The Founder's Trap
What does this mean?
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
The Path Forward
The Dispersal
Forces succession planning and structural maturity. It requires raising capacity-building funds to decouple the organization's survival from the founder's personal sacrifice.
Title
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 2.9% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 10.7% | 47 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 9.0% | 49 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 9.7% | 49 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | 7.8% | 51 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | 11.2% | 44 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | 7.5% | 54 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 1.5% | 52 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 52 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MILLARD ROSS | Board Member | 2.2% of Rev | ||
| PENNY WATKINS | Treasurer | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| GERRIE BJORNSON | Board Member | — | ||
| BRYAN CHAMBERS | Board Member | — | ||
| PETER CHIRCO | Board Member | — | ||
| REBECCA MELTON CRAIG | Secretary | — | ||
| JOE EDDINS | Board Member | — | ||
| MYIA HILL | Board Member | — | ||
| AMANDA KOLLING | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFF LEABERRY | Board Member | — | ||
| DANIEL LINVILLE | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK MORGAN | Board Member | — | ||
| JASON MOSES | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBERT PLYMALE | Board President | — | ||
| JESSICA PRESSMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| ED SEILER | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBERT SELLARDS | VICE PRESIDE | — | ||
| ANGELA SWEARINGEN | Board Member | — | ||
| VELMA WORKMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| KELLIE WRIGHT | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MILLARD ROSS | Board Member | 2.1% of Rev | ||
| GERRIE BJORNSON | Board Member | — | ||
| BRYAN CHAMBERS | Board Member | — | ||
| REBECCA MELTON CRAIG | Secretary | — | ||
| JOE EDDINS | Board Member | — | ||
| CRAIG DAVID FERGUSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MYIA HILL | Board Member | — | ||
| AMANDA KOLLING | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFF LEABERRY | Board Member | — | ||
| DANIEL LINVILLE | Board Member | — | ||
| MEL MILLER | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK MORGAN | Board Member | — | ||
| JASON MOSES | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBERT PLYMALE | Board President | — | ||
| ED SEILER | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBERT SELLARDS | VICE PRESIDE | — | ||
| ANGELA SWEARINGEN | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID TYSON | Board Member | — | ||
| PENNY WATKINS | Treasurer | — | ||
| VELMA WORKMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| KELLIE WRIGHT | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 12 other orgs in WV with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 28 points above the peer median (60 vs. 32).
5-year trend: The Founder's Trap
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
Overall score has gone from 41 → 55 over 5 years (improving by 14 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 2.9% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
What would change this score
No specific high-impact levers identified — this org's score is balanced across components.
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.