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 | 2.2% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | — | 49 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 16.5% | 36 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | — | 46 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 43 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 43 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 43 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 39 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 47 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 53 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 53 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Champion | Executive Director | 2.2% of Rev | ||
| Mary Grace Keller | Board President | — | ||
| Jackie Sibley Newton | Board President | — | ||
| Nikki Wood | Secretary | — | ||
| Andy Neisler | Treasurer | — | ||
| Adam Gehring | Board President | — | ||
| Bridgett Allen | Board Member | — | ||
| Maegan Boyst | Board Member | — | ||
| Leslie Brown | Board Member | — | ||
| Ginger Bullock | Board Member | — | ||
| Tim Evans | Board Member | — | ||
| Pam Keller | Board Member | — | ||
| Greg Dixon | Board Member | — | ||
| Linda Sharp | Board Member | — | ||
| Caswell Martin | Board Member | — | ||
| Danielle Miller | Board Member | — | ||
| Florrie Hamrick | Board Member | — | ||
| Libby Hawkins | Board Member | — | ||
| Ken Pflieger | Board Member | — | ||
| Joe Robinson | Board Member | — | ||
| Mike Sisk | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Champion | Executive Director | 2.6% of Rev | ||
| Mary Grace Keller | Board President | — | ||
| Jackie Sibley Newton | Board President | — | ||
| Nikki Wood | Secretary | — | ||
| Andy Neisler | Treasurer | — | ||
| Adam Gehring | Board President | — | ||
| Bridgett Allen | Board Member | — | ||
| Maegan Boyst | Board Member | — | ||
| Leslie Brown | Board Member | — | ||
| Ginger Bullock | Board Member | — | ||
| Dan Dixon | Board Member | — | ||
| Pam Keller | Board Member | — | ||
| Greg Dixon | Board Member | — | ||
| Linda Sharp | Board Member | — | ||
| Teresa Williams | Board Member | — | ||
| Danielle Miller | Board Member | — | ||
| Florrie Hamrick | Board Member | — | ||
| Libby Hawkins | Board Member | — | ||
| Ken Pflieger | Board Member | — | ||
| Joe Robinson | Board Member | — | ||
| Mike Sisk | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAEGAN BOYST | Board Member | — | ||
| LESLIE BROWN | Board Member | — | ||
| GINGER BULLOCK | Board Member | — | ||
| SARA CORBIN | Board Member | — | ||
| DAN DIXON | Board Member | — | ||
| RACHAEL DOVER | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFF GRIGG | Board Member | — | ||
| FLORRIE HAMRICK | Board Member | — | ||
| LIBBY HAWKINS | Board Member | — | ||
| TEKLA JOHNSON | Board Member | — | ||
| PAM KELLER | Board Member | — | ||
| KEN PFLIEGER | Board Member | — | ||
| JOE ROBINSON | Board Member | — | ||
| LINDA SHARP | Board Member | — | ||
| TERESA WILLIAMS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARY GRACE KELLER | Board President | — | ||
| JACKIE SIBLEY-NEWTON | Vice President | — | ||
| JERRY LEDFORD | Vice President | — | ||
| ANDY NEISLER | Treasurer | — | ||
| NIKKI WOOD | Secretary | — | ||
| ADAM GEHRING | Board President | — | ||
| JIM CHAMPION | MANAGER | — | ||
| BRIDGET ALLEN | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVE ALLEN | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 146 other orgs in NC with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 29 points above the peer median (60 vs. 31).
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 2.2% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- Two consecutive years of deficit spending.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Stabilize program expenses or grow earned-income revenue to break the consecutive-deficit pattern (~8 points to financial score).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.