Optimist International
Organization summary
Type of Nonprofit
Designated as a Civic leagues, social welfare organizations and local associations of employees, created to promote community welfare for charitable, educational or recreational purposes.
Donations to this organization are not tax deductible.
Summary charts: organization finances over time
Revenue $4.08M (2023)
Expenses $3.53M (2023)
Total Assets $5.02M (2023)
Total Liabilities $1.22M (2023)
Tax Filings by Year
Form 990 is an information return that most organizations claiming federal tax-exempt status must file yearly with the IRS. Nonprofit Explorer has IRS digitized Form 990 data for filings processed in 2012 and later. If this organization filed an amended return, it may not be reflected below. Duplicate download links may indicate a resubmission or amendment to this organization's original return. Form 990 data is from the IRS.
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2023
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $22,500 |
0.6%
|
| Program Services | $3,659,228 |
89.7%
|
| Investment Income | $56,164 |
1.4%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $49,324 |
1.2%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $4,763 |
0.1%
|
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $288,844 |
7.1%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $300,860 |
8.5%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,104,755 |
31.3%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,022,321 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,219,948 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheryl Brenn (Executive Director) | $151,500 | $0 | $10,687 |
| Thomas Carver (Director) | $117,969 | $0 | $24,014 |
| Constance Pellock (Cfo) | $114,572 | $0 | $18,389 |
Document Links
990
Filed on Aug. 14, 2024Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2022
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $114,189 |
3.2%
|
| Program Services | $3,250,322 |
90.4%
|
| Investment Income | $8,769 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $73,590 |
2.0%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $0 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $147,123 |
4.1%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $292,455 |
8.2%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,160,356 |
32.5%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,024,165 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,059,952 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Ellerbe (Former Executive Dir. (Thru 9/30/21)) | $161,207 | $0 | $21,042 |
| Thomas Carver (Director) | $114,044 | $0 | $22,217 |
| Constance Pellock (Cfo) | $110,761 | $0 | $17,048 |
Document Links
990
Filed on June 7, 2023Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2021
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $490,224 |
10.8%
|
| Program Services | $3,635,630 |
80.2%
|
| Investment Income | $5,924 |
0.1%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $73,939 |
1.6%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$392 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $325,722 |
7.2%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $378,588 |
9.2%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,343,969 |
32.5%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,353,135 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,127,707 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Ellerbe (Executive Director) | $267,136 | $0 | $26,791 |
| Thomas Carver (Director) | $119,933 | $0 | $21,574 |
| Ronda Vaughn (Director) | $104,253 | $0 | $24,201 |
Document Links
990
Filed on July 28, 2022Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2020
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $96,094 |
2.0%
|
| Program Services | $3,712,412 |
76.5%
|
| Investment Income | $13,179 |
0.3%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $92,780 |
1.9%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $0 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $935,765 |
19.3%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $450,837 |
10.5%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,338,819 |
31.3%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,509,014 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,348,382 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Ellberbe (Executive Director/Secretary) | $192,133 | $0 | $26,389 |
| Thomas Carver (Senior Director Of It) | $112,824 | $0 | $21,188 |
| Theresa Ovelgoenner (Cfo Until 01/28/20) | $94,406 | $0 | $15,707 |
Document Links
990
Filed on July 9, 2021Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2019
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $116,722 |
2.5%
|
| Program Services | $4,156,500 |
89.6%
|
| Investment Income | $7,555 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $132,950 |
2.9%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $0 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $223,893 |
4.8%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $330,357 |
7.0%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,429,473 |
30.3%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,993,690 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,342,633 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Ellberbe (Executive Director/Secretary) | $192,639 | $0 | $25,500 |
| Thomas Carver (Director) | $124,915 | $0 | $20,896 |
| Theresa Ovelgoenner (Cfo) | $91,889 | $0 | $15,143 |
Document Links
990
Filed on Aug. 11, 2020Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
990-EZ
Short form tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2018
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $149,942 |
3.2%
|
| Program Services | $4,140,949 |
88.8%
|
| Investment Income | $6,387 |
0.1%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $137,169 |
2.9%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$16,510 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $247,055 |
5.3%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $316,928 |
7.2%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,479,326 |
33.4%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,516,805 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,207,713 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Ellberbe (Executive Director/Secretary) | $193,598 | $0 | $23,266 |
| Thomas Carver (Director) | $101,567 | $0 | $17,970 |
| Stephanie Monschein (Director) | $101,107 | $0 | $9,709 |
Document Links
990
Filed on March 14, 2019Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2017
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $193,908 |
4.1%
|
| Program Services | $4,157,908 |
88.5%
|
| Investment Income | $9,213 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $95,607 |
