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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 0.4% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | — | 52 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2021 | — | — | 6.4% | 54 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 13.7% | 45 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | 4.8% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 4.0% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | 4.4% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 6.0% | 54 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 48 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | 4.1% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | 4.3% | 52 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | 4.2% | 52 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NANCY J PREIS | GENERAL DIRE | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| LOIS ARMOR | Board Member | — | ||
| CATHERINE COKE | Board Member | — | ||
| ALICE CONWAY | PARLIAMENTAR | — | ||
| CONNIE CRAIG | Board Member | — | ||
| DON DAGENAIS | NEWSLETTER E | — | ||
| TIM DANIELSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MARY DIXON | Board Member | — | ||
| RICHARD DRAPEAU | Board Member | — | ||
| BRENDA FORD | Board Member | — | ||
| DR J EDWIN HENSON | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROLE LANGLEY | Board President | — | ||
| DUANE LANGLEY | Treasurer | — | ||
| CHRIS LAWSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MELBA MAECHTLEN | Board Member | — | ||
| LYNN MCNEW | Secretary | — | ||
| JEAN MOFFATT | RECORDING SE | — | ||
| JANET PARSCH | VICE PRESIDE | — | ||
| CONNIE RANDALL | Board Member | — | ||
| DEBRA RUE | Board Member | — | ||
| JANIS SAKET | Board Member | — | ||
| DR JOHN C SCHMIDT | Board Member | — | ||
| JUDITH SHAW | Board Member | — | ||
| LINDA VOLLEN | Board Member | — | ||
| JOAN WELLS | Board Member | — | ||
| DORIS WHINERY | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHIE WHITE | Board Member | — | ||
| BILL YICK | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NANCY J PREIS | GENERAL DIRE | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| LOIS ARMOR | Board Member | — | ||
| CATHERINE COKE | Board Member | — | ||
| DON DAGENAIS | NEWSLETTER E | — | ||
| TIM DANIELSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MARY DIXON | Board Member | — | ||
| RICHARD DRAPEAU | Board Member | — | ||
| BRENDA FORD | Board Member | — | ||
| DR J EDWIN HENSON | Board Member | — | ||
| CAROLE LANGLEY | Board President | — | ||
| DUANE LANGLEY | Treasurer | — | ||
| CHRIS LAWSON | Board Member | — | ||
| MELBA MAECHTLEN | Board Member | — | ||
| LYNN MCNEW | Secretary | — | ||
| JEAN MOFFATT | RECORDING SE | — | ||
| JANET PARSCH | Board Member | — | ||
| JANIS SAKET | Board Member | — | ||
| DR JOHN C SCHMIDT | Board Member | — | ||
| LINDA VOLLEN | Board Member | — | ||
| JOAN WELLS | Board Member | — | ||
| DORIS WHINERY | Board Member | — | ||
| LAVONNA WHITESELL | VICE PRESIDE | — | ||
| LISA WHITESELL | PARLIAMENTAR | — | ||
| BILL YICK | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DON DAGENAIS | NEWSLETTER E | — | ||
| CAROLE LANGLEY | Board President | — | ||
| DUANE LANGLEY | Treasurer | — | ||
| LYNN MCNEW | Secretary | — | ||
| JEAN MOFFATT | RECORDING SE | — | ||
| LAVONNA WHITESELL | VICE PRESIDE | — | ||
| LISA WHITESELL | PARLIAMENTAR | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 45 other orgs in AR with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 25 points above the peer median (60 vs. 35).
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.
Overall score has gone from 55 → 55 over 5 years (stable by 0 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 0.4% 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.