Programmatic Contraction
What does this mean?
Total revenue is stable, but the percentage of expenses spent on actual mission shrinks. Indicates administrative bloat and spending on the machinery of raising money rather than the art itself.
The Path Forward
The Rainmaker
Represents the forced release of hoarded resources back into the community. It acts as a pressure valve against administrative capture, ensuring the mission takes priority over the machine.
Title
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | 39 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2023 | — | — | 31.3% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 31.4% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 27.8% | 26 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 36.5% | 38 | Governance-Stressed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 31.3% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 51 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 35 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miriam Gordon-Stewart | Artistic Director | 33.5% of Rev | ||
| Brenda Patterson | Secretary | 26.3% of Rev | ||
| Kristin Jensen | Treasurer | — | ||
| Rita Dove | Board Member | — | ||
| Jason Becton | Board Member | — | ||
| Patrick Evans | Board Member | — | ||
| Kirsten Mallik | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIRIAM GORDON-STEWART | Artistic Director | 28.6% of Rev | ||
| BRENDA PATTERSON | Secretary | 17.6% of Rev | ||
| WAYNE COZART | Board Member | — | ||
| KRISTIN JENSEN | Treasurer | — | ||
| KIRSTEN T MALLIK | Board Member | — | ||
| RITA DOVE | Board Member | — | ||
| JASON BECTON | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRICK EVANS | Board Member | — | ||
| RACHEL MINK | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID PORTILLO | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROLYN ZELIKOW | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIRIAM GORDON-STEWART | Artistic Director | 38.6% of Rev | ||
| BRENDA PATTERSON | Secretary | 27.3% of Rev | ||
| Miriam Gordon-Stewart | Artistic Director | 16.9% of Rev | ||
| Brenda Patterson | Secretary | 14.3% of Rev | ||
| Frank Squillace | Treasurer | — | ||
| Paul Wagner | Board Member | — | ||
| Kirsten T Mallik | Board Member | — | ||
| Kristin Jensen | Board Member | — | ||
| Rita Dove | Board Member | — | ||
| Troy Cook | Board Member | — | ||
| KRISTIN JENSEN | Treasurer | — | ||
| KIRSTEN T MALLIK | Board Member | — | ||
| RITA DOVE | Board Member | — | ||
| JASON BECTON | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRICK EVANS | Board Member | — | ||
| RACHEL MINK | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID PORTILLO | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROLYN ZELIKOW | Board Member | — | ||
| WAYNE COZART | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 146 other orgs in VA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 14 points below the peer median (15 vs. 29).
5-year trend: Programmatic Contraction
Total revenue is stable, but the percentage of expenses spent on actual mission shrinks. Indicates administrative bloat and spending on the machinery of raising money rather than the art itself.
Overall score has gone from 38 → 39 over 5 years (improving by 1 points).
What's driving this score
- All-volunteer org with no paid officers — governance signal is neutral (default 50), not absent.
- Net assets declined for 3 consecutive years of deficit spending; cash runway narrowing.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- 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.