Illinois · Nonprofit
Cousins Empowered Optimists
Cousins Empowered Optimists (Illinois) receives grants from 1 organization whose IRS filings report $20,000 to it, the largest being MS FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN INC ($20,000). 0 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2024
- $258k
- Funders on record
- 1
- Grants received
- $20k
- Net assets
- $3k
What Cousins Empowered Optimists does
Mission
The mission of Cousins Empowered Optimists DBA CEO Superheroes is to break the cycle of generational limited thinking and to inspire and support the pursuit of excellence as a lifestyle through skill development. In 2024 we provided quality S.T.E.A.M. and golf instruction leadership and entrepreneurial development strategies family tech events classroom instruction field trips social services and academic reinforcement to 1,572 youth and families throughout Illinois: https: youtu.be 74WgByFpsQY?si=nb2hLQnTCiczjwGvWe created our organization after a conversation with Dr. Mae Jemison mentor to one of our co-founders. During an event at DuSable Museum in her honor Dr. Jemison expressed her desire to see an increase in S.T.E.A.M. skill development strategies for American youth. Our co-founder promised to help create these opportunities and began the launch of Cousins Empowered Optimists known widely as CEO Superheroes. https: youtu.be iLOEO8wbGEk?si=cbwsEapOG7HFo8EK
As stated on its FY2024 Form 990.
Programs
On its FY2024 return the organization reported starting a significant new program.
CEO Superheros educators begin teaching youth to build and code robots at age 5 through our Bots & Tots program with the Vex robotics and other fun teaching tools: https: youtu.be iLOEO8wbGEk?si=cbwsEapOG7HFo8EK We partner with literacy advocate and author Markedia Alston in a strategy designed to teach pre-school and kindergarten children social-emotional resilience skills. Through her book The BooHoo BooHoo Bear Markedia has created a tool complete with a curriculum being implemented to teach young children how to express themselves and address their feelings in a constructive way through storytime sessions games and activities. In addition Markedia teaches writing workshops and oversees essay contests for our CEO Superheroes Leadership Academy. Our skilled educators have tremendous success with neurodivergent youth who excel under our guidance defying all odds to author books and master S.T.E.A.M. instruction. Youth are introduced to opportunities in aviation led by 19 year old aircraft pilot Zaire Horton. We teach drone instruction to youth in Chicago Park District and other facilities with licensed drone pilot Derrick Washington who prepares 16 year old youth to secure their drone pilots licenses. Our Chief Operating Officer is Veronica Riley a corporate strategist educator & mother of six who also heads TSC Studios.Through collaboration with TSC Studios we are launching a televised series called Chi-Code Chronicles which is an educational action-adventure series for…
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 2).
Program expenses included purchase of equipment rental of facilities buses and payment for instruction & the team creating & implementing the Chi Code-Chronicles. Our team of educators provides S.T.E.A.M. skill instruction throughout Illinois. From designing and implementing curriculum for youth in School District 151 to sponsoring family trips to the Griffin Museum of Science & Industry and hosting Family Tech events CEO Superheroes provides quality experiences that are transformative.Were highly successful in bringing out the best in neurodivergent youth and weve normalized their involvement in our instruction. We introduce youth to opportunities in aviation led by 19 year old aircraft pilot Zaire Horton. We teach drone instruction to youth in Chicago Park District and other facilities with licensed drone pilot Derrick Washington who prepares 16 year old youth to secure their drone pilots licenses. Through collaboration with TSC Studios we are launching a televised series called Chi-Code Chronicles which is an educational action-adventure series for the targeted ages of 7-14 aired in 30-minute episodes. Youth throughout Illinois have attended our Family Tech Days where we create…
$114,644 spentof which $114,644 as grants56% of program spendingThe expenses in this section cover costs of instruction facility rental special program entrance fees equipment and transportation. The projects include our CEO Superheroes Leadership Academy School District 151 S.T.E.A.M. curriculum development and implementation district-wide and our collaborations to combat recidivism and provide support and instruction for incarcerated youth. Our CEO Superheroes Leadership Academy supports youth in developing life skills nutrition self-mastery techniques and entrepreneurship experiences. Participants learn about developing a business mindset financial literacy credit score protection strategies money management basics budgeting critical thinking cryptocurrency business plan development marketing branding and social media management. They also learn conflict resolution techniques healthy decision-making lifemapping communication skill enhancement and purposeful networking. Participants are encouraged to read specific books and engage with authors such as Japanese author Takuan Amaru: https: youtu.be KGM3mmJoNNU?si=RaBi4_I3MM_Fia70. Our collaborations focus on creating and implementing curricula that equip youth with marketable skills fostering…
$60,821 spentof which $60,821 as grants30% of program spendingHaving provided year-round golf instruction since 2018 we now have 25 young golfers from the ages of 6-18 who are competing throughout Illinois and around the country. Our golf instruction is provided by LPGA Teaching Professional Erika Birdie Shavers in conjunction with First Tee-Greater Chicago. https: africanamericangolfersdigest.com erika-birdie-shavers-elevating-womens-golf-instruction In addition our youth participate in workshops with LPGA professional Cheyenne Woods The Jackson Park Golf Association Bob-O- Links City of Chicago Park District Clinics Drive Chip & Putt DICOPI and other instructional and competitive experiences. Families have begun golfing together as a lifestyle. We host events that introduce communities to the tremendous social health and confidence building results of participating in golf. The peaceful atmosphere of the golf course provides an opportunity to escape the pollution and pressure of urban life. Conversations and fellowships are inspired leading to friendships beyond cultural divides. The ability to compete successfully empowers youth and their families to explore future business and scholarship opportunities.We introduce them to the…
$29,800 spentof which $29,800 as grants15% of program spendingOther program services, not described on the e-filed return.
$0 spent0% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $205,265.
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Cynthia Carroll
Executive Director
Board chair
Chester Allen
Board Chair
As listed on its FY2024 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
Grant support over time, funder by funder — shade shows the grant size each year.
From the IRS filings of Cousins Empowered Optimists’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Where its funders are
Cousins Empowered Optimists draws 100% of its grant income from funders outside Illinois, across 1 state in all.
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
Cousins Empowered Optimists receives grants from 1 organization whose IRS filings report $20k to it.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 22,812 education nonprofits $100k–$1M, FY2024
Organizations like Cousins Empowered Optimists
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Illinois
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
81% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for Cousins Empowered Optimists: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds Cousins Empowered Optimists?
- Cousins Empowered Optimists (Illinois) receives grants from 1 organization whose IRS filings report $20,000 to it, the largest being MS FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN INC ($20,000). 0 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does Cousins Empowered Optimists have?
- IRS filings report 1 organization giving $20,000 in grants to Cousins Empowered Optimists.
- Who is the largest funder of Cousins Empowered Optimists?
- MS FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN INC is the largest funder on record, with $20,000 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like Cousins Empowered Optimists find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Illinois. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Cousins Empowered Optimists →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2024 (financials across 2024–2024), and the filings of 1 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing