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 | 2.6% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 7.4% | 50 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 5.0% | 54 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 5.6% | 52 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 6.4% | 46 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | 6.1% | 46 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 5.9% | 46 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | 5.8% | 46 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 7.4% | 46 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | 6.6% | 46 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | 6.6% | 50 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 7.9% | 46 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | 7.2% | 46 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHYSHEIKA EDWARDS | Executive Director | 1.5% of Rev | ||
| JAMES R RHODES | Executive Director | 1.1% of Rev | ||
| DESMOND A BAKER PE CEM | Board President | — | ||
| SCOTT STEVENS | Board President | — | ||
| DENISE DAVIS | Treasurer | — | ||
| ALEXANDRA EWING ESQ | Secretary | — | ||
| AMBER ALLEN | Board Member | — | ||
| SARAH BILISKI | Board Member | — | ||
| VALERIE CALDWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHAEL J CRADLER | Board Member | — | ||
| SIERRA HARRIS | Board Member | — | ||
| STEPHEN OVADJE | Board Member | — | ||
| NICHELLE POLSTON | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHAEL ROBERTS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARWA ZAKHARIA | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES R RHODES | Executive Director | 2.2% of Rev | ||
| WILLIAM CARL LATHON JR | Board President | — | ||
| DESMOND A BAKER | Board President | — | ||
| DENISE DAVIS | Treasurer | — | ||
| ALEXANDRA EWING | Secretary | — | ||
| MARGARETTA FREDERICK | Board Member | — | ||
| GUILLERMINA GONZALEZ | Board Member | — | ||
| SIERRA HARRIS | Board Member | — | ||
| COLETTE GAITER | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHAEL J CRADLER | Board Member | — | ||
| AMBER ALLEN | Board Member | — | ||
| FATIMAH CONLEY | Board Member | — | ||
| TOMOKO WERBE | Board Member | — | ||
| SARAH BILISKI | Board Member | — | ||
| VALERIE CALDWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| SCOTT STEVENS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARWA ZAKHARIA | Board Member | — | ||
| STEPHEN OVADJE | Board Member | — | ||
| BENJAMIN WHITNEY | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES R RHODES | Executive Director | 2.0% of Rev | ||
| WILLIAM CARL LATHON JR | Board President | — | ||
| DESMOND A BAKER | Board President | — | ||
| DENISE DAVIS | Treasurer | — | ||
| ALLY EWING | Secretary | — | ||
| CAROLYN NYE | Secretary | — | ||
| MARGARETTA FREDERICK | Board Member | — | ||
| GUILLERMINA GONZALEZ | Board Member | — | ||
| ED NICHOLLS | Board Member | — | ||
| COLLETTE GAITER | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHAEL J CRADLER | Board Member | — | ||
| NICHELLE POLSTON | Board Member | — | ||
| BEERSHEBA PHILIPPE | Board Member | — | ||
| WILL SHERK | Board Member | — | ||
| FATIMA STONE | Board Member | — | ||
| TOMOKO WERBE | Board Member | — | ||
| AL TURNER | Board Member | — | ||
| SARAH BILINSKI | Board Member | — | ||
| VALERIE CALDWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| SCOTT STEVENS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARWA ZAKHARIA | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 23 other orgs in DE with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 25 points above the peer median (60 vs. 35).
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 2.6% 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.