vs. 29).
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 10.6% 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:
- 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.