The Skillman Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Skillman Foundation's geographic focus is Detroit as a priority, with Michigan as a secondary focus, and its funding centres on community-driven education transformation - work with Detroit youth, educators and community members on policy advocacy, collaboration, and education data and storytelling - so proposals outside this area or this space are unlikely to be a fit.
- Grants range from $1,000 to $175,000, but half of its grants are $10,000 or less, so a modest request is the realistic starting point for a small nonprofit, and those seeking the President's Discretionary Fund should note it is sized between $2,500 and $10,000.
- The foundation works to fixed deadlines set three weeks before its investment review meeting, so grant writers should plan ahead and first check which funding area matches their work before making contact.
- A large share of its grant dollars - 86% - went to organisations also funded in the two previous filings, which suggests some weight on continuing relationships, though this is a share of dollars rather than a share of grants.
- For-profit organisations are not funded, nor are endowments, building campaigns or capital costs, or political campaigns and legislative lobbying, and President's Discretionary Fund applicants should note it does not cover direct funding to individuals or personnel and staffing costs.
Overview
The Skillman Foundation is a US private foundation based in Detroit, MI.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Skillman Foundation supports community-driven education transformation, nurturing the brilliance and power of Detroit youth. It invests in Detroit youth, educators and other community members who support young people to design and influence change, and in advocacy that shifts policies and resource allocation to benefit Detroit children. Its grantmaking is primarily aligned with Ground Building, Policy & Systems and Common Ground: amplifying Detroit students, educators and community members; supporting statewide policy advocacy that benefits Michigan students; and building connections and collaboration across education stakeholders. It funds education advocacy organisations and coalitions pursuing lasting systems change, and supports efforts that help Detroit youth, parents, educators and community members build individual and collective power. It also backs collaboration around student outcomes, including education data, journalism and storytelling.
Themes
- Community power building
- Education policy advocacy
- Education collaboration
- Education data and storytelling
Geographic Focus
Priority: Detroit; Michigan.
What They Don't Fund
- For-profit institutions
- Endowments, building campaigns, or capital costs, including construction, renovation, or equipment
- Political campaigns, political activities, or lobbying for or against pieces of legislation
- President’s Discretionary Fund only: Direct funding to individuals or for personnel/staffing expenditures
How to apply
Grant seekers should first identify whether a funding area matches their work, then contact the team using the contact information on that page.
Deadlines: Three weeks before the investment review meeting.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 86% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 1,162 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Partnership grants are primarily aligned with the Ground Building, Policy & Systems and Common Ground strategies.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 3% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to organisations The Skillman Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 7% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 406 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $10,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Michigan's Thanksgiving Parade · The parade company$500,0002024 tax year
- Eastside Community Network · The marlowe stoudamire wellness center$500,0002024 tax year
- Detroit Children's Fund · Dcf investment strategy$500,0002024 tax year
- Community Development Advocates of Detroit · Building neighborhood power through youth and neighborhood voice$405,0002024 tax year
- Black Male Educators Alliance · Activate: transforming education through collective action$375,0002024 tax year
- Allied Media Projects · Support for detroit youth development resource center (ydrc)$375,0002024 tax year
- Teach for America · Tfa detroit teachmichigan, general operating support$360,0002024 tax year
- The Children's Foundation · Michigan central station childrens endowment campaign$300,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Ashley M Williams — Advisory Member (Non-Trustee)
- Chase L Cantrell — Advisory Member (Non-Trustee)
- Venus Phillips — Advisory Member (Non-Trustee)
- Lyle Logan — Advisory Member (Non-Trustee)
- Thomas H Castro — Advisory Member (Non-Trustee)
- Lizabeth Ardisana — Advisory Member (Non-Trustee)
- Eddie Munson — Advisory Member (Non-Trustee)
- Herman Gray — Advisory Member (Non-Trustee)
- Erik Lundberg — Advisory Member (Non-Trustee)
- Nick Khouri — Advisory Member (Non-Trustee)
- Mohammad Muntakim — Trustee
- Joi Harris — Trustee
- Linh Song — Trustee
- Derrick Roman — Trustee
- Gary Torgow — Trustee
- Elizabeth Morales-Saucedo — Trustee
- Soloman Kinloch — Trustee
- Maria Woodruff-Wright — Treasurer, VP Of Operations & CFO
- Angelique Power — President, Secretary & CEO
- Bill Emerson — Trustee
and 7 more
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $34,605,490 | $22,416,757 | $552,296,559 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $29,699,000 | $23,772,505 | $568,394,512 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $32,119,964 | $17,815,859 | $601,615,731 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
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Applying to The Skillman Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required