2.0%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $0 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $242,026 |
5.2%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $365,974 |
8.2%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,480,165 |
33.1%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,202,789 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,221,620 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Ellerbe (Exec Director/Secretary/Treasurer) | $184,532 | $0 | $33,441 |
| Connie Pellock (Cfo 10/1/16 3/31/17) | $108,571 | $0 | $12,238 |
| Ronda Vaughn (Director) | $102,719 | $0 | $16,438 |
Document Links
990
Filed on March 6, 2018Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2016
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $97,332 |
2.1%
|
| Program Services | $4,326,847 |
91.9%
|
| Investment Income | $7,372 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $49,705 |
1.1%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $0 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $226,136 |
4.8%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $345,859 |
7.6%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,501,238 |
33.0%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,704,570 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,288,324 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Ellerbe (Exec Director/Secretary/Treasurer) | $181,535 | $0 | $36,527 |
| Dennis Osterwich (Associate Executive Director) | $131,166 | $0 | $13,943 |
| Constance J Pellock (Chief Financial Officer) | $106,185 | $0 | $12,324 |
Document Links
990
Filed on Aug. 3, 2017Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2015
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $98,098 |
2.1%
|
| Program Services | $4,342,528 |
91.7%
|
| Investment Income | $1,928 |
0.0%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $41,764 |
0.9%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $0 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $251,199 |
5.3%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $318,641 |
7.0%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,471,373 |
32.5%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,582,214 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,478,875 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Ellerbe (Exec Director/ Secretary / Treasurer) | $180,819 | $0 | $21,043 |
| Dennis Osterwich (Associate Executive Director) | $118,713 | $0 | $15,942 |
| Constance J Pellock (Chief Financial Officer) | $102,845 | $0 | $11,086 |
Document Links
990
Filed on Aug. 15, 2016Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2014
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $150,043 |
3.1%
|
| Program Services | $4,468,925 |
92.0%
|
| Investment Income | $11,059 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $61,363 |
1.3%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $0 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $168,043 |
3.5%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $311,330 |
6.3%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,468,296 |
29.9%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,587,182 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,464,913 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Ellerbe (Executive Director) | $180,574 | $0 | $20,897 |
| Dennis Osterwich (Associate Executive Director) | $115,752 | $0 | $14,964 |
| Connie Pellock (Chief Financial Officer) | $99,956 | $0 | $10,468 |
Document Links
990
Filed on April 21, 2015Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2013
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $253,713 |
5.0%
|
| Program Services | $4,720,992 |
93.3%
|
| Investment Income | $1,085 |
0.0%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $67,403 |
1.3%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $0 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $19,481 |
0.4%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $307,170 |
6.2%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,417,434 |
28.5%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,455,498 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,441,696 |
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2012
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $214,256 |
4.2%
|
| Program Services | $4,865,410 |
94.4%
|
| Investment Income | $1,535 |
0.0%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $56,817 |
1.1%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $0 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $2,199 |
0.0%
|
| Other Revenue | $13,537 |
0.3%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $292,254 |
5.9%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,430,425 |
28.9%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,612,575 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,786,465 |
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2011
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $217,230 |
4.0%
|
| Program Services | $5,103,871 |
93.8%
|
| Investment Income | $520 |
0.0%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $64,960 |
1.2%
|
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $0 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $28,981 |
0.5%
|
| Other Revenue | $24,493 |
0.5%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $280,855 |
5.0%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,619,805 |
29.1%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,673,760 | |
| Total Liabilities | $2,361,935 |
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2010
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2009
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2008
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2007
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2006
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2005
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2004
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
About This Data
Nonprofit Explorer includes summary data for nonprofit tax returns and full Form 990 documents, in both PDF and digital formats.
The summary data contains information processed by the IRS during the 2012-2019 calendar years; this generally consists of filings for the 2011-2018 fiscal years, but may include older records. This data release includes only a subset of what can be found in the full Form 990s.
In addition to the raw summary data, we link to PDFs and digital copies of full Form 990 documents wherever possible. This consists of separate releases by the IRS of Form 990 documents processed by the agency, which we update regularly.
We also link to copies of audits nonprofit organizations that spent $750,000 or more in Federal grant money in a single fiscal year since 2016. These audits are copied from the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.