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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 2.4% | 46 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 2.7% | 44 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 9.3% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | — | 40 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 48 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 37 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL BLAND | Board President | — | ||
| JOHN SCHMITZ | Treasurer | — | ||
| CORINNE GLOGER | Secretary | — | ||
| MAXINE KRUGMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA SCHRAMEL | Board Member | — | ||
| GIEDRIUS PLOPLYS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARGARET HAWKINS | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL BLAND | Board President | — | ||
| JOHN SCHMITZ | Executive Director | — | ||
| CORINNE GLOGER | Secretary | — | ||
| MAXINE KRUGMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA SCHRAMEL | Board Member | — | ||
| GIEDRIUS PLOPLYS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARGARET HAWKINS | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL BLAND | Board President | — | ||
| JOHN SCHMITZ | Treasurer | — | ||
| CORINNE GLOGER | Secretary | — | ||
| MAXINE KRUGMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA SCHRAMEL | Board Member | — | ||
| GIEDRIUS PLOPLYS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARGARET HAWKINS | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHAEL BLAND | Board President | — | ||
| JOHN SCHMITZ | Treasurer | — | ||
| CORINNE GLOGER | Secretary | — | ||
| MAXINE KRUGMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA SCHRAMEL | Board Member | — | ||
| GIEDRIUS PLOPLYS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARGARET HAWKINS | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 196 other orgs in IL with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 14 points above the peer median (50 vs. 36).
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 2.4% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- Two consecutive years of deficit spending.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Stabilize program expenses or grow earned-income revenue to break the consecutive-deficit pattern (~8 points to financial score).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.