About the Organization

About the Council of Michigan Foundations
CMF is a statewide membership association for philanthropic organizations, their staff, and trustees across Michigan. 
 
CMF’s work focuses on emboldening and equipping Michigan philanthropy in the relentless pursuit of equitable systems, fortifying the field through public policy action, fostering the growth of current and future philanthropy leaders, and advancing exemplary philanthropic practices and field expertise. Equity is a pillar of our work, and equity is embedded across our priority pillars of policy, practice, and people. 

CMF is a leadership organization driven by our values and the power of people, equipped with deep sector expertise and the ability to anticipate and adapt, to changing environments with a clear commitment to equity-centered approaches for continuous improvement. 

Read more about us at: www.michiganfoundations.org.

Follow us on social media @michfoundations.

About The Skillman Foundation
The Skillman Foundation, located in Detroit, MI, partners with people to transform the education system, nurturing the brilliance and power of Detroit youth. We believe in People Powered Education. We invest in Detroiters’ power to design an exceptional education system, we support equitable education policy advocacy, and we connect the expertise of students and those closest to them with policy movers statewide. Across our 65-year history, The Skillman Foundation has granted approximately $750 million and has served as a vocal advocate to strengthen K-12 public education, afterschool programming, youth and community leadership, and racial equity and justice.

For more information about The Skillman Foundation please visit: www.skillman.org.

Position Description

Position Summary:
The Youth Philanthropy Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for individuals passionate about youth engagement to work closely with The Skillman Foundation, its nonprofit partners and the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF) to support opportunities to advance youth leadership and youth-adult partnership practices and principles. This is the first time CMF and The Skillman Foundation have established a fellowship position dedicated to youth engagement in philanthropy.

Approximately 80% of the fellow's time will be spent with The Skillman Foundation. A shared position with CMF, the Fellow will also gain experience focused on specific bodies of work that benefit Michigan’s broader philanthropic sector. You will be an integral member of the CMF team, supporting opportunities to advance youth leadership and youth-adult partnerships in philanthropy. This represents 10% of the Fellow’s time. In addition, the Fellow will benefit from being part of a larger cohort of Fellows from several area foundations, receiving ongoing support from CMF in targeted networking for career development and learning about the field of philanthropy. This activity represents the remaining 10% of the Fellow’s time.

What Else You Should Know:
The Youth Philanthropy Fellow will work on-site at The Skillman Foundation in Detroit a minimum of three days per week and will be invited to work from home (or a remote location of their choice) the remainder of the week. There will be select in-person events the Fellow will be required to attend, as well as optional convenings and development opportunities. The Fellow will also have regular in-person connections and training opportunities with the larger cohort of emerging fellows from several area foundations for which CMF provides support.  

Responsibilities

As a Youth Philanthropy Fellow, you will report to The Skillman Foundation’s Director, Strategic Initiatives and the CMF Program Coordinator who supports CMF’s youth philanthropy work and works closely with The Skillman Foundation’s Program Manager, Strategic Initiatives.

The Skillman Foundation

  • Support implementation of the program strategy team’s efforts around youth engagement, including but not limited to the Skillman Youth Council.
  • Work in partnership with the Strategic Initiatives, Ground Building and Policy/Systems teams to provide counsel and insights around how to best engage and support youth voice and meaningful engagement within the Program Team and across the organization.
  • Design, curate and support opportunities for policymakers, system leaders and partners of the foundation to engage Detroit youth to provide meaningful input, insights and perspectives.
  • In collaboration with CMF, develop recommendations for Foundation practices to authentically engage youth perspectives and participation that influence the sector of philanthropy more intentionally.

Council of Michigan Foundations

  • Informed by CMF’s recent landscape assessment of youth philanthropy, contribute to strategies for equitable youth engagement and continued listening to diverse youth voices to inform the work of CMF across its strategic pillars: Equity, Policy, People and Practice.
  • Curate and help to maintain CMF’s digital resource libraries of publications, articles, activities and service project ideas available for youth leaders and the adults who support them.   
  • Contribute to the development of new resources and programming that promote and encourage youth engagement in philanthropy across Michigan’s community of philanthropy. This may include writing, editing, event planning and other skills aligned with the fellow’s strengths and interests, working in partnership with CMF’s Learning Services and Communications teams. 
  • In collaboration with staff and the Russell G. Mawby Intern, connect with and support youth who serve on Youth Action Committees (YAC) and the Michigan Community Foundations Youth Project (MCFYP) Committee, as well as other youth engaged with Michigan foundations.
  • Support the success of the annual Youth Grantmakers Summer Leadership Conference and other key virtual and in-person peer convenings and connection spaces.

