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 | — | — | 0.0% | 42 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2023 | — | — | 14.9% | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 0.1% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 20.3% | 37 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 0.8% | 42 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 0.5% | 38 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 4.7% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 4.5% | 52 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 14.3% | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 9.5% | 46 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | 12.0% | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | 12.6% | 39 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 21.4% | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | 16.2% | 29 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robbie Gearhart | Board Member | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Sue Becker | Board Member | — | ||
| Sam Wooden | Board Member | — | ||
| Kim Oberbroeckling | Board Member | — | ||
| Mary Saunders-Oglesby | Board Member | — | ||
| Anne Funke | Board Member | — | ||
| Hillard Salas | Board President | — | ||
| Debbie Tancrell | Treasurer | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robbie Gearhart | Board Member | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Sue Becker | Board Member | — | ||
| Kayla Risma | Board Member | — | ||
| Jessica Schreyer | Board Member | — | ||
| Hillard Salas | Board President | — | ||
| Debbie Tancrell | Board President | — | ||
| Michael Rubel | Treasurer | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Garde | Board Member | 0.8% of Rev | ||
| John Garde | Board Member | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| Sue Becker | Board Member | — | ||
| Jessica Schreyer | Board Member | — | ||
| Lisa Lueken | Board Member | — | ||
| Lee Weimer | Board Member | — | ||
| Kayla Risma | Board Member | — | ||
| Hillard Salas | Board President | — | ||
| Hillard Salas | Board President | — | ||
| Debbie Tancrell | Board President | — | ||
| Sue Becker | Board Member | — | ||
| Martin Fiesler | Secretary | — | ||
| Jessica Schreyer | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael Rubel | Treasurer | — | ||
| Debbie Tancrell | Board President | — | ||
| Martin Fiesler | Board Member | — | ||
| Lisa Lueken | Board Member | — | ||
| Michael Rubel | Treasurer | — | ||
| Lee Weimer | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 55 other orgs in IA with NTEE prefix A2.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 47 points below the peer median (25 vs. 72).
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 0.0% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- Two consecutive years of deficit spending.
- 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).
- 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.