The Skillman Foundation

The Skillman Foundation announced a $1.1 million gift in support of the Michigan Central Station Children’s Endowment Initiative, providing $100,000 to each of the 11 participating Detroit area youth-serving organizations.

The Skillman Foundation is the first of the campaign’s original funders to equally support all 11 organizations in the Initiative’s match phase. The Foundation was an early supporter of the Initiative in 2024, contributing $600,000 at launch. Today’s announcement brings The Skillman Foundation’s total commitment to $1.7 million

“The Skillman Foundation has been committed to Detroit youth and their champions for over 65 years. We invest in the people and places that support children every day. These are the deep roots of Detroit,” said Angelique Power, president & CEO of The Skillman Foundation. “But it is not enough for us to help one or some. We want to change the odds for all Detroit youth, so we look for ways we can shore up the systems that support them. We love this endowment initiative because it aims for something big—to build nonprofits up so they can serve kids in perpetuity. We’re honored to be part of this and hope our gift inspires others to join in. Big things are happening in Detroit, and it’s the city’s youth who will keep that momentum going.”

“We are deeply grateful to The Skillman Foundation for its continued commitment to the Michigan Central Station Children’s Endowment Initiative,” said Andrew Stein, president & CEO at the Children’s Foundation. “By fueling the match component, their gift gives every organization a powerful boost toward its fundraising goal, accelerating their path to long-term sustainability. This gift inspires others to give, multiplies results, and ensures these youth-serving organizations have the durability and strength to support young people in the Detroit area for generations to come.”

About the Initiative

The Initiative was launched in January 2024 by Bill and Lisa Ford in partnership with the Children’s Foundation, coinciding with the reopening of Michigan Central Station. It was created as a symbolic effort to ensure Detroit-area youth-serving organizations would be here forever—strong and enduring—just like the Station itself. In six months, it raised more than $19 million.

In January 2025, 11 youth-serving organizations were selected to participate after a community-driven selection process. Each received:

• A $500,000 permanent endowment held at the Children’s Foundation
• Capacity-building resources to strengthen long-term impact
• Strategic consulting and grant support in 2025 and 2026

As part of the match phase, each organization is actively fundraising an additional $500,000 by the end of 2026. Every dollar raised will be matched, giving each organization the potential to grow its endowment to $1.5 million.

The 11 youth-serving organizations participating in the Initiative include:

• Birth Detroit: A Black midwifery-led, community-based, maternal health practice that provides safe, quality, loving prenatal, birth, and postpartum care and education to pregnant people and families in Detroit.
• Brilliant Detroit: A neighborhood-powered model focused on building “kid success neighborhoods”—connected places where families with children 0-8 have everything needed to thrive.
• Chaldean Community Foundation: Dedicated to improving the stability, health, and wellness of those they serve through advocacy, acculturation, community development, and cultural preservation.
• Children’s Center: Empowers children and families in Detroit and Wayne County by supporting vulnerable youth facing trauma, mental and behavioral health challenges, developmental disabilities, and experiences with foster care and adoption.
• InsideOut Literary Arts: The oldest and largest literary arts organization in Detroit cultivates literary and academic skills in partnership with schools, cultural institutions, and community-based organizations across Metro Detroit.
• Judson Center: A nonprofit human services agency that has been providing comprehensive care for 100 years to children, adults, and families impacted by abuse and neglect, autism spectrum disorder, and developmental, behavioral, and physical health challenges, empowering them to achieve their maximum potential.
• LAHC: Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities empowers communities through education, workforce development, public health, and social services, including programs in behavioral health, substance misuse prevention, nutrition, physical fitness, and economic well-being.
• College Career & Beyond: Helps Detroit’s most driven students overcome barriers and develop the skills they need to achieve success in education, work, and life through mentorship, life skills training, mindset coaching, admissions counseling, college tours, and financial aid.
• Ruth Ellis Center: Creating opportunities with LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness and/or facing barriers to health and well-being. The Center provides essential services, including primary and behavioral healthcare, permanent supportive housing, and safety-net resources.
• SER Metro-Detroit: A community resource to address the employment and economic inequities of Hispanic and other underrepresented Detroit residents through education, training, job placement, financial education, and economic supports.
• Starfish Family Services: Champions children and families in Metro Detroit, providing integrated programs in early education, behavioral health, and parental support, fostering resilience and growth through a holistic approach that ensures long-term success.

Donors interested in supporting these organizations can learn more at yourchildrensfoundation.org

About the Children’s Foundation

The Children’s Foundation promotes health and well-being for children in Michigan through strategic grantmaking, advocacy, and fundraising efforts. The Foundation has a legacy of supporting efforts that create more equitable opportunities for kids, stewarding philanthropic funds from the Children’s Hospital of Michigan dating back more than 130 years. Today, the Foundation advances the possibilities of philanthropy by building endowments for Michigan’s kids, improving the durability of youth-serving organizations, and supporting donors in achieving their unique giving goals. Learn more at yourchildrensfoundation.org 

Photo Credit: Brilliant Detroit