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 | — | — | 20.0% | 35 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 20.5% | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 18.7% | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 14.9% | 37 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 20.3% | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAUL GOLDSTEIN | Executive Director | 18.0% of Rev | ||
| ERIC ZIMMERMAN | Secretary | — | ||
| ADAM BERMAN | Treasurer | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAUL GOLDSTEIN | Executive Director | 12.4% of Rev | ||
| ERIC ZIMMERMAN | Secretary | — | ||
| ADAM BERMAN | Treasurer | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 5 other orgs in CA with NTEE prefix A3.
Most-divergent component: governance score sits 8 points below the peer median (45 vs. 53).
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 → 35 over 5 years (improving by 2 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 20.0% 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:
- 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.