2023-2024 Skillman President’s Youth Council, (Credit: Skillman Foundation)
This holiday season, the Skillman Foundation President’s Youth Council, a dynamic group of Detroiters aged 13 to 23, made an impactful statement by awarding $250,000 in grants to 30 nonprofits dedicated to empowering youth across the city. In its fourth year of grantmaking, the Council embraced a bold new approach, launching an open call for proposals to support organizations amplifying youth leadership and voice in Detroit.
The process was entirely youth-led, with council members setting the scope, criteria and reviewing each application.
Skillman Foundation President & CEO Angelique Power emphasized that young people will not just inherit the future; they will determine it.
“You can see from the programs our youth council members chose that they’re readying themselves to lead thoughtfully and boldly,” Power said.
“Our President’s Youth Council made these decisions from start to finish. They invited grants, designed a scoring rubric, debated, and directed a quarter of a million dollars.”
High school junior and youth journalist Ian Robinson highlighted this year has been the most seeing a different perspective through a call for applications, not just from our experiences but from others.
Grantee – No Barriers 2 Success members participate in Motor City Makeover (Credit: The Skillman Foundation)
“It was a lot more unique this year. There were still many youth-serving organizations focused on mentorship and tutoring; there were also things like cooking and addressing food security,” Robinson said.
“Last year, we focused on mental health and afterschool programs, but this time the grants provided a lot of insight into other issues in different parts around the city.”
The open call received over 50 submissions from youth-led and youth-serving nonprofits. College sophomore and youth organizer Eva Oleita reflected on the review process,“We had training on how to go through grant applications and everyone was excited to learn to learn more because we all wanted that educational piece on What is philanthropy? Why are we even giving out this money? What is the importance of philanthropy in this work?”
“We all come from so many different backgrounds and bring different expertise. It was nice to work with everyone and talk through our decision-making—where we disagree and agree—and look at things from a different perspective.” Eva said.
2024 President’s Youth Council grant recipients
1 Michigan for the Global Majority – $5,250 –1 Michigan for the Global Majority empowers marginalized individuals and fosters intergenerational and cultural unity through education, advocacy, and community-centered initiatives that promote equality, fairness, and inclusion.
482Forward – $7,500 –482Forward is an education organizing coalition dedicated to ensuring every student in Detroit graduates ready to become a fully engaged participant in the world, equipped with character and capacity to negotiate their environment and change it for the better.
Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center – $7,500 –Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center creates a welcoming space where people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and cultures can find support and unconditional acceptance where they can learn, grow, socialize, and feel safe.
Carol’s House of Refuge – $11,575 –Carol’s House of Refuge provides a dynamic environment where Detroit youth thrive through innovative programs, mentorship, and leadership development opportunities.
Changing Lives and Staying Sober (CLASS) – $5,250 –Changing Lives and Staying Sober (CLASS) provides innovative, holistic programs and services to address mental health and substance misuse, improving quality of life in a holistic way.
Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance – $11,575 –Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance’s mission is to revitalize and sustain a healthy community where residents have access to and promote a high quality of life; all children live in a village where they are safe, educated, and have access to unlimited resources; and youth are involved in neighborhood revitalization and decision making.
Detroit African Youth Development Organization (DAYDO) – $7,500 –Detroit African Youth Development Organization (DAYDO) enhances the living standard for African migrant communities in the U.S. and low-income populations in Africa through education, economic, and social development programs.
Detroit Area Youth Uniting Michigan (DAYUM), fiscally sponsored by Allied Media Projects – $7,500 –Detroit Area Youth Uniting Michigan (DAYUM) nurtures strong youth organizers through youth-led campaigns that make a material difference in communities.
Detroit Food & Entrepreneurship Academy – $11,575 –Detroit Food & Entrepreneurship Academy inspires young Detroiters (ages 10-24) through culinary arts, wellness skills, workforce readiness programs, and holistic leadership.
DEVKEY, fiscally sponsored by The Institute for AfroUrbanism – $7,500 –DEVKEY’s mission is to inspire 10% of Detroit youth under 14 to be globally competitive computer scientists by the year 2030.
