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
53
Score
Governance
58
Score
Financial
45
Score
Program
60
Score
Title
-
Institutions
-
Avg Revenue
-
Risk Profile
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
2010
2011
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | — | — | 2.5% | 53 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2022 | — | — | 1.0% | 53 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 3.6% | 51 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2020 | — | — | 4.6% | 51 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 5.3% | 48 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 3.3% | 45 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 2.9% | 49 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | 3.4% | 49 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | 5.5% | 44 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | 4.8% | 45 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | 3.7% | 49 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 4.1% | 45 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | 6.0% | 44 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2026
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAFAEL PAYARE TORRES | Board Member | 0.8% of Rev | ||
| MARTHA A GILMER | Executive Director | 0.6% of Rev | ||
| JEFF THAYER | CONCERT MASTER | 0.3% of Rev | ||
| SHERI BROEDLOW | Vice President | 0.3% of Rev | ||
| LEA SLUSHER | Artistic Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| MAUREEN CAMPBELL MELVILLE | Treasurer | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| KATHERINE MCDONALD | CHIEF OF STAFF | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| CRAIG HALL | Vice President | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| DAVID SNYDER | Board President | — | ||
| COLETTE ROYSTON | Board President | — | ||
| LINDA PLATT | Secretary | — | ||
| KRIS KOPENSKY | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHELLE ARTHUR | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA BEHUN | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID BIALIS | Treasurer | — | ||
| STEVE BJORG | Board Member | — | ||
| ANTHONY C BOGANEY MD FACS | Board Member | — | ||
| ANNETTE BRADBURY | Board Member | — | ||
| BEN CLAY | Board Member | — | ||
| MARTHA G DENNIS | Board Member | — | ||
| KARIN EASTHAM | Board Member | — | ||
| PHYLLIS EPSTEIN | Board Member | — | ||
| HAL FUSON | Board President | — | ||
| JANET GORRIE | Board Member | — | ||
| ARLENE INCH | Board Member | — | ||
| JERRI-ANN JACOBS | Board Member | — | ||
| WARREN KESSLER | Board Member | — | ||
| DEBORAH PATE | Board Member | — | ||
| SHERRON SCHUSTER | Board Member | — | ||
| MARIVI SHIVERS | Board Member | — | ||
| KAREN FOSTER SILBERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| GLORIA STONE | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK VIZCARRA | Board Member | — | ||
| JAMES WHISTLER | Board Member | — | ||
| MITCHELL WOODBURY | Board Member | — | ||
| ALAN PROHASKA | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTOPHER SICKLES | Board Member | — | ||
| DONALD SLATE | Board Member | — | ||
| JULIA BROWN | Board Member | — | ||
| LISETTE FARRELL | Board Member | — | ||
| MARY CASILLAS SALAS | Board Member | — | ||
| TIMOTHY BARELLI | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAFAEL PAYARE TORRES | Board Member | 0.6% of Rev | ||
| MARTHA A GILMER | C.E.O | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| JEFF THAYER | CONCERT MASTER | 0.3% of Rev | ||
| LEA SLUSHER | Artistic Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| KATHERINE MCDONALD | CHIEF OF STAFF | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| MAUREEN CAMPBELL MELVILLE | C.F.O | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| SHERI BROEDLOW | Vice President | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| CRAIG HALL VICE PRESIDENT | MARKETING, & COMMUNICATIONS | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| DAVID SNYDER | Board President | — | ||
| COLETTE CARSON ROYSTON | Board President | — | ||
| J WILLIAM WEBER | Board President | — | ||
| UNA DAVIS | Board President | — | ||
| LINDA PLATT | Secretary | — | ||
| KATHLEEN DAVIS | Treasurer | — | ||
| ALAN PROHASKA | Board Member | — | ||
| ANTHONY C BOGANEY MD FACS | Board Member | — | ||
| ARLENE INCH | Board Member | — | ||
| BEN CLAY | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTOPHER SICKELS | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID BIALIS | Board Member | — | ||
| DEBORAH PATE | Board Member | — | ||
| DONALD SLATE | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK VIZCARRA | Board Member | — | ||
| GLORIA STONE | Board Member | — | ||
| HAL FUSON | Board President | — | ||
| JANET GORRIE | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFF LIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| JERRI-ANN JACOBS | Board Member | — | ||
| JULIA BROWN | Board Member | — | ||
| KAREN SILBERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| KRIS KOPENSKY | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA BEHUN | Board Member | — | ||
| LISETTE FARRELL | Board Member | — | ||
| MARIVI SHIVERS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARTHA G DENNIS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARY CASILLAS SALAS | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHELLE ARTHUR | Board Member | — | ||
