Skillman Foundation

The Skillman Foundation operates as one of Michigan's most significant education funders — $418.5 million in assets, approximately $20–29 million in annual giving — but it is emphatically not a broad-access grantmaker. Its philosophy is rooted in community organizing and systemic change rather than direct service provision. Two strategies currently guide all Partnership Grant funding: Ground Building, which supports Detroit-based community organizing to influence education policy and practice; and Policy & Systems, which funds statewide advocacy coalitions and initiatives working to shift resource allocation in favor of Michigan students.

Organizations that deliver educational services directly to youth — tutoring, mentoring, afterschool programming — are unlikely to align with Partnership Grants unless they also engage in organizing or policy advocacy. Skillman's theory of change holds that sustainable educational improvement requires communities to hold power and drive systemic shifts, not simply receive services.

A critical structural reality for prospective applicants: the Foundation proactively invites grant applications and is not accepting unsolicited Partnership Grant submissions. This means the path to major funding runs entirely through relationship development with program officers — not through an open RFP. Prospective grantees should engage with the Foundation's newsletter, attend public convenings (particularly the annual CMF conference), and seek introductions through the Council of Michigan Foundations or existing grantee networks such as Detroit Children's Fund and Allied Media Projects.

The grantee portfolio reflects a strong preference for Detroit-rooted, community-led organizations. Top recipients across 1,605 documented grants include Detroit Public Schools Foundation ($4.2M, 19 grants), Brilliant Detroit ($2.6M, 18 grants), and Urban Neighborhood Initiatives ($2.6M, 14 grants). These are long-term partners built through iterative trust — many receiving 10 or more grants over multiple years. Multi-year general operating support is common for established partners.

For first-time applicants, the President's Discretionary Fund is the only open entry point: $2,500–$10,000 one-time grants for Detroit youth-serving nonprofits that fall outside the Foundation's primary strategies, including organizations working in systems adjacent to education (health, housing, justice). A successful Discretionary grant can establish organizational credibility and create a natural introduction to program staff, though it is not a guaranteed pipeline to Partnership status.

Across 1,605 documented grants totaling approximately $104 million in the database, the average grant is $64,854 with a median of $20,000. This median is skewed downward by numerous small Discretionary grants; the formal typical_grant_size data (based on 245 recent awards) shows a median of $20,000, average of $75,275, minimum of $70, and maximum of $800,000. Partnership Grants typically range from $50,000 to $800,000+, with multi-year commitments common for anchor grantees.

Annual giving has varied substantially across the past decade: - FY2012: $22.0M total giving - FY2015: $27.7M total giving - FY2019: $21.8M total giving - FY2020: $21.4M total giving - FY2021: $30.7M total giving (COVID relief surge) - FY2022: $34.6M total giving (decade peak) - FY2023: $29.7M total giving, $20.9M grants paid - FY2024: Revenue of $40.1M reported; grant totals not yet filed

The 2021–2022 surge reflected emergency educational technology funds and COVID response. Since 2022, giving has contracted as emergency programs concluded and the Foundation sharpened its strategic focus. Net investment income of $14.9M–$15.2M (FY2022–2023) anchors the giving capacity.

Geographic concentration is extreme: 1,333 of 1,605 grants (83%) went to Michigan organizations, virtually all Detroit-based. National partners in DC (59 grants) and NY (68 grants) primarily represent policy infrastructure — Forum for Youth Investment, BME Networks, Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund.

By program emphasis, the historical portfolio spans out-of-school-time programming, early literacy (313Reads, BookNook, SOAR Detroit), youth workforce development (Grow Detroit's Young Talent, Urban Alliance, SER Metro), youth wellness, Black educational leadership (Black School Leader Excellence), and community development. Current active grantmaking is narrowing to organizing and policy work. The President's Discretionary Fund distributes approximately $1 million annually in awards of $2,500–$10,000.

The following peer foundations share a similar asset profile with Skillman (~$400–460M) and are categorized under Education (NTEE Major B):

Skillman stands apart from its asset-peer cohort in a critical way: it is among the most geographically concentrated foundations of its size in the United States, directing nearly all resources to a single city. Unlike the Terry Foundation (a scholarship program for Texas university students) or McConnell Foundation (broad community development across a rural region), Skillman funds change strategy — the belief that community organizing and policy advocacy are the levers for lasting educational improvement. Salesforce.com Foundation, despite its larger national giving, operates within a corporate philanthropic model with distinct incentives. For Detroit-based education nonprofits, Skillman has no true peer in Michigan for the size and specificity of its commitment.

2025 has been one of Skillman's most politically engaged years on record. The Foundation has publicly positioned itself as a defender of public education against federal disruption: CEO Angelique Power spoke on WDET in May 2025 about community-centered approaches to supporting Detroit youth, and the Foundation published commentary on efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Skillman hosted intimate convenings with grant partners on immigration enforcement impacts on Detroit children — a notable expansion into immigration rights adjacent to its education focus.

In September 2025, Skillman contributed $1.1 million to the Michigan Central Station Children's Endowment Initiative, distributing $100,000 each to 11 Detroit-area youth organizations — a significant targeted investment consistent with its placemaking role in Detroit.

The Foundation also joined The Courage Project in 2025, a national coalition awarding $10,000–$50,000 to grassroots civic engagement organizations, extending its organizing-first philosophy onto a national stage.

Confirmed 2025 grantees include Civic News Company ($200,000), Council of Michigan Foundations ($200,000), Michigan League for Public Policy ($50,000), and Downtown Detroit Partnership ($40,000). Leadership remains stable under President and CEO Angelique Power (compensated $510,600), who has led the Foundation's strategic pivot toward organizing and advocacy since approximately 2020. Punita Dani Thurman (VP, Program and Strategy) is the primary program-side contact for Partnership Grant discussions.

The most important thing to understand about Skillman is that Partnership Grant funding is invitation-only — the formal application process does not begin until the Foundation invites it. For organizations not yet in the portfolio, the strategy must be relationship-first and patience-oriented.

Building toward Partnership Grants: - Subscribe to the monthly e-newsletter and engage with the Foundation's public communications - Attend the annual Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF) conference — Skillman has invested over $3.2M in CMF and program officers are active participants in statewide funder networks - When connecting with program staff, avoid cold pitches about your programs; instead, come with specific knowledge of the two active strategies (Ground Building and Policy & Systems) and articulate how your organization mobilizes Detroit community members to influence education systems - Use Skillman's own language: "people-powered," "youth agency," "systemic change," "ground building" — the word "organizing" should feature prominently; "programming" should not - Demonstrate concretely how youth co-design your organization's work — Skillman funds organizations where youth hold power, not just receive services

For President's Discretionary Fund (open access, $2,500–$10,000): - Email grants@skillman.org with: organization name, EIN, website, social media links, dollar amount requested, and a two-paragraph project description - Request only within the $2,500–$10,000 range; the fund is not for ongoing operations - Focus on pilot programs, one-time projects, or work in systems adjacent to education (health, housing, justice)

Common mistakes to avoid: - Framing work as "serving" youth rather than building their power and agency - Proposing programming or direct services without an organizing or advocacy dimension - Requesting endowment or capital funding (explicitly excluded) - Applying for programs that serve suburban youth or regions outside the City of Detroit - Submitting cold Partnership Grant applications — these will not be reviewed

For technical Fluxx portal questions, contact Tara Cooper at tcooper@skillman.org.