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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2024 | — | — | 2.3% | 55 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2023 | — | — | 7.8% | 58 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 2.0% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2021 | — | — | 6.3% | 54 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 2.8% | 59 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2019 | — | — | 7.8% | 58 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 4.9% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 4.7% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 8.2% | 52 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | 6.7% | 52 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | 7.8% | 56 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | 5.2% | 52 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2012 | — | — | 7.0% | 58 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | 3.7% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SARAH J HALL | Board Member | 2.3% of Rev | ||
| BRENT FEIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| JUSTIN HARTINGS | Treasurer | — | ||
| SUSAN MILLS | Board Member | — | ||
| DENISE HUNT | Board Member | — | ||
| CATHY ASHLEY-COTLEUR | Board President | — | ||
| THEODORE G REEDER | Board President | — | ||
| ALFRED E MARTIN | Board Member | — | ||
| KAREN SPESSARD | Board Member | — | ||
| GEORGE STONE | Board Member | — | ||
| NAN STEVENS | Board Member | — | ||
| JAMES HOLZAPFEL | Board President | — | ||
| F CHRISTIAN WRIGHT IV | Board Member | — | ||
| GEORGE MANGER | Board President | — | ||
| TRACY HOLIDAY | Board Member | — | ||
| ANTONIO MENDEZ | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHY OLIVER | Secretary | — | ||
| JIM FAHEY | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SARAH J HALL | Board Member | 2.1% of Rev | ||
| BRENT FEIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| JUSTIN HARTINGS | Board Member | — | ||
| SUSAN MILLS | Board Member | — | ||
| SUSAN PARKER | Secretary | — | ||
| ROGER FAIRBOURN | IMMEDIATE PAST PREDISENT | — | ||
| DENISE HUNT | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN SCHNEBLY | Board Member | — | ||
| ASHLEY NOTABARTOLO | Board Member | — | ||
| ROYCE FADDIS | Board President | — | ||
| THEODORE G REEDER | Treasurer | — | ||
| ALFRED E MARTIN | Board Member | — | ||
| KAREN SPESSARD | Board Member | — | ||
| GEORGE STONE | Board Member | — | ||
| NAN STEVENS | Board Member | — | ||
| JAMES HOLZAPFEL | Board President | — | ||
| F CHRISTIAN WRIGHT IV | Board Member | — | ||
| GEORGE MANGER | Board President | — | ||
| ELEANOR LAKIN | Board Member | — | ||
| DR ROBERT STRAUCH | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SARAH J HALL | Board Member | 1.0% of Rev | ||
| BRENT A FEIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| HOWARD KAYLOR | Board President | — | ||
| SUSAN MILLS | Board Member | — | ||
| SUSAN PARKER | Secretary | — | ||
| ROGER FAIRBOURN | Board President | — | ||
| DENISE HUNT | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN SCHNEBLY | Board Member | — | ||
| ASHLEY NOTABARTOLO | Board Member | — | ||
| CATHERINE POROPATIC | Board Member | — | ||
| THEODORE G REEDER | Treasurer | — | ||
| HARRY REYNOLDS | Board Member | — | ||
| LEE STINE | IMMEDIATE PAST PREDISENT | — | ||
| BRUCE WILDER | Board Member | — | ||
| CAREY STRONG | Board Member | — | ||
| JAMES HOLZAPFEL | Treasurer | — | ||
| SUSANNE KASS | Board Member | — | ||
| GEORGE MANGER | Board President | — | ||
| ELEANOR LAKIN | Board Member | — | ||
| ROBERT STRAUCH | Board Member | — | ||
| F CHRISTIAN WRIGHT IV | Board Member | — | ||
| KAREN SPESSARD | Board Member | — | ||
| NAN STEVENS | Board Member | — | ||
| JOSEPH MICHAEL | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 63 other orgs in MD with NTEE prefix A5.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 28 points below the peer median (50 vs. 78).
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 2.3% 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.