The Founder's Trap
The Founder's Trap
The Founder's Trap Market Archetype Mechanical Natural
Tier
Developing
Trajectory Thumbprint

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.

The Dispersal
The Dispersal
Institutional Health Scores
5-yr trend: The Founder's Trap ↑
Overall
51
Score
Governance
58
Score
Financial
40
Score
Program
60
Score

Institutional Epochs

2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Financial Era
Governance Era
Trajectory Era
Founders Trap

Historical Performance

Year Revenue Top Comp Comp % Rev Score Phase Label Outlook Details
2025 Hidden Hidden — — Unknown —
2024 Hidden Hidden — — Unknown —
2023 — — 2.8% 51 Fragile Recovery
2022 — — — 52 Fragile Stable Watch
2021 — — 3.6% 55 Fragile Stable Watch
2020 — — — 55 Fragile Recovery
2019 — — 2.9% 47 Financially Distressed Decline Risk
2018 — — 3.1% 49 Financially Distressed Decline Risk
2017 — — 4.4% 51 Fragile Decline Risk
2016 — — 5.0% 51 Fragile Decline Risk
2015 — — 3.7% 55 Fragile Recovery
2014 — — 5.6% 48 Fragile Decline Risk
2013 — — 3.0% 53 Fragile Recovery
2012 — — 6.5% 50 Fragile Recovery
2011 — — 14.4% 48 Fragile Stable Watch

Officer compensation history

Tax year 2026

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
Eileen McCaffery Board Member 2.8% of Rev
Joel Vengco Board Member —
Charles Beresford Board Member —
Susan Valania Board Member —
George Arwady Board Member —
Jeanmarie Deliso Board Member —
Azell Cavaan Board Member —
Robyn A Newhouse Board Member —
Eric Lesser Board Member —
Jay Therrien Board Member —
Betsy Ward Board Member —
Janine Idelson Board President —
Ellen W Freyman Secretary —
Gregory Thomas Treasurer —

Tax year 2025

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
Eileen McCaffery Board Member 2.8% of Rev
Joel Vengco Board Member —
George Arwady Board Member —
Jeanmarie Deliso Board Member —
Azell Cavaan Board Member —
Robyn A Newhouse Board Member —
Eric Lesser Board Member —
Jay Therrien Board Member —
Betsy Ward Board Member —
Waleska Lugo-DeJesus Board President —
Janine Idelson Board President —
Ellen W Freyman Secretary —
Gregory Thomas Treasurer —

Tax year 2023

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
Executive Director 2.8% of Rev
Board President —
Board President —
Treasurer —
Secretary —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —

Tax year 2022

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
Board President —
Board President —
Treasurer —
Secretary —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Executive Director —

Tax year 2021

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
Executive Director —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board President —
Board President —
Treasurer —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Secretary —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Board Member —
Officer contact details, exact compensation figures, and active litigation are available to verified members.
Request access
Score breakdown

Score breakdown

Financial resilience
40 / 100
weight 40%
Governance risk
58 / 100
weight 40%
Program scale
60 / 100
weight 20%
Overall
51 / 100
Developing

The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →

Peer comparison

Compared to 376 other orgs in MA with NTEE prefix A6.

Most-divergent component: program score sits 31 points above the peer median (60 vs. 29).

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.

What's driving this score

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.