The Skillman Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $24 million (approximately)
Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Decision Time: 2-3 weeks for initial response; 3-5 weeks for approval and payment
Grant Range: Partnership Grants: $30,000 - $300,000+; President's Discretionary Fund: $2,500 - $10,000
Geographic Focus: Detroit, Michigan (exclusive focus on Detroit youth)

Contact Details

Address: 100 Talon Centre Dr, Suite 100, Detroit, MI 48207

Phone: 313-393-1185

Pre-Application Support: The Foundation encourages organizations to connect with team members directly and subscribe to their monthly newsletter for strategy updates and grantmaking opportunities.

Overview

Established in 1960 by Rose Skillman, widow of Robert H. Skillman (former vice-president of 3M), The Skillman Foundation has distributed more than $775 million over six decades to support Detroit youth. With current assets of approximately $406 million (2023), the Foundation distributes around $24 million annually, making it one of the largest private foundations focused exclusively on K-12 education and youth development in a single American city. The Foundation's mission centers on partnering with people to transform education systems and nurturing the brilliance and power of Detroit youth. Since 2021, President & CEO Angelique Power has led the organization with a "People Powered Education" strategy that emphasizes grassroots community engagement alongside systems-level policy work. Power, named a 2025 Michiganian of the Year by The Detroit News, brings extensive philanthropic experience from her previous roles at the Field Foundation and Joyce Foundation. The Foundation operates with core values of fairness, belonging, justice, and bridge-building, and notably includes the first youth trustee in its 60+ year history.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Partnership Grants: Single and multi-year grants ranging from $30,000 to $300,000+ (with some reaching into the millions for major initiatives). These support general operating costs and specific projects aligned with the Foundation's "People Powered Education" strategy. Applications are by invitation only—the Foundation proactively identifies and invites organizations to apply.

President's Discretionary Fund: A $1 million annual program providing small, one-time grants of $2,500 to $10,000 to 501(c)(3) nonprofits serving Detroit youth whose work falls outside the Foundation's core priorities. This fund supports pilot programs and initiatives in systems adjacent to education (health, housing, justice). Applications for 2026 funding open in late January. Organizations should email grants@skillman.org with their inquiry.

Youth Council Grants: Youth-led grantmaking program that has distributed $250,000 to 30 nonprofits in recent rounds, with grants typically ranging from $5,000 to $11,575.

Priority Areas

Ground Building: Community mobilization efforts that engage Detroit students, educators, and families in designing education changes they want to see. Recent funding examples include Metro Solutions ($556,000).

Policy & Systems: Statewide policy advocacy efforts advancing systemic changes benefiting all Michigan students. Examples include Afterschool Alliance ($150,000) and various policy organizations ($25,000-$200,000 range).

Media & Narrative: Work to shift public narratives about education and Detroit youth. Recent grant to Outlier Media ($150,000).

Data & Learning: Research and evaluation supporting evidence-based strategies. Recent grant to Data Driven Detroit ($180,000).

Afterschool System: Support for individual youth programs providing afterschool and wellness programming ($15,000-$20,000 typical range).

BIPOC-Led Organization Capacity: Special initiatives like the WELL Fund ($65,000 grants) supporting wellness, capacity building, and leadership development for BIPOC-led nonprofits serving Detroit youth.

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation explicitly excludes:

For-profit institutions
Endowments, building campaigns, or capital projects (construction, renovation, equipment purchases)
Political campaigns, political activities, or legislative lobbying
Direct payments to individuals
Personnel costs (under President's Discretionary Fund)
Organizations outside Detroit's geographic boundaries
Event sponsorships (considered but face funding challenges due to high demand)

Governance and Leadership

Leadership

President & CEO: Angelique Power (joined 2021). University of Michigan graduate with an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Previously served as President of the Field Foundation and Program Director at the Joyce Foundation. Power is recognized for centering youth voice in philanthropy and connecting grassroots community work with systems-level policy change.

Key Quote from Power: "I arrived with a jersey, not a cape. I know that people in Detroit have the answers. They've had a lot of things done to them, not with them."

