The Founder's Trap
The Founder's Trap
Market
Archetype
Mechanical
Natural
Tier
Developing
Trajectory Thumbprint
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.
The Dispersal
Institutional Health Scores
5-yr trend: The Founder's Trap ↓
Overall
51
Score
Governance
58
Score
Financial
40
Score
Program
60
Score
Title
-
Institutions
-
Avg Revenue
-
Risk Profile
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Financial Era
Governance Era
Trajectory Era
Founders Trap
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | — | 2.0% | 51 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 2.0% | 59 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 4.8% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2020 | — | — | 4.2% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2019 | — | — | 3.4% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | 2.1% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 4.3% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | 1.7% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | 9.4% | 52 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | 1.7% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | 1.9% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 2.8% | 51 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2011 | — | — | 2.7% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHRISTOPHER BEDFORD | Executive Director | 1.7% of Rev | ||
| CHRISTINE DIETZE BONANNO | COO/INTERIM CO-DIR (BEG 6/3/22) | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| MELANIE MARTIN | CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| ASMA NAEEM | Artistic Director | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| GAMYNNE GUILOTTE | CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| ELIZABETH COURTEMANCHE | Board Member | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| KIMBERLY BOUNTRESS | Board Member | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| CLAIR ZAMOISKI SEGAL | Board President | — | ||
| JAMES D THORNTON | Board President | — | ||
| PATRICIA H JOSEPH | Board President | — | ||
| SUSAN B KATZENBERG | Treasurer | — | ||
| FREDERICK SINGLEY KOONTZ | Board President | — | ||
| DARIUS GRAHAM | Secretary | — | ||
| AMY ELIAS | Board President | — | ||
| DAVID WARNOCK | Board President | — | ||
| AMY FRENKIL MEADOWS | Board President | — | ||
| NANCY L DORMAN | Board President | — | ||
| JOHN MEYERHOFF | Board President | — | ||
| LISA HARRIS JONES | Board President | — | ||
| WILL BACKSTROM | Board Member | — | ||
| RHEDA BECKER | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHAEL BROWN | Board Member | — | ||
| ADAM BURCH | Board Member | — | ||
| SHARON BUTLER | Board Member | — | ||
| ELLEN R DAME | Board Member | — | ||
| NUPUR PAREKH FLYNN | Board Member | — | ||
| DENISE GALAMBOS | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN A GILPIN | Board Member | — | ||
| JOANNE GOLD | Board Member | — | ||
| AMY GOULD | Board Member | — | ||
| NANCY HACKERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| PAMELA HOEHN-SARIC | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH HURWITZ | Board Member | — | ||
| SHERRILYN IFILL | Board Member | — | ||
| LORI N JOHNSON | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRICIA LASHER | Board Member | — | ||
| BROOKE LIERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| SHEELA MURTHY | Board Member | — | ||
| FIONA ONG | Board Member | — | ||
| RHONDA OVERBY | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVEN PULIMOOD | Board Member | — | ||
| KATE SCHULZE | Board Member | — | ||
| ALAN SCHWARTZ | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHAEL SHERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| STUART O SIMMS | Board Member | — | ||
| ANNE L STONE | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID W WALLACE | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN WATERS | Board Member | — | ||
| KWAME WEBB | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHRISTOPHER BEDFORD STAFF | Executive Director | 1.7% of Rev | ||
| CHRISTINE DIETZE BONANNO STAFF | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| MELANIE MARTIN STAFF | CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| ASMA NAEEM STAFF | Artistic Director | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| GAMYNNE GUILLOTTE STAFF | CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| ELIZABETH COURTEMANCHE STAFF | SR DIR OF ADVANCEMENT | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| KIM BOUNTRESS STAFF | DIRETOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| CLAIR ZAMOISKI SEGAL | Board President | — | ||
| JAMES D THORNTON | Board President | — | ||
| SUSAN B KATZENBERG | Treasurer | — | ||
| PATRICIA H JOSEPH | Board President | — | ||
| FREDERICK SINGLEY KOONTZ | Board President | — | ||