| MITCHELL WOODBURY | Board Member | — | ||
| NANCY HONG | Board Member | — | ||
| PHYLLIS EPSTEIN | Board Member | — | ||
| SHERRON SCHUSTER | Board Member | — | ||
| TIMOTHY BARELLI | Board Member | — | ||
| WARREN KESSLER | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAFAEL PAYARE TORRES | Board Member | 0.6% of Rev | ||
| MARTHA A GILMER | C.E.O | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| KATHERINE MCDONALD | CHIEF OF STAFF | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| CRAIG HALL | Board President | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| JEFF THAYER | CONCERT MASTER | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| MAUREEN CAMPBELL MELVILLE | C.F.O | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| LEA SLUSHER | Artistic Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| SHERI BROEDLOW | Board President | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| ALAN PROHASKA | Board Member | — | ||
| ANTHONY C BOGANEY MD FACS | Board Member | — | ||
| ARLENE INCH | Board Member | — | ||
| BEN CLAY | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTOPHER SICKELS | Board Member | — | ||
| COLETTE ROYSTON | Board President | — | ||
| DAVID BIALIS | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID SNYDER | Board President | — | ||
| DEBORAH PATE | Board Member | — | ||
| DONALD SLATE | Board Member | — | ||
| EVELYN LAMDEN | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK VIZCARRA | Board Member | — | ||
| GLORIA STONE | Board Member | — | ||
| HAL FUSON | Board President | — | ||
| J WILLIAM WEBER | Board President | — | ||
| JAMES FITZPATRICK | Board Member | — | ||
| JANET GORRIE | Board Member | — | ||
| JATHAN SEGUR | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFF LIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN ZYGOWICZ | Board Member | — | ||
| JULIA BROWN | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHLEEN DAVIS | Treasurer | — | ||
| KRIS KOPENSKY | Board Member | — | ||
| LINDA PLATT | Secretary | — | ||
| LISA BEHUN | Board Member | — | ||
| LISETTE FARRELL | Board Member | — | ||
| MARIVI SHIVERS | Board Member | — | ||
| MITCHELL WOODBURY | Board Member | — | ||
| NANCY HONG | Board Member | — | ||
| PAM CESAK | Board Member | — | ||
| PHYLLIS EPSTEIN | Board Member | — | ||
| RILEY MIXSON | Board Member | — | ||
| SAM ERSAN | Board President | — | ||
| SHERRON SCHUSTER | Board Member | — | ||
| TERRY ATKINSON | Board President | — | ||
| UNA DAVIS | Board President | — | ||
| WARREN KESSLER | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAFAEL PAYARE | Board Member | 0.6% of Rev | ||
| RAFAEL PAYARE | Board Member | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| MARTHA A GILMER | C.E.O | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| MARTHA A GILMER | C.E.O | 0.3% of Rev | ||
| KATHERINE MCDONALD | CHIEF OF STAFF | 0.3% of Rev | ||
| KATHERINE MCDONALD | CHIEF OF STAFF | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| WILLIAM HALL | Board President | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| JEFF THAYER | CONCERT MASTER | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| MAUREEN CAMPBELL MELVILLE | C.F.O | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| LEA SLUSHER | Artistic Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| JEFF THAYER | CONCERT MASTER | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| LEA SLUSHER | Artistic Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| SHERI BROEDLOW | Board President | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| MAUREEN CAMPBELL MELVILLE | C.F.O | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| TRAVIS WININGER | Board President | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| TRAVIS WININGER | Board President | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| NICK NEWCOMBE | Board Member | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| ALICIA GONZALEZ | Board Member | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| ANTHONY C BOGANEY MD FACS | Board Member | — | ||
| BEN CLAY | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTOPHER SICKELS | Board Member | — | ||
| COLETTE ROYSTON | Board President | — | ||
| DAVID BIALIS | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID SNYDER | Board President | — | ||
| DEBORAH PATE | Board Member | — | ||
| DONALD SLATE | Board Member | — | ||
| DOROTHEA LAUB | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH OLIVER | Board Member | — | ||
| EVELYN LAMDEN | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK VIZCARRA | Board Member | — | ||
| GLORIA STONE | Board Member | — | ||
| HAL FUSON | Board President | — | ||
| J WILLIAM WEBER | Secretary | — | ||
| JAMES FITZPATRICK | Board Member | — | ||
| JANET GORRIE | Board Member | — | ||
| JATHAN SEGUR | Board Member | — | ||
| ANTHONY C BOGANEY MD FACS | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFF LIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| BEN CLAY | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN ZYGOWICZ | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTOPHER SICKELS | Board Member | — | ||
| JULIA BROWN | Board Member | — | ||
| COLETTE ROYSTON | Board President | — | ||
