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 | — | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 1.0% | 48 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2022 | — | — | 2.3% | 51 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 1.5% | 46 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2020 | — | — | 1.5% | 46 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2019 | — | — | 3.8% | 46 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 43 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 41 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 41 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 41 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 41 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 41 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 37 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 31 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2026
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHELBY SMITH | Board Member | 13.4% of Rev | ||
| P MCLEAN EAMES | Secretary | 12.9% of Rev | ||
| Board President | 8.1% of Rev | |||
| KENDRA TIDWELL | EXECUTIVE DI | 1.7% of Rev | ||
| SUZETTE RIDOLFI | VICE-PRESIDE | — | ||
| SANDRA SILVA CPA | Treasurer | — | ||
| GREG HENKEL | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHELBY SMITH | Board Member | 12.4% of Rev | ||
| Board President | 6.5% of Rev | |||
| P MCLEAN EAMES | Secretary | 3.3% of Rev | ||
| GREG HENKEL | Board Member | 2.5% of Rev | ||
| SUZETTE RIDOLFI | Board President | — | ||
| GAIL LOEFFLER | Treasurer | — | ||
| DR WILLIAM STEINER PHD | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA SILVA CPA | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P MCLEAN EAMES | Secretary | 8.0% of Rev | ||
| Board President | 6.1% of Rev | |||
| SHELBY SMITH | Board Member | 2.8% of Rev | ||
| SUZETTE RIDOLFI | Board President | — | ||
| GAIL LOEFFLER | Treasurer | — | ||
| DR WILLIAM STEINER PHD | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA SILVA CPA | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P MCLEAN EAMES | Board Member | 8.3% of Rev | ||
| Board President | 5.9% of Rev | |||
| SHELBY SMITH | Board Member | 5.0% of Rev | ||
| SUZETTE RIDOLFI | Board President | — | ||
| GAIL LOEFFLER | Treasurer | — | ||
| DR WILLIAM STEINER PHD | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA SILVA CPA | 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 HI 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 1.0% 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.