L!FE Leaders – $7,500 –L!FE Leaders empowers youth to direct their future and the future of Detroit.
Life Remodeled – $7,500 –Life Remodeled serves Detroit neighborhoods by transforming school properties into one-stop hubs of opportunity, offering youth programs, workforce development, and human services for families
Grantee – Life Remodeled Youth Alliance members ,(Credit: The Skillman Foundation)
L.I.V.E Outreach – $5,250 –L.I.V.E Outreach’s mission is to “refresh, renew, and revive” by assisting with housing, financial support, career development, and life skills training for youth 12-17 in foster care and in underserved communities.
Michigan Student Power Alliance – $5,250 –Michigan Student Power Alliance is an intergenerational network that organizes, educates, and provides a vast spectrum of care to sustain youth movements.
Michigan Urban Youth Alliance – $5,250 –Michigan Urban Youth Alliance bridges the gap between government agencies and the community through traditional and non-traditional sports and enrichment programs that engage youth and provide pathways to higher education and careers.
Mirrored Glass, Inc. – $11,575 –Mirrored Glass, Inc. connects young professionals and artists through multidisciplinary collaborations, workshops, and community-centered activations.
No Barriers 2 Success – $11,575 –No Barriers 2 Success offers skill-building programs to Detroit youth ages 16 – 24, fostering youth leadership and resilience.
One Love Global – $11,575 –One Love Global transforms communities so Black children experience justice, peace, healing, opportunity, and abundance.
Racquet Up Detroit – $11,575 –Racquet Up Detroit empowers youth to reach their full potential through a long-term,
demanding, and inspiring mentoring program of squash, academics, and community service.
RTTM Community Center – $11,575 –RTTM Community Center offers innovative, accessible programs that promote health, employment, and collaboration.
Sugar Honey Iced Tea – $11,575 –Sugar Honey Iced Tea educates youth ages 13-25 about self-care and sexual health through workshops, community outreach, and social engagement events.
The Better Men Outreach Program – $5,250 –The Better Men Outreach Program challenges stereotypes and fosters leadership development by creating safe spaces for young Black men to build character, enhance well-being, and pursue upward social mobility.
The City of Detroit Department of Neighborhoods, fiscally sponsored by Detroit Public Safety Foundation – $7,500 –The City of Detroit Department of Neighborhoods (DON), established in 2014, connects the City of Detroit with block clubs, community groups, businesses, local leaders, and residents to combat blight and enhance neighborhoods. DON’s Youth Affairs Team increases youth leadership by creating pathways for young Detroiters to take active roles in shaping their neighborhoods and driving impactful change.
The Detroit Creativity Project – $7,500 –The Detroit Creativity Project transforms the lives of Detroit youth through improvisation, building confidence, creativity, and collaboration.
The Gary B Initiative, fiscally sponsored by Umoja Debate Team – $7,500 –The Gary B Initiative empowers communities and institutions through educational organizing with a youth-centric pedagogy that expands political and social consciousness to drive social change.
The Konnection – $7,500 –The Konnection inspires youth to broaden their horizons through positive relationships and healthy connections.
The Young Voices Action Collective (YVAC) Education Fund, fiscally sponsored by the Poise Foundation – $5,250 –The YVAC Education Fund empowers Black and Indigenous youth, youth of color, and their families through its State of the Young storytelling tool, restorative justice, and trauma-informed care, fostering agency and resilience in communities.
Trespass Project, fiscally sponsored by Chapel Vision Community Development Corporation – $11,575 –The Trespass Project leverages modern technology to help youth better understand the legal system and equips them to achieve positions of power.
Women of Banglatown – $7,500 –Women of Banglatown is a neighborhood-based community arts organization that provides a supportive, culturally sensitive space for arts and well-being programming for first-generation and immigrant girls and young women (ages 10-26) from the Banglatown neighborhood of Detroit and Hamtramck.
YouthTank Detroit – $7,500 –YouthTank is a grassroots organization that builds opportunities for young people in Detroit’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to create their own career pathways and community prosperity.
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