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 | — | — | 17.3% | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 23.8% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | — | 36 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | 16.2% | 25 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 8.3% | 40 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 13.3% | 35 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | 14.3% | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | 7.7% | 36 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 35 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerry Marsh | Board Member | 8.7% of Rev | ||
| Lianne Kono | Operations Supervisor | 8.6% of Rev | ||
| Jason Grant | Board Member | — | ||
| Michelle Grant | Board Member | — | ||
| Lisa Davis | Board Member | — | ||
| Marcus Jenkins | Board President | — | ||
| George Aagaard | Treasurer | — | ||
| Mecca Stevenson | Board Member | — | ||
| Merri Anne Smith | Board Member | — | ||
| Laura Hall | Board Member | — | ||
| Doug Hall | Board Member | — | ||
| Melissa Van Meurs | Board Member | — | ||
| Tracy Beavers | Secretary | — | ||
| Erin Adams | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 236 other orgs in WA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 41 points below the peer median (0 vs. 41).
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 40 → 25 over 5 years (declining by 15 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 17.3% 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.