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
Institutional Health Scores
5-yr trend: The Founder's Trap ↑
Overall
55
Score
Governance
58
Score
Financial
50
Score
Program
60
Score
Title
-
Institutions
-
Avg Revenue
-
Risk Profile
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 2.9% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2022 | — | — | 2.5% | 55 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 5.4% | 54 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | — | 55 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 50 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | 5.7% | 44 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 52 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 40 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 48 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 42 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAVID M BRASHEAR | Board Member | 11.5% of Rev | ||
| THOMAS W GILLMAN | Board President | — | ||
| JUDITH FOREHAND STARKEY | Board President | — | ||
| TJ CARDWELL | Secretary | — | ||
| GRANT HAGEN | Treasurer | — | ||
| BETSY C ANDERSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MARI ANN BANKS | Board Member | — | ||
| P GRAY BOWDITCH | Board Member | — | ||
| CARRIE O GARLAND | Board Member | — | ||
| SUSAN S CARRON | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID CRANK | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN CRITCHFIELD | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH W DELK | Board Member | — | ||
| LEANNE D KURLAND | Board Member | — | ||
| ELAINE S MCBETH | Board Member | — | ||
| TINA NOVOGRATZ | Board Member | — | ||
| JANE KAPLAN | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN B MILLIMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| JOSEPH L MUSCARELLE | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRISIA B OWENS | Board Member | — | ||
| PAMELA G PALMORE | Board Member | — | ||
| JAMES D PENNY | Board Member | — | ||
| HELEN B REVELEY | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHLEEN M RING | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE C ROWLAND | Board Member | — | ||
| JANE Y SPURLING | Board Member | — | ||
| STEPHANIE TUTTLE | Board Member | — | ||
| BRITT H VAN DEUSEN | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAVID M BRASHEAR | Executive Director | 10.4% of Rev | ||
| THOMAS W GILLMAN | Board President | — | ||
| CARRIE O GARLAND | Board President | — | ||
| TJ CARDWELL | Secretary | — | ||
| GRANT HAGEN | Treasurer | — | ||
| BETSY C ANDERSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MARI ANN BANKS | Board Member | — | ||
| P GRAY BOWDITCH | Board Member | — | ||
| POLLY S BARTLETT | Board Member | — | ||
| SUSAN S CARRON | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID CRANK | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN CRITCHFIELD | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH W DELK | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRICK G DUFFELER II | Board Member | — | ||
| GAIL A GILDEN | Board Member | — | ||
| GEORGE E HOWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| JANE KAPLAN | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN B MILLIMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| SHARON MUSCARELLE | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRISIA B OWENS | Board Member | — | ||
| PAMELA G PALMORE | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE PETROVITS | Board Member | — | ||
| HELEN B REVELEY | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHLEEN M RING | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE C ROWLAND | Board Member | — | ||
| JANE Y SPURLING | Board Member | — | ||
| JUDITH FOREHAND STARKEY | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JANE KAPLAN | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN B MILLIMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| SHARON MUSCARELLE | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRISIA B OWENS | Board Member | — | ||
| PAMELA G PALMORE | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE PETROVITS | Board Member | — | ||
| HELEN B REVELEY | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHLEEN M RING | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE C ROWLAND | Board Member | — | ||
| JANE Y SPURLING | Board Member | — | ||
| JUDITH FOREHAND STARKEY | Board Member | — | ||
| RAY C STONER | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID M BRADSHEAR | Executive Director | — | ||
| ROBERT S ROBERSON | Board President | — | ||
| RAY C STONER | Board President | — | ||
| SHARON MUSCARELLE | Secretary | — | ||
| POLLY S BARTLETT | Treasurer | — | ||
| BETSY C ANDERSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MARI ANN BANKS | Board Member | — | ||
| P GRAY BOWDITCH | Board Member | — | ||
| TJ CARDWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRICK G DUFFELER II | Board Member | — | ||
| CATHERINE O GARLAND | Board Member | — | ||
| GAIL B GILDEN | Board Member | — | ||
| GRANT HAGEN | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID T LIBERTSON | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN B MILLIMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRISIA B OWENS | Board Member | — | ||
| PAMELA G PALMORE | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK PARRISH | Board Member | — | ||
| HELEN B REVELEY | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE C ROWLAND | Board Member | — | ||
| JOSEPH STEELE III | Board Member | — | ||
| JUDITH FOREHAND STARKEY | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE PETROVITS | Board Member | — | ||
| THOMAS W GILLMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID CRANK | Board Member | — | ||
| GEORGE E HOWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN CRITCHFIELD | Board Member | — | ||
| JANE KAPLAN | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHLEEN M RING | Board Member | — | ||
| JANE Y SPURLING | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH DELK | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID M BRASHEAR | Executive Director | — | ||
| THOMAS W GILLMAN | Board President | — | ||
| CARRIE O GARLAND | Board President | — | ||
| TJ CARDWELL | Secretary | — | ||
| GRANT HAGEN | Treasurer | — | ||
| BETSY C ANDERSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MARI ANN BANKS | Board Member | — | ||
| P GRAY BOWDITCH | Board Member | — | ||
| POLLY S BARTLETT | Board Member | — | ||
| SUSAN S CARRON | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID CRANK | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN CRITCHFIELD | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH W DELK | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRICK G DUFFELER II | Board Member | — | ||
| GAIL A GILDEN | Board Member | — | ||
| GEORGE E HOWELL | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THOMAS W GILLMAN | Board President | — | ||
| RAY C STONER | Board President | — | ||
| SHARON MUSCARELLE | Secretary | — | ||
| POLLY S BARTLETT | Treasurer | — | ||
| BETSY C ANDERSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MARI ANN BANKS | Board Member | — | ||
| P GRAY BOWDITCH | Board Member | — | ||
| TJ CARDWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRICK G DUFFELER II | Board Member | — | ||
| CATHERINE O GARLAND | Board Member | — | ||
| GAIL A GILDEN | Board Member | — | ||
| GRANT HAGEN | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID T LIBERTSON | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN B MILLIMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRISIA B OWENS | Board Member | — | ||
| PAMELA G PALMORE | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK PARRISH | Board Member | — | ||
| HELEN B REVELEY | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE C ROWLAND | Board Member | — | ||
| JOSEPH STEELE III | Board Member | — | ||
| JUDITH FOREHAND STARKEY | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH W DELK | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID CRANK | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN CRITCHFIELD | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBERT S ROBERSON | Board Member | — | ||
| GEORGE E HOWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| JANE KAPLAN | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE PETROVITS | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHLEEN M RING | Board Member | — | ||
| JANE Y SPURLING | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID M BRADSHEAR | Board President | — |
Officer contact details, exact compensation figures, and active litigation are available to verified members.
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Score breakdown
Score breakdown
Financial resilience
50 / 100
weight 40%
Governance risk
58 / 100
weight 40%
Program scale
60 / 100
weight 20%
Overall
55 / 100
Developing
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 10 other orgs in VA with NTEE prefix A1.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 44 points above the peer median (60 vs. 16).
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 2.9% 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.