A founder with a mission — and the conviction to build something permanent.

Empower ME Academy was founded by Jerome Gumbs with a singular belief: that young people from underserved communities deserve access to the same academic enrichment and life skills development available to their more affluent peers. Jerome built something real — a growing program, a dedicated team, and a community of believers who understood the stakes.

What Empower ME didn't have was the structure or infrastructure to attract philanthropic investment. Operating without tax-exempt status and without formal development systems, the organization was relying on Jerome's personal relationships and sheer force of will to fund a mission that deserved far more. Jerome knew it. He just needed a partner who could help him build it from the ground up.

COGEO was that partner.

What COGEO did

Built a philanthropic organization from scratch — then built the program to fund it.

COGEO entered Empower ME at the very beginning — before the infrastructure existed to raise a single philanthropic dollar. Over a multi-year engagement, COGEO built every dimension of Empower ME's organizational and development foundation from the ground up.

Built the tax-exempt organization — and the board to lead it

Before a single dollar could be raised philanthropically, Empower ME needed to be structured to receive it. COGEO advised Jerome on the strategic benefits of establishing a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization — and then did the work to make it real. COGEO helped build the founding board from scratch, establish the governance structures, and put the operational systems in place that would allow the organization to function as a credible, fundable institution. This foundation is what made everything that followed possible.

Launched a major gifts program with a formal case statement

With the organizational foundation in place, COGEO developed Empower ME's first formal case statement — the document that articulated the mission, the impact, and the ask in a way that moved donors from interest to commitment. COGEO then identified, cultivated, and helped solicit Empower ME's first major donors — individuals who believed in Jerome's vision and were ready to make meaningful, multi-year investments in the organization.

Built foundation and corporate outreach

Number 3 inside a green circle on a black background.

COGEO researched, identified, and pursued foundation and corporate funding opportunities aligned with Empower ME's mission — diversifying revenue beyond individual donors for the first time and establishing giving relationships that would compound over time.

Designed cultivation events and installed donor management systems

Number 4 inside a circle with a dark green background.

COGEO designed and executed Empower ME's first donor cultivation events — creating the community moments that deepened relationships and turned supporters into long-term partners. Simultaneously, every relationship, every gift, and every conversation was documented and organized in a CRM built specifically for Empower ME — giving the organization the infrastructure to sustain and grow their philanthropic program well beyond the COGEO engagement.

Two female basketball players competing for the ball during a game on an indoor court with green walls. One player is wearing a black jersey with "LIGHTNING CLUB" written on it and the other is wearing a navy and white uniform.

Two boys playing basketball indoors, one dribbling the ball while the other prepares to run.

A coach kneeling and talking to two young girls in a gym, all wearing matching navy blue sportswear with the words "LIVE EMPOWERED" on the back, inside a gym with chairs labeled "URBAN".

A young girl in a yellow T-shirt and blue shorts practicing basketball in an indoor gymnasium. She is dribbling a basketball with her right hand, with a focused expression, and is in a low, athletic stance. The gym has wooden floors and blue bleachers in the background.

A young girl in navy blue sportswear holding a spalding basketball, preparing to shoot in an indoor gym.

The outcome

An organization built from nothing raised $5M — and permanently transformed what's possible for the young people it serves.

$5M

RAISED

23x

RETURN ON CONTRIBUTION®

1,400

PEOPLE IMPACTED

5

ORG STAGES ADVANCED

What began with no tax-exempt status, no board, and no fundraising infrastructure became one of the most compelling annual development programs COGEO has ever built. Over the engagement Empower ME raised $5 million — transforming from a founder-funded passion project into a fully resourced, professionally operated advocacy organization with the systems and relationships to sustain ambitious fundraising for years to come.

The 1,400 young people impacted by Empower ME's programming represent the real result — students who received academic enrichment, life skills development, and the belief that their potential is worth investing in. The founding board Jerome built with COGEO's guidance continues to lead the organization. The systems are still running. The donors are still giving.

“COGEO's development services should be bottled up and applied to every organization. Their attentiveness in identifying the best strategy for Empower ME was stellar. Their attention to detail throughout all phases of our trajectory has been a solid backbone for our organization's growth and success."