The Skillman Foundation
Historical FunderDetroit, Michigan · EIN 38-1675780 · Private foundation · Website
Grants paid (2024)$17.8M
Organizations funded406
Typical grant$10,000
Total assets$601.6M
Half of its grants to organizations were between $5,000 and $40,000.
From the return
How to apply
The foundation filed the following application information (Form 990-PF Part XV, tax year 2024):
| Contact | THE SKILLMAN FOUNDATION |
|---|---|
| Address | 100 TALON CENTRE DRIVE SUITE 100, DETROIT MI 48207 |
| Phone | 3133931185 |
| Form and materials | ALL GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE FLUXX GRANTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. EACH APPLICATION INCLUDES ORGANIZATION NAME, RESPONSES TO THE ELIGIBILITY QUIZ, PRIMARY CONTACTS, AMOUNT REQUESTED, PROJECT TITLE AND SUMMARY, PROPOSED GRANT START AND END DATES, AND ALIGNED STRATEGIC IMPACT. FOR PRESIDENT DISCRETIONARY GRANTS, WE ALSO ASK FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT, PROJECT, OR PROGRAM TO BE FUNDED. FOR PARTNERSHIP GRANTS, WE ASK HOW THE PROPOSED PROJECT ALIGNS TO OUR STRATEGY, DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT GOALS AND ACTIVITES, PLANS FOR MONITORING AND EVALUATION, COLLABORATIVE FUNDING, CHALLENGES AND RISKS, AND A BUDGET FOR HOW THE FUNDS WILL BE SPENT (IF PROJECT GRANT). WE ALSO ASK GRANT PARTNERS TO UPLOAD A BOARD LIST, INTERIM FINANCIALS, MOST RECENT AUDITED OR REVIEWED FINANCIALS, 990 FORM, AND ORGANIZATIONAL BUDGET. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT HTTPS://WWW.SKILLMAN.ORG/GRANTS/. |
| Deadlines | APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE INVESTMENT REVIEW MEETING. |
| Restrictions | THE SKILLMAN FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANTS TO NONPROFIT 501(C)(3) PUBLIC CHARITIES. IT MAY ALSO FUND NON-501 (C)(3) ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE PURPOSES OF DIRECT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE EXPENDITURE RESPONSIBILITY PROCESS. THE FOUNDATION DOES NOT FUND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, POLITICAL ACTIVITIES, OR LOBBYING FOR OR AGAINST PIECES OF LEGISLATION. ITS PARTNERSHIP GRANTS FUND ORGANIZATIONS AND EFFORTS ALIGNED TO ITS PEOPLE POWERED EDUCATION STRATEGY, SUPPORTING DETROIT STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND EDUCATORS TO STRENGTHEN THE K-12 EDUCATION SYSTEM. |
Copied as filed. Deadlines on a tax return describe the foundation's usual process; they are not confirmation of a current open cycle.
What it funds
Share of grant lines on the latest return, classified from the purpose each grant states.
Where it gives
18% of grants went outside Michigan.
Grants paid in tax year 2024
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Children's Fund | Detroit, MI | Dcf investment strategy | $500,000 |
| Michigan's Thanksgiving Parade | Detroit, MI | The parade company | $500,000 |
| Warren Conner Development Coalition Inc Dba Eastside Community Network | Detroit, MI | The marlowe stoudamire wellness center | $500,000 |
| Community Development Advocates of Detroit | Detroit, MI | Building neighborhood power through youth and neighborhood voice | $405,000 |
| Allied Media Projects Inc | Detroit, MI | Support for detroit youth development resource center (ydrc) | $375,000 |
| Black Male Educators Alliance | Detroit, MI | Activate: transforming education through collective action | $375,000 |
| Teach for America Inc | New York, NY | Tfa detroit teachmichigan, general operating support | $360,000 |
| Michigan Association of United Ways | Lansing, MI | Michigan after school partnership | $300,000 |
| The Children's Foundation | Detroit, MI | Michigan central station childrens endowment campaign | $300,000 |
| Metro Solutions Inc | Southfield, MI | Youth power pooled fund | $278,000 |
| Metro Solutions Inc | Southfield, MI | Support for sankofa scholarship collective | $275,000 |
| Bfdi Educational Services Inc | Detroit, MI | Hope academy visionary leadership | $250,000 |
| Detroit 9090 | Detroit, MI | University prep schools visionary leadership | $250,000 |
| Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences | Detroit, MI | Detroit academy for arts and sciences visionary leadership | $250,000 |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI | Rx kids | $250,000 |
| New Paradigm for Education | Detroit, MI | New paradigm for education visionary leadership | $250,000 |
| 482Forward | Detroit, MI | Back to basics: building people power to transform our schools | $220,000 |
| Autism Alliance of Michigan | Southfield, MI | Support for autism alliance of michigan | $200,000 |
| Launch Michigan | Lansing, MI | Launch michigan general operating support grant | $200,000 |
| Teach Plus Incorporated | Boston, MA | Teach plus michiganleveraging catalytic teacher leadership | $200,000 |
| Ser Metro Detroit-Jobs for Progress Inc | Detroit, MI | Ost transition support | $180,984 |
