EMPOWERING EPILEPSY

Financials

From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.

Officers, directors and key employees

As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024, highest compensation first.

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)

23500 MERCANTILE RD STE D, BEACHWOOD, OH 44122-5914

In care of

% LEIGH GOLDIE

Mailing address (990-N for 2017)

32342 Springside Lane, Solon OH 44139

Principal officer (990 for 2024)

Leigh Goldie

Principal officer (990-N for 2017)

Leigh Goldie, 32342 Springside Lane, Solon OH 44139

Signed the 990

Leigh Goldie, Executive Director

Phone

(216) 342-4167

Website

http://empoweringepilepsy.org

Return prepared by

Nudelman & Associates Inc

Mission

Empowering Epilepsy connects people with epilepsy to experts and peers for education, care, and friendship. We anchor a caring community that empowers our members and their loved ones to better understand and manage their treatment plan throughout their epilepsy journey.

Program accomplishments

• Founded in 2014, our goal is to advance health equity and quality of life for people with epilepsy through integrated services, peer support, education, and systematic innovation in epilepsy care, grounded in research and lived experience. All of Empowering Epilepsy's programs and services were created by people who have lived experience with epilepsy. 1 in 26 people will be diagnosed with epilepsy in their lifetime. The vast majority of those living with epilepsy feel isolated and alone. They have never met or talked with anyone else who also experiences epilepsy, and they find few resources and help outside of their neurologist or epileptologist's office. That's because people in the general community do not understand that there is so much more to epilepsy than just the seizures. Empowering Epilepsy helps people with epilepsy find proactive ways to lessen their seizures, meet others who are also living with epilepsy, listen to and speak with epilepsy experts, and discover resources to empower their lives. The organization was created by Leigh Goldie, M.Ed., who grew up with Focal Impaired Awareness Seizures, and lived for 14 years with Drug Resistant Epilepsy. She felt misunderstood, anxious since she never knew when she was going to have a seizure, and helpless, as people didn't understand the multitude of effects epilepsy was having on her life. She quickly discovered other people with epilepsy were experiencing the same things. We also focus on Community Outreach efforts to educate others about our free or low cost programs and services. We hold informational booths at community events to teach the general public more about epilepsy, and connect with others who personally understand epilepsy. We also collaborate with epilepsy specialists to share our information with their patients. Our main goal centers around education, which we feel is the key to our clients' success. Teaching more about how knowledge, exercise, socialization, and advocacy can improve their physical, mental, and social health empowers the lives of our community members. Our variety of ongoing programs and services throughout the year that include Art Therapy Classes, Functional Fitness Classes, Bowling Parties, Pottery Painting Parties, Support Groups, Conferences, and more, offer opportunities for people with epilepsy to learn, interact, and grow. Empowering Epilepsy created and developed our 4 Step Patient Education Program to walk with people and their loved ones throughout their epilepsy journey. We focus on helping people living with epilepsy right now. The program directly helps patients and their loved ones learn more as they navigate the course of their journey. We provide a variety of educational experiences that are personalized to each individual person's diagnosis and treatment plan. Most importantly, we focus on showing people with epilepsy what they can do. Our Patient Education Program consists of 4 essential steps: 1.Client Intake - We assess where a person currently is in their epilepsy journey. Are they seeing an epileptologist - a neurologist who specializes in treating epilepsy and seizures. Are they being seen at a Level 3 or 4 Epilepsy Center? How can they collect seizure data to provide to their doctors? 2.Patient Education Program - We have designed a one of a kind Patient Education Program Folder used to teach people with epilepsy more about their epilepsy diagnosis and treatment plan. Educational inserts have been authored by some of the top epilepsy specialists in the country, and are personalized to each community member, based on their specific diagnosis and treatment plan. Teaching them how to better talk to their doctor, and providing more detail about what they are experiencing can help them receive a more accurate diagnosis and treatment plan sooner. 3.Monthly Age Based Virtual Support Groups include an hour of Q & A with an epilepsy specialist from a Level 3 or 4 Epilepsy Center from Northeast Ohio, and across the country, and an hour of talk time with other people in their age group who are living with epilepsy. Epilepsy Specialists answer general questions about epilepsy and seizures in the first hour. The second hour consists of meeting others in their age group who are sharing their experiences. Meeting others who are sharing their experiences, and receiving validation that there is so much more to epilepsy than just the seizures is empowering. The Support Groups are offered virtually or in person so anyone from anywhere can attend. They also don't have to drive to get there, as many people with drug resistant epilepsy cannot drive. In addition to many participants from Northeast Ohio, we have many participants from across the country and the world joining to learn more. 4. We hold three annual Educational Conferences with top epilepsy specialists from across the country teaching more about epilepsy and seizures to people with epilepsy and their loved ones. We hold the following conferences annually: A.Brain Surgery Conference in June - The goal is to better explain that Brain Surgery for Epilepsy is an option for those living with focal seizures, but many people with epilepsy don't learn about surgical options until many years after their diagnosis. Epilepsy Specialists answer the following questions: What is brain surgery for epilepsy? Who is a surgical candidate? What different types of surgeries and medical devices are available for people with epilepsy? What does it mean if I have a 50% chance of being seizure free? We also feature a panel discussion from Brain Surgery Survivors to share their journey with Brain Surgery for Epilepsy. B.SUDEP Action Day Talk in October - Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) is when an otherwise healthy person with epilepsy dies and there is no other cause of death such as accident, illness, injury, or drowning. Many people with epilepsy are found lying face down in their bed, and until recently, epilepsy was not listed as an official cause of death. We want to proactively educate people with epilepsy, their loved ones, and the general community, including medical examiners, about SUDEP. Epileptologists address who is most at risk, and what proactive steps people with epilepsy or neurologists can take to help reduce that risk. Approximately 1 in 1000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP each year. Since Empowering Epilepsy opened in 2014, we have lost 18 Empowering Epilepsy Community Members to SUDEP, accident, injury, or suicide. C.Empower Your Life Conference - An annual full day conference that teaches people with epilepsy and their loved ones all about epilepsy and seizures. Featuring some of the top epilepsy specialists in the country, we cover topics like Epilepsy 101 - All About Epilepsy and Seizures, Epilepsy Testing, The Psychology of Epilepsy, Epilepsy Surgery, Epilepsy and Exercise, Epilepsy and Diet, and more. We provide 150 Patient Education Program Meetings per year that last between 1 - 2 hours in person or via Zoom. We have helped thousands of people in the past year by talking to them along with their loved ones about their epilepsy, providing resources by mail or our website, and referring them to epilepsy specialists in their area. We donate 350 Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Gift Bags to people staying multiple days in the Epilepsy Monitoring Units of Level 3 or 4 Epilepsy Centers in Northeast Ohio. 9 Epilepsy Centers throughout Northeast and Central Ohio receive them to keep them occupied while staying in the EMU, and educate them about Empowering Epilepsy's free or low cost programs and services. Empowering Epilepsy also offers many opportunities for our community members to learn from each other, support each other, and discover strategies to take better care of themselves. These events help improve their mental, physical, and social health. We hold annual Bowling Parties and Pottery Painting Parties to bring people in different Northeast Ohio communities together, and create positive, lasting memories in a laid back environment. We hold fundraising events that highlight the abilities of people with epilepsy. We include our community members as volunteers or participants to foster their sense of community and inclusion. We hold weekly Functional Fitness Classes at Empowering Epilepsy Headquarters. Functional Fitness, led by a certified personal trainer who personally understands epilepsy, provides a personalized guidance to our participants on how they can improve their cardiovascular and muscle strength. People with epilepsy are often told that they can't exercise, as it could cause seizures. We show them how they can exercise effectively. Art Therapy Classes are held bi-monthly at Empowering Epilepsy Headquarters, and are led by a Licensed Professional Art Therapist who is also a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and an epilepsy survivor. These classes help people with epilepsy illustrate their artistic flare and discover what they can do while liv
  Expenses $275,068 · revenue $912

