Could it be Founder’s Syndrome? Yep… we’re going there.

Hey Nonprofit Leader, What’s Keeping You Awake at Night?

Let me tell you a little story. Back in 2008, I started a nonprofit in the Coachella Valley called Desert Best Friend’s Closet. I created it because I saw a need—people showing up to job interviews dressed like they were headed to the beach, not a boardroom. That year, I walked around the Valley’s Employment Expo asking local employers what they thought when an applicant didn’t dress professionally. The answers? Not great.

So I founded DBFC to give people the tools—literally and figuratively—to show up prepared for job interviews and for life. We provide clothing, confidence, and coaching. We break down barriers to employment. But this blog isn’t about interview clothes. It’s about something I discovered not long after launching the organization…

Dun dun dun… Founder’s Syndrome.

Yes, it’s a thing. Not a clinical diagnosis, but it should come with a warning label and a prescription for delegation. Founder’s Syndrome happens when a founder (ahem, guilty!) holds on so tightly to the organization that they accidentally choke its growth. It can look like micromanaging, resistance to new ideas, or the inability to let anyone else touch your color-coded Excel files.

Let’s get clear:

“Founder’s Syndrome is when the founder’s vision and identity become so tangled with the organization that they can’t—or won’t—let go.”— Paraphrased, with flair, from the Tennessee Nonprofit Network

The symptoms?

• Refusal to delegate

• Board meetings where the founder makes all the decisions (and possibly brings the snacks)

• Reluctance to bring in new leaders

• A nagging fear that if I step back, they’ll fire me (true story—I used to grab emergency chocolate before board meetings just in case)

And the side effects?

• Stagnation

• Staff burnout

•Missed opportunities

• Donor relationships getting bottlenecked at the founder

• Identity crises when the founder starts wondering, “Who am I without my nonprofit?”

I’ve worked with many founders in my consulting life. We’re a rare breed—equal parts visionary, stubborn, and sleep-deprived. When I gently suggest stepping off the Board or planning their exit, the reaction is often panic:

“But… but what if they ruin it?”

Truth bomb: if your organization can’t survive without you, it’s not as strong as you think.

And here’s the uncomfortable but essential question I always ask:Is it about the mission—or is it about you?

When I stepped down as Executive Director of DBFC, it wasn’t because I stopped caring. I was just tired. COVID exhausted us all. But I also realized that DBFC was stuck in neutral under my leadership. It needed a fresh perspective, new energy—someone who wasn’t still haunted by their own founding vision. I wanted the mission to thrive, even if I wasn’t the one driving anymore.

So what helps cure Founder’s Syndrome?

• Open communication with your board and staff

• A real strategic plan that doesn’t live in a dusty binder

• Empowering your board to do their job (not just clap when you give a report)

• Delegating—even when it makes you twitchy

• And most importantly, succession planning. Because someday, someone else needs to carry that mission forward.

I’ve got two dreams for DBFC’s future:

1. That one day the need for our services disappears entirely.

2. That long after I’m gone, my granddaughter visits the desert with her college friends and proudly points out the nonprofit her Nana started.

   
   

So nonprofit leader, if you're staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m., wondering why your board feels like a rubber stamp, or why you can’t take a vacation without a panic attack… it might be time to ask yourself the hard question:

Am I building a legacy—or clinging to one?

Founder's Syndrome is real, but it’s not a life sentence. Awareness is the first step. Let go a little. Trust more. Share the mission. And maybe—just maybe—you’ll sleep a little better tonight