What You’ll Gain:

  • Opportunity to engage and network with staff of both CMF and The Skillman Foundation, as well as foundations across the state and The Skillman Foundation’s grant partners.
  • Exposure to a dynamic philanthropic environment committed to collaboration and innovation.  
  • Development of your skills and knowledge, supported by the CMF Fellowship Cohort learning opportunities and a generous professional development budget. 
  • Tailored 1:1 networking support from CMF to explore potential career paths post-fellowship across the philanthropic sector and adjacent fields. 
  • Exposure to an understanding of and learning around racial justice-committed philanthropic grantmaking processes, partnerships and operations.
  • Attendance at local and national stakeholder meetings and conferences, experience staffing a conference through the CMF annual conference and increased exposure to philanthropy. 
  • Signature projects the Fellow can highlight as a portfolio of work they have accomplished.
  • Opportunities to infuse and expand youth perspectives and influence across efforts of the foundation and the broader philanthropic/nonprofit sector. 
Qualifications

This position is targeted at early career professionals who can demonstrate their passion and commitment to youth engagement. We value knowledge from lived experience and education. Candidates who exhibit a strong commitment to advancing racial equity will be considered for the Youth Philanthropy Fellowship. While possessing a degree or extensive experience is not a requirement, the desired skills listed below are essential for success in this role. These skills may be demonstrated by professional or volunteer experience, a degree or certification in a relevant field, or a blend of experience and training.

Minimum Qualifications

Early career professional experience in education, youth leadership, youth development or other examples of youth-adult partnership is highly valued and nonprofit expertise is preferred. Lived experience in Detroit is highly valued.

   -OR-

A degree in a relevant field and a year of full-time professional experience in youth development, youth leadership, education or other examples of youth-adult partnership.

Desired Skills

A successful candidate will demonstrate:

  • Relationship management skills are paramount, along with experience and ability to effectively and actively engage with youth and support their leadership.
  • Knowledge and expertise with nonprofits and youth development preferred.
  • Strong project management, time management and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple sub-projects independently while maintaining flexibility.
  • Curiosity and interest in philanthropy and expanding youth influence through a variety of means, platforms and contexts.
  • Ability to collaborate and coordinate with internal and external partners to plan and support the implementation of programs, initiatives and special projects related to CMF’s priorities and the Foundation’s priorities – in particular, those of the Foundation’s Ground Building & Policy and & Systems teams.
  • Effective writing and communication skills for internal and external audiences; the fellow may be asked to coordinate with communications staff on storytelling.
  • Attention to detail; strong judgment/discernment; emotional intelligence; ability to work at strategic and tactical levels to ensure execution.

Physical and Mental Activities and Requirements:

  • The employee is frequently required to sit and use hands to finger, handle or feel to perform the duties. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk around to perform the duties. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 lbs.
  • The employee may operate any or all of the following: telephone, cell phone, copy machine, computer and printer.
  • This position may require travel by automobile and airplane.
  • This position requires the employee to make decisions in a timely manner and anticipate the potential ramifications of decisions made.
  • The employee must be able to read and interpret documents, understand/follow complex written and oral instructions, be able to express themselves clearly/concisely, perform mathematical functions and handle multiple, concurrent tasks.
Salary & Benefits

We value our people. In honoring a healthy workplace that offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits and a supportive working environment, for this position, the salary is $62,000. Benefits include health, dental and vision insurance, participation in a 403b plan with employer contribution and a contribution match, life insurance, short and long-term disability insurance, paid time off, technology reimbursement, a generous holiday schedule as well as opportunities for professional development.

How to Apply

To be considered for this position, please send the following items to [email protected] by July 23, 2025. 

  • A thoughtful cover letter that explains your interest in the role, how you qualify, and when you would be available to start. 
  • A resume.

Thank you in advance for your submission. Due to the high volume of applicants, we can respond only to those who best match our needs. All correspondence will remain confidential.

CMF is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both through our work and within our workforce. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to advancing our work.

CMF is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, people of color, Indigenous people, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, people experiencing disabilities and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. 

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