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 | — | — | 27.0% | 36 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 26.5% | 40 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 24.3% | 37 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 41.3% | 26 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 29.5% | 36 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 36.3% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 37.5% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | 44.1% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | 38.7% | 28 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | 42.6% | 28 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | 42.2% | 26 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ariel Fristoe | Artistic Director | 6.5% of Rev | ||
| Erin Parker | Board Member | 6.5% of Rev | ||
| Adria Kitchens | Board Member | 6.4% of Rev | ||
| Korri Jones | Board President | — | ||
| Folashade Alao | Board President | — | ||
| Michael Kaluzny | Secretary | — | ||
| Michael Ertischek | Treasurer | — | ||
| Joy Dyess | Board Member | — | ||
| Terra Gay | Board Member | — | ||
| Letricia Henson | Board Member | — | ||
| DeShawn Jenkins | Board Member | — | ||
| Chaundra Johnson | Board Member | — | ||
| Max Leventhal | Board Member | — | ||
| Bonnie Levine | Board Member | — | ||
| Shane Little | Board Member | — | ||
| Cherrod Pate | Board Member | — | ||
| Kristen Silton | Board Member | — | ||
| Sean Walker | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ariel Fristoe | Artistic Director | 6.1% of Rev | ||
| Erin Parker | Board Member | 4.5% of Rev | ||
| Adria Kitchens | Board Member | 3.3% of Rev | ||
| Korri Jones | Board President | — | ||
| Folashade Aliao | Board President | — | ||
| Michael Kaluzny | Secretary | — | ||
| Michael Ertischek | Treasurer | — | ||
| Joy Dyess | Board Member | — | ||
| Letricia Henson | Board Member | — | ||
| DeShawn Jenkins | Board Member | — | ||
| Chaundra Johnson | Board Member | — | ||
| Max Leventhal | Board Member | — | ||
| Shane Little | Board Member | — | ||
| Nathalie Mason-Fleury | Board Member | — | ||
| Cherrod Pate | Board Member | — | ||
| Billie Pritchard | Board Member | — | ||
| Kristen Silton | Board Member | — | ||
| Janice Williams | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ariel Fristoe | Artistic Director | 4.9% of Rev | ||
| Erin Parker | Board Member | 3.5% of Rev | ||
| Adam Fristoe | Artistic Director | 2.2% of Rev | ||
| Sarah Parker | Board President | — | ||
| Lara Ferreira | Board President | — | ||
| Michael Kaluzny | Treasurer | — | ||
| Marti Breen | Board Member | — | ||
| Jennifer Findley | Board Member | — | ||
| E Jordan Flowers | Board Member | — | ||
| Shane Little | Board Member | — | ||
| Nathalie Mason-Fleury | Board Member | — | ||
| Kevin Onabiyi | Board Member | — | ||
| Billie Pritchard | Board Member | — | ||
| Folashade Aliao | Board Member | — | ||
| Letricia Henson | Board Member | — | ||
| Danita Harris | Board Member | — | ||
| Karyn Hodgkinson | Board Member | — | ||
| Camille Small-Simon | Board Member | — | ||
| Korri Jones | Board Member | — | ||
| Cherrod Pate | Board Member | — | ||
| Dave Stevens | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael Ertischek | Board Member | — | ||
| Max Leventhal | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 209 other orgs in GA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 40 points below the peer median (15 vs. 55).
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 36 → 36 over 5 years (stable by 0 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 27.0% is modestly above the sector's healthy band (18–22%) — worth monitoring.
- 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).
- Reduce top-officer compensation from 27.0% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~10 points.
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.