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 | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2022 | — | — | — | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2021 | — | — | 1.6% | 55 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 8.2% | 58 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 3.9% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | 4.0% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 2.8% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | 2.9% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 6.0% | 54 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 52 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 52 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 52 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 52 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACK BECKER | Executive Director | 5.7% of Rev | ||
| ELIZABETH A POWELL | Treasurer | 1.5% of Rev | ||
| JOHN P NELSON | Board President | — | ||
| ROBERT D BATES | Board Member | — | ||
| ART N BURTSCHER | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACK BECKER | Executive Director | 4.3% of Rev | ||
| ELIZABETH A POWELL | Treasurer | 1.2% of Rev | ||
| JOHN P NELSON | Board President | — | ||
| ROBERT D BATES | Board Member | — | ||
| ART N BURTSCHER | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACK BECKER | Executive Director | 5.4% of Rev | ||
| ELIZABETH POWELL | Treasurer | 1.1% of Rev | ||
| JOHN P NELSON | Board President | — | ||
| ROBERT D BATES | Board Member | — | ||
| ART N BURTSCHER | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACK BECKER | Executive Director | 4.0% of Rev | ||
| ELIZABETH POWELL | Treasurer | 1.1% of Rev | ||
| JOHN P NELSON | CHAIRMAN | — | ||
| ROBERT D BATES | Board Member | — | ||
| ART N BURTSCHER | Board Member | — |
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 NE 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 2.2% 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.