Wepower logo

Wepower

Public charity · Grantmaker Saint Louis, MO EIN: 82-3591958 Website

We activate community power to redesign social systems to be just and equitable for all through (1) developing and supporting leaders and organizations and (2) leading campaigns, coalitions, and innovative initiatives.

Wepower at a glance

In short: Wepower gave $174K across 6 grants in 2024 (avg $29K), mostly in Missouri. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2024)
$174,000
+693.5% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
6
Average grant
$29,000
Median grant
$15,000
Total assets
$1,224,465
+25.5% vs 2023
Primary geography
Missouri (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.

How to apply to Wepower

Who Wepower funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 6 recipients in 2024

Urban Sprouts Child Development Center: $68KUrban Sprouts ChildDevelopment Center$68KMissouri Jobs with Justice: $57KMissouri Jobs with Justice$57KGateway Early Childhood Alliance: $20KGateway Early ChildhoodAlliance$20KBeginning Futures: $10KBeginning Futures$10KSTAR ECE Incorporated: $10KSTAR ECE Incorporated$10KThe Christian Academy: $10KThe Christian Academy$10K

The largest 2024 recipient was Urban Sprouts Child Development Center ($68K). Together the top 6 received $174K.

Grant Size Distribution

7 grants across all recorded years

5<$50K2$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 5 grants of 7 (71%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 6 itemized grants.

Cities

Saint LouisBrookhavenClayton

How Wepower gives

  • Giving grew 352% from 2021 to 2024. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$100K$200K$300K0 grants2019 0 grants2020 1 grant2021 Total only2022 Total only2023 6 grants2024

From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $22K (2023) to $201K (2022). In 2024 it made 6 grants totaling $174K.

Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Urban Sprouts Child Development Center Saint Louis, MOGrant funding$67,500
Missouri Jobs with Justice Saint Louis, MOPritzker Children's Initiative Subgrant$56,500
Gateway Early Childhood Alliance Clayton, MOGeneral support$20,000
Beginning Futures Saint Louis, MOMarket rate survey technical assistance$10,000
STAR ECE Incorporated Saint Louis, MOMarket rate survey program$10,000
The Christian Academy Brookhaven, PAMarket rate survey program$10,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2024$1,224,465$3,313,077$3,040,973$174,0006$5,301
2023$975,850$2,269,223$2,007,937$21,927Total only$38
2022$232,805$2,131,840$2,072,040$201,260Total only$6
2021$83,554$1,807,746$1,787,165$38,5001$6
2020$75,657$1,451,477$1,475,877——$16
2019$60,679$767,037$792,346——$32

"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.

About Wepower

Based on IRS filings

Wepower is a public charity focused on Community Improvement & Capacity Building, based in Saint Louis, MO. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $1.2M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 6 grants totaling $174K. Net investment income was $5K.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Wepower is led by Charli Cooksey, Chief Executive Officer since 2023 (on filings since 2019); 2 of 8 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Charli Cooksey

    Chief Executive Officer

    Founder & CEO → Chief Executive Officer, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    40 hrs/week

    $104K (2020) → $129K (2024)

  • Mary McKay

    Director

    Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Rebeccah Bennett

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jerina Phillips

    Director

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Laura Horwitz

    Director

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Christopher Dennis

    Chief of Staff

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    $115K (2024)

  • Erica Henderson

    Treasurer

    Member → Director, 2023

    Director → Treasurer, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Marissa Cohen

    Secretary

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (9)
  • Former: Abdul-Kaba Abdullah (2019–2023) — Treasurer
  • Former: Andrew Yawitz (2019–2023) — Board Chair
  • Former: April Fulstone (2019–2023) — Secretary
  • Former: Alicia Alexander (2023) — Vice President of Development
  • Former: Claudia Mendoza (2019–2022) — Member
  • Former: Ryan Strode (2019–2022) — Member
  • Former: Dave Peacock (2021–2022) — Member
  • Former: Crystal Martin (2019–2020) — Consultant
  • Former: Michael Butler (2019–2020) — Vice Chair

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Charli Cooksey — Chief Executive Officer: $129KCharli CookseyChief Executive Officer$129KChristopher Dennis — Chief of Staff: $115KChristopher DennisChief of Staff$115K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $129K, to Charli Cooksey (Chief Executive Officer). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Wepower

How much does Wepower give each year?

Wepower gave $174K across 6 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it reported $22K in grants paid.

What is Wepower's typical grant size?

Wepower's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $29,000, across 6 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.

Where does Wepower give grants?

Wepower gives mostly in Missouri: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Louis, MO (4 grants).

Does Wepower give general operating support?

Yes: 17% of Wepower's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 6) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.

Who are Wepower's largest grantees?

Wepower's largest 2024 grantees include Urban Sprouts Child Development Center ($67,500), Missouri Jobs with Justice ($56,500) and Gateway Early Childhood Alliance ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 83% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Wepower?

Wepower reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.3M.

What is Wepower?

Wepower is a public charity focused on Community Improvement & Capacity Building, based in Saint Louis, MO. It holds $1.2M in total assets as of 2024.

What is Wepower's EIN?

Wepower's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3591958. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

Data update history

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 29, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 31, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 30, 2025)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Wepower's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

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