| KATHLEEN DAVIS | Treasurer | — | ||
| DAVID BIALIS | Board Member | — | ||
| KRIS KOPENSKY | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID SNYDER | Board President | — | ||
| LINDA PLATT | Board Member | — | ||
| DEBORAH PATE | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA BEHUN | Board Member | — | ||
| DONALD SLATE | Board Member | — | ||
| LISETTE FARRELL | Board Member | — | ||
| DOROTHEA LAUB | Board Member | — | ||
| MARIVI SHIVERS | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH OLIVER | Board Member | — | ||
| MITCHELL WOODBURY | Board Member | — | ||
| EVELYN LAMDEN | Board Member | — | ||
| PAM CESAK | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK VIZCARRA | Board Member | — | ||
| PHYLLIS EPSTEIN | Board Member | — | ||
| GLORIA STONE | Board Member | — | ||
| RILEY MIXSON | Board Member | — | ||
| HAL FUSON | Board President | — | ||
| SAM ERSAN | Board President | — | ||
| J WILLIAM WEBER | Secretary | — | ||
| SHERRON SCHUSTER | Board Member | — | ||
| JAMES FITZPATRICK | Board Member | — | ||
| TERRY ATKINSON | Board Member | — | ||
| JANET GORRIE | Board Member | — | ||
| UNA DAVIS | Board Member | — | ||
| JATHAN SEGUR | Board Member | — | ||
| WARREN KESSLER | Board President | — | ||
| JEFF LIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN ZYGOWICZ | Board Member | — | ||
| JULIA BROWN | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHLEEN DAVIS | Treasurer | — | ||
| KRIS KOPENSKY | Board Member | — | ||
| LINDA PLATT | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA BEHUN | Board Member | — | ||
| LISETTE FARRELL | Board Member | — | ||
| MARIVI SHIVERS | Board Member | — | ||
| MITCHELL WOODBURY | Board Member | — | ||
| PAM CESAK | Board Member | — | ||
| PHYLLIS EPSTEIN | Board Member | — | ||
| RILEY MIXSON | Board Member | — | ||
| SAM ERSAN | Board President | — | ||
| SHERRON SCHUSTER | Board Member | — | ||
| TERRY ATKINSON | Board Member | — | ||
| UNA DAVIS | Board Member | — | ||
| WARREN KESSLER | Board President | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARTHA A GILMER | C.E.O | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| TODD SCHULTZ THRU 1219 | Vice President | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| JEFF THAYER | CONCERT MASTER | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| MAUREEN CAMPBELL MELVILLE | C.F.O | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| KATHERINE MCDONALD | CHIEF OF STAFF | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| LEA SLUSHER | Artistic Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| CUMMING JOAN G | MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| PALAMIDIS ALEXANDER | CONTRACT ORCHESTRA | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| CHEN CHI-YUAN | CONTRACT ORCHESTRA | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| DILISI RYAN | CONTRACT ORCHESTRA | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| MARTCHEV VALENTIN | CONTRACT ORCHESTRA | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| ANTHONY C BOGANEY MD FACS | Board Member | — | ||
| BEN CLAY | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTOPHER SICKELS | Board Member | — | ||
| COLETTE ROYSTON | Board President | — | ||
| DAVID BIALIS | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID SNYDER | Board President | — | ||
| DEBORAH PATE | Board Member | — | ||
| DONALD SLATE | Board Member | — | ||
| DOROTHEA LAUB | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH OLIVER | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH TAFT THRU 112619 | Board Member | — | ||
| EVELYN LAMDEN | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK VIZCARRA | Board Member | — | ||
| GLORIA STONE | Board Member | — | ||
| HAL FUSON | Board President | — | ||
| J WILLIAM WEBER | Secretary | — | ||
| JAMES FITZPATRICK | Board Member | — | ||
| JANET GORRIE | Board Member | — | ||
| JATHAN SEGUR | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFF LIGHT | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFFREY GOLDMAN THRU 62020 | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN ZYGOWICZ | Board Member | — | ||
| JULIA BROWN | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHLEEN DAVIS | Treasurer | — | ||
| KRIS KOPENSKY | Board Member | — | ||
| LINDA PLATT | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA BEHUN | Board Member | — | ||
| LISETTE FARRELL | Board Member | — | ||
| MARIVI SHIVERS | Board Member | — | ||
| MITCHELL WOODBURY | Board Member | — | ||
| PAM CESAK | Board Member | — | ||
| PHYLLIS EPSTEIN | Board Member | — | ||
| RILEY MIXSON | Board Member | — | ||
| SAM ERSAN | Board President | — | ||
| SHERRON SCHUSTER | Board Member | — | ||
| TERRY ATKINSON | Board Member | — | ||
| UNA DAVIS | Board Member | — | ||
| WARREN KESSLER | Board President | — |
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Score breakdown
Score breakdown
Financial resilience
45 / 100
weight 40%
Governance risk
58 / 100
weight 40%
Program scale
60 / 100
weight 20%
Overall
53 / 100
Developing
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 829 other orgs in CA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 29 points above the peer median (60 vs. 31).
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 2.5% 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.