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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | — | — | 2.4% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 15.8% | 47 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 4.9% | 59 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2020 | — | — | 8.5% | 58 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2019 | — | — | 5.3% | 58 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 6.0% | 52 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | 18.3% | 51 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 32.8% | 41 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | 12.2% | 50 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | 11.4% | 50 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | 8.6% | 58 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 10.4% | 56 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | 8.0% | 54 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT KIRSHBAUM | Executive Director | 2.7% of Rev | ||
| MARILYN CAUDLE | Board Member | — | ||
| SARA TAYLOR | Board Member | — | ||
| RON MOROCO | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTOPHER FUHRMAN | Secretary | — | ||
| JODY OBRIEN | Board President | — | ||
| ERIN REED | Board Member | — | ||
| HANNAH BROWNLEE | Board Member | — | ||
| GREG POST | Board Member | — | ||
| DIANE WALKER | Board Member | — | ||
| KIRK STAUSS | Board Member | — | ||
| RYAN MARIS | Board Member | — | ||
| ROB OLDSON | Board Member | — | ||
| BRAD SCHMITZ | Treasurer | — | ||
| CARRIE MEYER | Executive Director | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT KIRSHBAUM | Executive Director | 2.3% of Rev | ||
| MARILYN CAUDLE | Board Member | — | ||
| ABBY WALLECK | Treasurer | — | ||
| RON MOROCO | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTOPHER FUHRMAN | Secretary | — | ||
| JODY OBRIEN | Board Member | — | ||
| ERIN REED | Board Member | — | ||
| TERRY YARNS | Board President | — | ||
| GREG POST | Board Member | — | ||
| DIANE WALKER | Board Member | — | ||
| KIRK STAUSS | Board Member | — | ||
| BRAD SCHMITZ | Board President | — | ||
| CARRIE MEYER | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT KIRSHBAUM | Executive Director | 2.3% of Rev | ||
| JOAN GRONSTAL | Board Member | — | ||
| ABBY WALLECK | Treasurer | — | ||
| MARILYN CONOVER | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTOPHER FUHRMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| JODY OBRIEN | Board Member | — | ||
| ERIN REED | Board Member | — | ||
| TERRY YARNS | Board Member | — | ||
| DAN CARSON | Board President | — | ||
| MORRIS CAUDLE | Board Member | — | ||
| CONNIE FINNERN | Board Member | — | ||
| TRISTA MCCAFFERY | Board Member | — | ||
| BRAD SCHMITZ | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROL AYRES STUEVEN | Secretary | — | ||
| ROB OLDSON | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 55 other orgs in IA with NTEE prefix A2.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 35 points above the peer median (60 vs. 25).
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 2.4% 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.