On Youth Leadership: "Being so in touch with my own mortality during that period made me want to spend the rest of my days on the planet really just moving obstacles away from young people so that they could lead us all somewhere different."

On Strategy: Power believes "that our strategy, People Powered Education, is exactly what we need at this moment. Not only does it blend grassroots and grasstops, it links community realities to policymaking."

Board of Trustees

The Foundation has 12 trustees, including:

Suzanne Shank (Board Chair) – CEO & Co-Founder of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC
Ron Hall, Jr. (Vice Chair) – President & CEO of Bridgewater Interiors, LLC
Bill Emerson – Vice-Chairman of Rock Holdings, Inc.
Denise Ilitch – Owner of Ilitch Family Companies and President of Ilitch Enterprises, LLC
Pastor Solomon Kinloch, Jr. – Lead Pastor of Triumph Church
Elizabeth Morales – Attorney at Dykema Gossett PLLC
Angelique Power – President & CEO of The Skillman Foundation
Derrick Roman – CPA
Jeremiah Steen – Student at University of Detroit Mercy; first youth trustee in Foundation's history
Linh Song – Co-Founder of The Song Foundation
Gary Torgow – Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Huntington National Bank

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Partnership Grants (Primary Grantmaking): The Skillman Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. The Foundation proactively identifies and invites organizations to apply based on alignment with their "People Powered Education" strategy. Organizations interested in Partnership Grants should:

Connect directly with Foundation team members
Subscribe to the monthly newsletter for strategy updates and opportunities
Monitor the website for announcements about grantmaking cycles
Build relationships by attending Detroit education sector events

Current grant partners use the FLUXX grants management system to submit applications, access reporting requirements, and manage payments.

President's Discretionary Fund: Organizations whose work serves Detroit youth but falls outside core priorities can apply by emailing grants@skillman.org with:

Contact information and organizational details (EIN, website, social media)
Grant amount requested ($2,500-$10,000 range)
Brief project description

Note: Applications for 2025 are closed; requests for 2026 funding open in late January.

Decision Timeline

Initial Response: 2-3 weeks from submission (may be delayed during high-volume periods)
Approval and Payment: Typically 3-5 weeks after approval
Total Timeline: Approximately 5-8 weeks from application to payment for expedited grants

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, the Foundation made:

358 awards in 2023
394 awards in 2022
243 awards in 2021
207 awards in 2020

The Foundation typically makes 90-100 Partnership Grants annually, with the remainder being smaller discretionary and youth council grants.

Reapplication Policy

The Foundation does not publish a formal reapplication policy. Given that Partnership Grants are invitation-only, unsuccessful applicants should focus on maintaining relationships with Foundation staff and staying engaged with their newsletter and public events. Organizations are encouraged to reapply to the President's Discretionary Fund in subsequent years if initially unsuccessful.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Foundation's documented priorities and recent grantmaking patterns:

1. Alignment with "People Powered Education": The Foundation explicitly seeks organizations that "mobilize Detroit students, educators, and community members around the education changes they want to see." Successful applicants demonstrate how their work connects grassroots community engagement with systems-level change.

2. Centering Youth Voice: The Foundation's leadership emphasizes that youth are not "brought to the table" but rather lead the work. As CEO Angelique Power states: "And those that understand education systems the best are the ones that are inside of them...those that are most impacted by education" should be at the policymaking table. Applications should demonstrate authentic youth leadership, not token youth participation.

3. BIPOC Leadership: Recent initiatives like the WELL Fund specifically support BIPOC-led organizations. The Foundation prioritizes organizations led by people from communities most impacted by educational inequities.

4. Focus on Detroit: Geographic restriction is absolute. The Foundation only funds work that directly serves Detroit youth and Detroit's education system. Michigan-wide policy work is considered if it demonstrably benefits Detroit students.

5. Systems-Level Impact: While the Foundation funds both grassroots organizing and direct service programs, they increasingly prioritize work that addresses systemic barriers. Recent grants emphasize policy advocacy, narrative change, and data-driven systems improvement.

