The Skillman Foundation is a private philanthropic organization based in Detroit, Michigan, founded in 1960. The foundation is committed to providing resources to improve the lives of children in metropolitan Detroit by improving their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. The organization partners with people to transform education systems, nurturing the brilliance and power of Detroit youth while developing community-informed strategies to ensure Detroit youth, educators, parents, and advocates can influence education policy and systems change in their city and state.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$418.5M
+3.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$17.8M
-25.0% YoY
Grant Count
416
+15.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$43K
-35.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Skillman Foundation's grantmaking and advocacy is designed for, and shaped by, the rising Generation Z and their demand for an equitable education system—one that produces career-ready skills and rewards independent, creative thinkers who solve old problems and forge new worlds.
Primary focus areas include:
- Education and equal opportunity in education
- Elementary and secondary education
- Children and youth development
- Philanthropy and grantmaking
- Human services
- Systems adjacent to education such as health, housing, and justice
Program activities include:
Youth Council Learning: The Skillman youth council engages Detroit youth to learn, connect, and bring their voice to shape the future of education. Youth council members explore education issues and solutions while learning the ins and outs of grantmaking and philanthropy.
Evaluation and Learning for Charitable Programs: The Foundation funds evaluation and learning activities to support charities working on behalf of children and youth, including the creation of evaluation frameworks and reports that provide actionable data to charities in Detroit and across Michigan.
Capacity Building for Charitable Programs: The Foundation funds capacity-building initiatives to strengthen the operations of charitable organizations serving children and youth.
Grantmaking
The foundation maintains an open grant opportunity through the **President's Discretionary Fund**, a $1 million annual fund for small, one-time grants supporting 501(c)(3) nonprofits serving Detroit youth whose work falls outside the Foundation's core strategic priorities. This fund supports pilot programs, one-time projects, and efforts in systems adjacent to education such as health, housing, and justice. It is not designed to provide continuous annual support to an organization.
Review Cycle
** Rolling
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in Michigan, with a primary focus on the Detroit metropolitan area. The foundation also funds initiatives in other states including New York, California, and Washington, D.C.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $418,504,721
- Total Revenues: $40,133,774
- Total Expenses: $32,119,964
- Number of Employees: 20
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: Approximately $406 million
- Annual Expenses: Approximately $29.7 million
- Annual Revenue: Approximately $21.9 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $418,504,721 | $406,218,537 | $416,635,221 |
| Revenue | $40,133,774 | $21,945,374 | $34,435,700 |
| Expenses | $32,119,964 | $29,699,000 | $34,605,490 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $24,878,441 | $30,709,109 | $28,291,476 |
| Net Investment Income | $33,169,905 | $15,244,834 | $14,922,052 |
| Distributable Amount | $28,550,466 | $27,691,692 | $28,579,549 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Skillman Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Angelique Power: President, Secretary, and CEO
- Maria Woodruff-Wright: Treasurer and CFO
- Ashley Aidenbaum: Director, Strategic Initiatives
The foundation is governed by 26 officers and trustees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANGELIQUE POWER | PRESIDENT, SECRETARY & CEO | 40 | $544,981 |
| MARIA WOODRUFF-WRIGHT | TREASURER, VP OF OPERATIONS & CFO | 40 | $311,108 |
| PUNITA DANI THURMAN | VP, PROGRAM AND STRATEGY | 40 | $264,306 |
| LAILA BELL | VP, LEARNING & IMPACT | 40 | $226,050 |
| NATALIE FOTIAS | VP, COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $161,258 |
| LAUREN HAWKINS | ASSISTANT TREASURER | 40 | $157,330 |
| DENISE ILITCH | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| RON HALL | TRUSTEE | 3 | $30,000 |
| SUZANNE SHANK | TRUSTEE | 5 | — |
| BILL EMERSON | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| SOLOMAN KINLOCH | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| ELIZABETH MORALES-SAUCEDO | TRUSTEE | 3 | $25,000 |
| GARY TORGOW | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| DERRICK ROMAN | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| LINH SONG | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| JEREMIAH STEEN | PART YEAR TRUSTEE | 3 | $20,000 |
| JOI HARRIS | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| MOHAMMAD MUNTAKIM | TRUSTEE | 3 | $20,000 |
| NICK KHOURI | ADVISORY MEMBER (NON-TRUSTEE) | 1 | $5,000 |
| ERIK LUNDBERG | ADVISORY MEMBER (NON-TRUSTEE) | 1 | — |
| HERMAN GRAY | ADVISORY MEMBER (NON-TRUSTEE) | 1 | $5,000 |
| EDDIE MUNSON | ADVISORY MEMBER (NON-TRUSTEE) | 1 | $7,500 |
| LIZABETH ARDISANA | ADVISORY MEMBER (NON-TRUSTEE) | 1 | — |
| THOMAS H CASTRO | ADVISORY MEMBER (NON-TRUSTEE) | 1 | — |
| LYLE LOGAN | ADVISORY MEMBER (NON-TRUSTEE) | 1 | $5,000 |
| VENUS PHILLIPS | ADVISORY MEMBER (NON-TRUSTEE) | 1 | $5,000 |
| CHASE L CANTRELL | ADVISORY MEMBER (NON-TRUSTEE) | 1 | $5,000 |
| ASHLEY M WILLIAMS | ADVISORY MEMBER (NON-TRUSTEE) | 1 | $5,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced the 2025-2027 Skillman Youth Council, continuing its commitment to youth engagement in grantmaking and education policy.
The Skillman Foundation | President's Youth Council announces ...The President's Youth Council distributed $250,000 in grants to nonprofits serving Detroit youth, demonstrating the foundation's commitment to youth-led philanthropy.
The Skillman Foundation | President's Youth Council announces ...LIFT received a $200,000 grant from The Skillman Foundation to support new opportunities for Detroit youth to gain critical advanced manufacturing skills.
The Skillman Foundation | President's Youth Council announces ...The Skillman Foundation committed $1.1 million to strengthen youth-serving organizations through the Michigan Central Station Children's Endowment Initiative.
The Skillman Foundation | President's Youth Council announces ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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