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 | 10.5% | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 7.2% | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 21.8% | 22 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | — | 37 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 38 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAVERLY LUCAS | Artistic Director | 5.2% of Rev | ||
| NENA GILREATH | Artistic Director | 4.8% of Rev | ||
| SUMAYAH TALIAFERRO | Board President | — | ||
| ALLAN LANE | Board President | — | ||
| ONETTA THOMAS | Treasurer | — | ||
| JENNIFER D THOMAS | Secretary | — | ||
| DR KAREN LUCAS | Board Member | — | ||
| ADAM MCKNIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK EDWARD WHITE | Board Member | — | ||
| CECELIA OGECHI OPARAH | Board Member | — | ||
| TAYLOIR THOMPSON | Board Member | — | ||
| KENT DICKINSON | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUMAYAH TALIAFERRO | Board President | — | ||
| ALLAN LANE | Board President | — | ||
| ONETTA THOMAS | Treasurer | — | ||
| JENNIFER D THOMAS | Secretary | — | ||
| DR KAREN LUCAS | Board Member | — | ||
| ADAM MCKNIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK EDWARD WHITE | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUMAYAH TALIAFERRO | Board President | — | ||
| ALLAN LANE | Board President | — | ||
| ONETTA THOMAS | Treasurer | — | ||
| JENNIFER D THOMAS | Secretary | — | ||
| DR KAREN LUCAS | Board Member | — | ||
| ADAM MCKNIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK EDWARD WHITE | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 123 other orgs in GA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 30 points above the peer median (60 vs. 30).
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 32 → 45 over 5 years (improving by 13 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 10.5% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- Two consecutive years of deficit spending.
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.