6. Multi-Year Relationships: The Foundation awards multi-year grants and values long-term partnerships. Organizations demonstrating sustained commitment to Detroit and capacity for multi-year work are favored.

7. Evidence of Community Connection: Successful applicants show deep roots in Detroit communities and authentic relationships with students, families, and educators—not just programmatic theory.

Recent Funded Projects as Examples:

Carol's House of Refuge ($11,575): Mentorship and leadership development for Detroit youth
Trespass Project ($11,575): Using modern technology to help youth understand the legal system
Metro Solutions ($556,000): Ground-building community mobilization
Data Driven Detroit ($180,000): Data and learning to support evidence-based strategies

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No unsolicited applications for major grants: Focus on relationship-building, newsletter subscription, and connecting with Foundation staff before expecting an invitation to apply
President's Discretionary Fund is your entry point: If your work serves Detroit youth but doesn't perfectly align with education transformation, the $2,500-$10,000 discretionary fund may be accessible
Youth leadership is non-negotiable: Token youth advisory boards won't cut it—the Foundation expects youth to be genuine decision-makers and designers
Think both grassroots AND systems: The Foundation's "People Powered Education" strategy explicitly links ground-level organizing with policy change; one without the other is insufficient
Detroit-only focus: Even excellent programs serving Michigan youth broadly will not receive funding unless they specifically benefit Detroit
BIPOC-led organizations prioritized: The Foundation has explicit initiatives supporting organizations led by people of color and has made racial equity central to their strategy
Build the relationship first: With 358 grants made in 2023 but invitation-only Partnership Grants, the Foundation clearly has established relationships with a broad network—getting into that network requires patience and authentic engagement with Detroit's education ecosystem

References

The Skillman Foundation Official Website - Home Page. https://www.skillman.org/ (Accessed December 2024)
The Skillman Foundation - Our Grant Process. https://www.skillman.org/grants/ (Accessed December 2024)
The Skillman Foundation - What We Fund. https://www.skillman.org/what-we-fund/ (Accessed December 2024)
The Skillman Foundation - President's Discretionary Fund. https://www.skillman.org/presidents-discretionary-fund/ (Accessed December 2024)
Cause IQ - Skillman Foundation Profile (EIN 38-1675780). https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/skillman-foundation,381675780/ (Accessed December 2024)
The Skillman Foundation - Angelique Power Biography. https://www.skillman.org/people/__power/ (Accessed December 2024)
The Skillman Foundation - New Trustees and Staff Changes. https://www.skillman.org/news/new-trustees-and-staff-changes/ (Accessed December 2024)
Detroit News - "Chicago native will lead Detroit's Skillman Foundation" (June 21, 2021). https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/06/21/skillman-foundation-detroit-angelique-power-philanthropy-field-foundation-chicago/7769400002/ (Accessed December 2024)
Philanthropy News Digest - "Angelique Power, President and CEO, The Skillman Foundation: Racial equity is an internal engine." https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/features/newsmakers/angelique-power-president-and-ceo-the-skillman-foundation-racial-equity-is-an-internal-engine (Accessed December 2024)
Detroit Regional Chamber - "'Don't Sleep on Young People': The Skillman Foundation's Angelique Power on the President's Youth Council." https://www.detroitchamber.com/skillman-foundation-anjelique-power-presidents-youth-council/ (Accessed December 2024)
Inside Philanthropy - "Five Things to Know About the Skillman Foundation, 'Fierce Champions of Detroit's Children.'" https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2022-3-31-five-things-to-know-about-the-skillman-foundation-fierce-champions-of-detroits-children (Accessed December 2024)
The Skillman Foundation - Wellness Works Update: Grant Funding Awarded to Youth-Serving Partners. https://www.skillman.org/blog/wellnessworks-update1/ (Accessed December 2024)
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Skillman Foundation Form 990 Filings. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/381675780 (Accessed December 2024)
InfluenceWatch - Skillman Foundation Profile. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/skillman-foundation/ (Accessed December 2024)
The Skillman Foundation - Financial Reports. https://www.skillman.org/financial-reports/ (Accessed December 2024)