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 | — | — | 1.0% | 36 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 9.2% | 44 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | — | 47 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | — | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 41 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 25.0% | 38 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 41 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 25.3% | 42 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Graham Anduri | Executive Director | 14.3% of Rev | ||
| Dana Hart Wright | Board Member | 0.9% of Rev | ||
| Ryan Glaser | Board Member | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Kris Waggoner | Board President | — | ||
| Frank Plaut | Board President | — | ||
| Patricia Magerkurth | Board Member | — | ||
| Jerry Van Eeckhout | Board Member | — | ||
| Kevin Atkinson | Treasurer | — | ||
| Carole Callaghan | Board President | — | ||
| Laura Veckerelli | Board Member | — | ||
| Julie Bell | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KRIS WAGGONER | Board Member | — | ||
| FRANK PLAUT | VICE PRESIDE | — | ||
| ANN MOORE | Board Member | — | ||
| ALAN RUBIN | Board Member | — | ||
| SHELLEY KRANE | Board President | — | ||
| AMY BERGEVIN | Treasurer | — | ||
| JERRY VAN ECKHOUT | Board Member | — | ||
| LYNN WESTFALL | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRICIA MAGERKURTH | Secretary | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 182 other orgs in CO with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 26 points below the peer median (10 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.
Overall score has gone from 41 → 36 over 5 years (declining by 5 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 1.0% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- 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).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.