# The Skillman Foundation

The Skillman Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Detroit, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Detroit, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 100 Talon Centre Drive Suite 100, Detroit, MI 48207, United States
- **Founded:** 1960
- **Assets under management:** 553 (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** skillman.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/skillman

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Skillman Foundation was established in 1960 by Robert Skillman and his wife Rose Skillman. Robert Skillman built the original endowment through his career at Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. The foundation operates from Detroit and maintains a grantmaking mandate centered on education and community development in Michigan. Asset allocation shows 51.9 percent in private equity. Holdings include Investure Evergreen Fund, TPG Partners, Warburg Pincus Private Equity and Huron Fund. Additional exposure appears in Merit Energy Partners oil assets and Dune Real Estate Parallel Fund. Geographic reach covers the United States and Asia. Program-related investments have supported Back Alley Bikes and RecoveryPark in Detroit. The foundation employs 47 professionals at its Detroit headquarters. It leases 16,800 square feet at Talon Centre Office. November 2024: Sponsored the Education Changemakers Summit in Detroit. May 2025: Participated as speaker at the Mackinac Policy Conference. Adjacent vehicles include The Song Foundation and The Steen Foundation, both established by current trustees. The firm maintains memberships in the Council on Foundations and Council of Michigan Foundations. Investment decisions route through external advisor Investure, LLC. This structure separates grantmaking operations from portfolio management while retaining board oversight on allocation targets and Detroit-specific program priorities.

## Sectors

- Education

## People

- Robert Skillman — Founder
- Rose Skillman — Founder

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at The Skillman Foundation?

Investure, LLC serves as the primary investment advisor. The board retains final authority on allocation targets and program-related investments.

### Does The Skillman Foundation participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

The foundation holds limited partner positions in multiple private equity funds through Investure, LLC. It also executes direct program-related investments in Detroit-based organizations.

### What investment stages does The Skillman Foundation typically target?

Private equity exposure spans buyout, growth, early stage, and special situations strategies. Direct activity includes seed and startup program-related investments in Detroit.

### How is The Skillman Foundation related to Investure, LLC?

Investure, LLC acts as the retained investment advisor managing the majority of the $553 million portfolio across multiple fund series.

### Which sectors does The Skillman Foundation explicitly prioritize?

Grantmaking and investments center on K-12 education reform, afterschool programming, youth leadership, and racial equity within Detroit and Michigan.

## Related profiles

- [Riverside Healthcare](https://altss.com/profile/riverside-healthcare)
- [Alaska Laborers-Employers Retirement Fund](https://altss.com/profile/alaska-laborers-employers-retirement-fund)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/the-skillman-foundation

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