The Founder's Trap
"Exists solely to provide support to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Inc."
— Statement of Program Service Accomplishments
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 1.9% | 44 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 1.8% | 44 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2020 | — | — | 3.2% | 44 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 39 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 42 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 39 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 53 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
Tax year 2023
Tax year 2022
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 186 other orgs in MI with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 13 points below the peer median (15 vs. 28).
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
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 1.9% 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.