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 | — | — | 2.9% | 51 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 2.7% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2021 | — | — | 5.5% | 54 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2020 | — | — | 2.9% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2019 | — | — | 0.8% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | 1.1% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 2.3% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 2.8% | 51 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | 1.8% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | 2.6% | 51 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | 1.7% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | 2.2% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | 1.5% | 51 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer L Boomgaarden | Executive Director | 2.5% of Rev | ||
| Jack Rago | Board President | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| Brett Hodge | Ex Officio, Musician Representative | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| Jeffery P Gold | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeff Gordman | Board Member | — | ||
| Eric N Gurley | Board Member | — | ||
| Katherine E O'Flanagan | Board Member | — | ||
| Angie Quinn | Board Member | — | ||
| Connie Ryan | Board Member | — | ||
| Joel Schlessinger | Board Member | — | ||
| Fred R Hunzeker | Board Member | — | ||
| Beth F Whited | Board Member | — | ||
| D David Slosburg | Chairman Of The Board | — | ||
| Rob Reed | Secretary | — | ||
| David A Diamond | Treasurer | — | ||
| Barbara E Person | Board President | — | ||
| Judy Pritza | Board President | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer L Boomgaarden | Executive Director | 2.3% of Rev | ||
| Brett Hodge | Ex Officio, Musician Representative | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| Christopher Hake | Board President | 0.3% of Rev | ||
| Jeffery P Gold | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeff Gordman | Board Member | — | ||
| Eric N Gurley | Board Member | — | ||
| Katherine E O'Flanagan | Board Member | — | ||
| Angie Quinn | Board Member | — | ||
| Connie Ryan | Board Member | — | ||
| Joel Schlessinger | Board Member | — | ||
| Tobin Schropp | Board Member | — | ||
| Fred R Hunzeker | Board Member | — | ||
| Beth F Whited | Board Member | — | ||
| D David Slosburg | Chairman Of The Board | — | ||
| Rob Reed | Secretary | — | ||
| David A Diamond | Treasurer | — | ||
| Barbara E Person | Board President | — | ||
| Kelli S Jorgensen | Board President | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer L Boomgaarden | Executive Director | 2.0% of Rev | ||
| Christopher Hake | Board President | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| Brett Hodge | Ex Officio, Musician Representative | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| Mike Cassling | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeffery P Gold | Board Member | — | ||
| Jeff Gordman | Board Member | — | ||
| Eric N Gurley | Board Member | — | ||
| Katherine E O'Flanagan | Board Member | — | ||
| Angie Quinn | Board Member | — | ||
| Connie Ryan | Board Member | — | ||
| Joel Schlessinger | Board Member | — | ||
| Tobin Schropp | Board Member | — | ||
| Fred R Hunzeker | Board Member | — | ||
| Beth F Whited | Board Member | — | ||
| D David Slosburg | Chairman Of The Board | — | ||
| Rob Reed | Secretary | — | ||
| David A Diamond | Treasurer | — | ||
| Barbara E Person | Board President | — | ||
| Donna Brennan | Board President | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 19 other orgs in NE with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 28 points above the peer median (60 vs. 32).
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 → 51 over 5 years (declining by 4 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 2.9% 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.