| KWAME WEBB | Secretary | — | ||
| RHONDA OVERBY | Secretary | — | ||
| STEVEN PULIMOOD | Secretary | — | ||
| AMY ELIAS | Board President | — | ||
| DAVID WARNOCK | Board President | — | ||
| AMY FRENKIL MEADOWS | Board President | — | ||
| NANCY DORMAN | Board President | — | ||
| WILL BACKSTROM | Board Member | — | ||
| RHEDA BECKER | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN ALLSTON BOYCE | Board Member | — | ||
| ADAM BURCH | Board Member | — | ||
| SHARON BUTLER | Board Member | — | ||
| ELLEN R DAME | Board Member | — | ||
| DENISE GALAMBOS | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN A GILPIN | Board Member | — | ||
| JOANNE GOLD | Board Member | — | ||
| AMY GOULD | Board Member | — | ||
| DARIUS GRAHAM | Board Member | — | ||
| NANCY HACKERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| PAMELA HOEHN-SARIC | Board Member | — | ||
| ELIZABETH HURWITZ | Board Member | — | ||
| SHERRILYN IFILL | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA HARRIS JONES | Board Member | — | ||
| BARBARA KATZ | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRICIA LASHER | Board Member | — | ||
| BROOKE LIERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| JENNIFER O'HARA MARTIN | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN MEYERHOFF | Board Member | — | ||
| SHEELA MURTHY | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHAEL ROSENBAUM | Board Member | — | ||
| KATE SCHULZE | Board Member | — | ||
| ALAN SCHWARTZ | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHAEL SHERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| STUART O SIMMS | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID W WALLACE | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHRISTOPHER BEDFORD STAFF | Executive Director | 1.6% of Rev | ||
| CHRISTINE DIETZE BONANNO STAFF | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| MELANIE MARTIN STAFF | CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| ASMA NAEEM STAFF | Artistic Director | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| GAMYNNE GUILLOTTE STAFF | CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| JAY FISHER STAFF | DIR OF CTR FOR MATISSE STUDIES (THRU 3/31/20) | 0.4% of Rev | ||
| CLAIR ZAMOISKI SEGAL | Board President | — | ||
| PATRICIA H JOSEPH | Board President | — | ||
| SUSAN B KATZENBERG | Treasurer | — | ||
| NUPUR PAREKH FLYNN | Board President | — | ||
| FREDERICK SINGLEY KOONTZ | Board President | — | ||
| KWAME WEBB | Secretary | — | ||
| AMY ELIAS | Board President | — | ||
| DAVID WARNOCK | Board President | — | ||
| AMY FRENKIL MEADOWS | Board President | — | ||
| NANCY DORMAN | Board President | — | ||
| VIRGINIA K ADAMS | Board Member | — | ||
| WILL BACKSTROM | Board Member | — | ||
| RHEDA BECKER | Board Member | — | ||
| HEIDI BERGHUIS | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN ALLSTON BOYCE | Board Member | — | ||
| ADAM BURCH | Board Member | — | ||
| SHARON BUTLER | Board Member | — | ||
| ELLEN R DAME | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN A GILPIN | Board Member | — | ||
| MARTHA GLENN | Board Member | — | ||
| JOANNE GOLD | Board Member | — | ||
| AMY GOULD | Board Member | — | ||
| DARIUS GRAHAM | Board Member | — | ||
| NANCY HACKERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| PAMELA HOEHN-SARIC | Board Member | — | ||
| F MACKEY HUGHES | Board Member | — | ||
| BARBARA KATZ | Board Member | — | ||
| PATRICIA LASHER | Board Member | — | ||
| BROOKE LIERMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| JENNIFER O'HARA MARTIN | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN MEYERHOFF | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID H MILTON | Board Member | — | ||
| SHEELA MURTHY | Board Member | — | ||
| FIONA ONG | Board Member | — | ||
| RHONDA OVERBY | Board Member | — | ||
| ADAM PENDLETON | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVEN PULIMOOD | Board Member | — | ||
| MICHAEL ROSENBAUM | Board Member | — | ||
| KATE SCHULZE | Board Member | — | ||
| ALAN SCHWARTZ | Board Member | — | ||
| AMY SHERALD | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID W WALLACE | Board Member | — |
Officer contact details, exact compensation figures, and active litigation are available to verified members.
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Score breakdown
Score breakdown
Financial resilience
40 / 100
weight 40%
Governance risk
58 / 100
weight 40%
Program scale
60 / 100
weight 20%
Overall
51 / 100
Developing
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 4 other orgs in MD with NTEE prefix A5.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 22 points above the peer median (60 vs. 38).
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 2.0% 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.