What it must file and when

IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.

IRS record

EIN

47-1250482

Tax-exempt status

501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization

Foundation status

Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))

Donations deductible (Pub 78)

Public charity, 50% deduction limit

Exempt since

2015

Accounting year ends

December

Files

Form 990 or 990-EZ

Category (NTEE)

Voluntary health associations and medical disciplines (G01)

Assets (IRS master file)

$371,868

Income (IRS master file)

$421,229

Filing history

990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 47-1250482).

Questions about EMPOWERING EPILEPSY

What is the EIN of EMPOWERING EPILEPSY?

The employer identification number (EIN) of EMPOWERING EPILEPSY is 47-1250482.

Is EMPOWERING EPILEPSY tax-exempt?

Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2015.

Are donations to EMPOWERING EPILEPSY tax-deductible?

Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).

Which annual return does EMPOWERING EPILEPSY file?

Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.

When is the next return of EMPOWERING EPILEPSY due?

The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending December 31, 2025) is due May 15, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.

When did EMPOWERING EPILEPSY last file with the IRS?

The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2024.

Who is the principal officer of EMPOWERING EPILEPSY?

The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 names Leigh Goldie.

Who are the officers and directors of EMPOWERING EPILEPSY?

The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 lists 23 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $72,685 (LEIGH GOLDIE, Executive Dir.).

How much revenue does EMPOWERING EPILEPSY have?

On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 it reported revenue of $268,660, expenses of $319,337 and total assets of $371,868 at year end.

Other nonprofits in BEACHWOOD

• RETINA FOUNDATION
  EIN 83-1434567 · last filed 990-N for 2025
• FIRST CATHOLIC SLOVAK LADIES ASSOC OF THE USA
  EIN 34-0220540 · last filed 990 for 2024
• THE MANDEL JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF CLEVELAND
  EIN 34-0714439 · last filed 990 for 2025
• JOSEPH & FLORENCE MANDEL JEWISH DAY SCHOOL
  EIN 34-1043767 · last filed 990 for 2025
• CONGREGATION MISHKAN OR FOUNDATION
  EIN 26-1874206 · last filed 990 for 2025
• MIDWEST CAMPERS INC
  EIN 34-0897622 · last filed 990 for 2025
• JAMES AND ANGELA HAMBRICK FOUNDATION
  EIN 45-1995732 · last filed 990-PF for 2024
• HOWARD AMSTER FOUNDATION
  EIN 84-3549980 · last filed 990-PF for 2024

All nonprofits in BEACHWOOD · Ohio · Voluntary health associations and medical disciplines