| Data Driven Detroit L3c | Detroit, MI | Community data activities - 2025 project support | $180,000 |
| Education Trust Inc | Washington, DC | Advancing an agenda for educational equity and excellence in metropolitan detroit and throughout michigan | $180,000 |
| Detroit Parent Network | Detroit, MI | Support 313reads | $175,000 |
| Detroit Parent Network | Detroit, MI | Parents powered for change | $175,000 |
| Foundation for Detroit's Future | Detroit, MI | This grant will provide support to the foundation for detroit's future to be used to make grants to the city of detroit. | $175,000 |
| Michigan Future Inc | Ann Arbor, MI | Rising income for all agenda project | $175,000 |
| Michigan League for Public Policy | Lansing, MI | An initiative to ensure that all children, youth and families in detroit and michigan have their needs met and are thriving, through policy… | $175,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan | Farmington Hills, MI | Ost transition support | $172,941 |
| Atlantic Impact | Detroit, MI | Ost transition support | $169,575 |
| Congress of Communities | Detroit, MI | Coc youth programming | $152,500 |
| Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation | Detroit, MI | Poder - neighborhood power building | $152,500 |
| Urban Neighborhood Initiatives Inc | Detroit, MI | Building capacity to build collective power | $152,500 |
| Warren Conner Development Coalition Inc Dba Eastside Community Network | Detroit, MI | Eastside education equity initiative | $152,500 |
| Afterschool Alliance | Washington, DC | America after 3pm - detroit, southeast michigan, and michigan data collection and analysis | $150,000 |
| Catchafire Foundation | San Francisco, CA | Build capacity of service providers and change agents | $150,000 |
| Detroit Future City | Detroit, MI | Educational gains for detroit's future | $150,000 |
| Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation Inc | Detroit, MI | Support for economic equity and inclusion work and detroit drives degrees | $150,000 |
| Michigan Nonprofit Association | Lansing, MI | 2024 voter engagement & capacity building project | $150,000 |
| Michigan Roundtable for Just Communities | Detroit, MI | Beloved community fellowship | $150,000 |
| Michigan's Children | Lansing, MI | Investment in children and families | $150,000 |
| New Detroit Inc | Detroit, MI | Support for blueprint project | $150,000 |
| Outlier Media | Detroit, MI | Outlier media & detroit documenters | $150,000 |
| Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation | Detroit, MI | Fiscal sponsor for engage detroit | $130,000 |
| Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation | Detroit, MI | General operating support | $130,000 |
| Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance Inc | Detroit, MI | People powered education | $122,500 |
| Student Advocacy Center of Michigan Inc | Ypsilanti, MI | Youth organizing | $120,000 |
| United Way for Southeastern Michigan | Detroit, MI | Investment in children and families | $115,000 |
| Allied Media Projects Inc | Detroit, MI | Support for people in education (pie) | $110,000 |
| United Way for Southeastern Michigan | Detroit, MI | Supporting the bedad progression for systematic impact | $110,000 |
| 482Forward | Detroit, MI | Michigan education justice coalition | $100,000 |
| Civic News Company | New York, NY | Chalkbeat detroit | $100,000 |
| College for Creative Studies | Detroit, MI | Ost transition support | $100,000 |
| Detroit Horse Power | Detroit, MI | Ost transition support | $100,000 |
| Detroit Phoenix Center | Detroit, MI | Youth action board | $100,000 |
| Force Detroit | Detroit, MI | Creating a freer, safer detroit | $100,000 |
| Greenlight Fund Inc | Boston, MA | Greenlight fund detroit - fund II | $100,000 |
| Michigan Afterschool Partnership | Lansing, MI | Support for burness communications campaign | $100,000 |
| Michigan Center for Youth Justice | Ann Arbor, MI | General operating support | $100,000 |
| Michigan College Access Network | Lansing, MI | Support for detroit college access network | $100,000 |
Showing the 60 largest of 406 grants to organizations.
The return also lists 10 grants to individuals ($500,000). We do not publish the names of individual recipients.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Grant lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $17,815,860 | 417 |
| 2023 | $23,772,506 | 359 |
Sources
- IRS Form 990-PF, tax year 2024, filed Nov 12, 2025 - IRS e-file batch, object ID 202543169349103214
- IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 38-1675780
- Profile updated Nov 4, 2026
Facts on this page come from the foundation's own IRS Form 990-PF filings as published by the IRS. Grantvello does not know whether a foundation is accepting proposals right now: a past grant is not an open opportunity. Always confirm current guidelines with the funder before applying.