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 | Hidden | Hidden | 2.8% | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2023 | — | — | 2.1% | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 1.2% | 41 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 3.2% | 52 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 1.3% | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2019 | — | — | 1.1% | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | 1.1% | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 42 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | 1.2% | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 1.2% | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | 1.2% | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | 1.4% | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 1.6% | 41 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONNIE GRANTHAM | Treasurer | 1.3% of Rev | ||
| SUSAN WINES | Executive Director | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| PATRICIA FOY | EXEC. DIRECT | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| MAURICE BURGESS | Board President | — | ||
| ROSETTA DINGLE | Board President | — | ||
| CHRIS ESSIG | Board President | — | ||
| TOM FINIGAN | Board President | — | ||
| LESLIE GILREATH | Board President | — | ||
| JEFF HARRIS | EXECUTIVE D | — | ||
| ALLISON KEY | Board President | — | ||
| COLLEEN MARCOU | Board President | — | ||
| BELINDA MORSE | Treasurer | — | ||
| LISA PECARINA | Treasurer | — | ||
| SETH PHILLIPS | Board President | — | ||
| ANDREA QUINN | Board President | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PATRICIA FOY | EXEC. DIRECT | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| WILLIAM ACKERMAN | Treasurer | — | ||
| NIKKI BELCH | Board President | — | ||
| BENJAMIN BROUGHTON | Board President | — | ||
| HUNTER COX | Board President | — | ||
| GINGER GREER | Board President | — | ||
| JOE GULLEDGE | Board President | — | ||
| SUSIE LALAMA | Board President | — | ||
| MICHAEL MOORE | Board President | — | ||
| CHAX PAXTON | Board President | — | ||
| DAVID RICHARDSON | Board President | — | ||
| TAMARA WILLING SILVA | Board President | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PATRICIA | EXEC. DIRECT | 1.0% of Rev | ||
| PATRICIA FOY | EXEC. DIRECT | 0.9% of Rev | ||
| WILLIAM ACKERMAN | Treasurer | — | ||
| NIKKI BELCH | Board President | — | ||
| BENJAMIN BROUGHTON | Board President | — | ||
| HUNTER COX | Board President | — | ||
| GINGER GREER | Board President | — | ||
| JOE GULLEDGE | Board President | — | ||
| SUSIE LALAMA | Board President | — | ||
| MICHAEL MOORE | Board President | — | ||
| CHAX PAXTON | Board President | — | ||
| DAVID RICHARDSON | Board President | — | ||
| TAMARA WILLING SILVA | Board President | — | ||
| NIKKI BELCH | Board President | — | ||
| CHRIS CORDE | Board President | — | ||
| LEAH CORDE | Board President | — | ||
| MARTIN DICKEY | Board President | — | ||
| GINGER GREER | Board President | — | ||
| SUSIE LALAMA | Board President | — | ||
| ANTHONY LENTI | Board President | — | ||
| TODD MONSELL | Board President | — | ||
| MICHAEL MOORE | Board President | — | ||
| DAVID O'SHIELDS | Board President | — | ||
| GREGORY PITTMAN | Board President | — | ||
| LISA M RAYNER | PAST PRESIDE | — | ||
| MICHAEL WEAVER | Board President | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Fewer than 3 peers found in SC for this NTEE subcategory; peer comparison would not be statistically meaningful.
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 2.8% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- Financial resilience score in the bottom quartile — reserves and liabilities ratios warrant review.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Build cash reserves to at least 3 months of operating expenses — moves financial resilience score meaningfully (~10 points).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.