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 | Hidden | Hidden | 18.1% | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 34.4% | 28 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 46.2% | 26 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 44.4% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 22.7% | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 36 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 38 | Governance-Stressed | Gov Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | 54.7% | 15 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2012 | — | — | 42.8% | 24 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | 36.9% | 28 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CYNTHIA BELL | Executive Dir. | 16.5% of Rev | ||
| BRIAN BARTOLDUS CONDUCTOR | Board Member | 11.8% of Rev | ||
| LAURIE BACON | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID HAMBURGER | Board Member | — | ||
| MARTA HARTING | Board Member | — | ||
| CINDY LEVERING | Board Member | — | ||
| MELINDA O'NEAL | Board Member | — | ||
| ELLERY WOODWORTH | Board Member | — | ||
| AMY SHERIDAN | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK MCGRATH | Board President | — | ||
| JASON RUDY | Board President | — | ||
| LESLIE GREENWALD | Treasurer | — | ||
| LEROY LUDWICK | Secretary | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CYNTHIA BELL | Executive Dir. | 16.5% of Rev | ||
| BRIAN BARTOLDUS | Board Member | 11.8% of Rev | ||
| MARK MCGRATH | Board President | — | ||
| JASON RUDY | Board President | — | ||
| LESLIE GREENWALD | Treasurer | — | ||
| LEROY LUDWICK | Secretary | — | ||
| LAURIE BACON | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID HAMBURGER | Board Member | — | ||
| MARTA HARTING | Board Member | — | ||
| CINDY LEVERING | Board Member | — | ||
| MELINDA O'NEAL | Board Member | — | ||
| ELLERY WOODWORTH | Board Member | — | ||
| AMY SHERIDAN | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CYNTHIA BELL | Executive Dir. | 16.5% of Rev | ||
| MARK MCGRATH | Board President | — | ||
| JASON RUDY | Board President | — | ||
| LESLIE GREENWALD | Treasurer | — | ||
| LEROY LUDWICK | Secretary | — | ||
| LAURIE BACON | Board Member | — | ||
| BRIAN BARTOLDUS | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID HAMBURGER | Board Member | — | ||
| MARTA HARTING | Board Member | — | ||
| CINDY LEVERING | Board Member | — | ||
| MELINDA O'NEAL | Board Member | — | ||
| ELLERY WOODWORTH | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 164 other orgs in MD with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 48 points below the peer median (10 vs. 58).
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 33 → 31 over 5 years (declining by 2 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 18.1% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- Two consecutive years of deficit spending.
- 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.