About Detroit Children's Fund
We are a nonprofit dedicated to helping Detroit's children get the great education they deserve by partnering with strong school leaders and equipping them with the resources they need to succeed.
Focus Areas
K-12 educationschool fundingleadership & teacher trainingcollege & career readinessstudent basic needs (food, transportation, social services)after-school and summer programstechnology in schools
Who They Fund
Detroit charter schools and their K–12 studentsteachers and school leaders (principals, instructional coaches)high school students preparing for college (dual enrollment participants)recent/ graduating seniors (laptop recipients, college-readiness supports)
About Detroit Children's Fund
Detroit Children's Fund centers its grantmaking on Detroit charter schools and the students, teachers, and school leaders who support them. The largest recent grant in the data went to New Paradigm for Education Inc., where $1,384,438 in 2025 supported additional staff, coaching and development, building improvements and surveys to charter schools, transportation, and retention bonuses. That mix captures the funder’s pattern: school-level capacity building paired with practical supports that remove barriers for students and staff. The foundation’s portfolio also shows sustained investment in leadership and instructional infrastructure. New Paradigm for Education Inc. received $500,000 in 2023 to enhance Detroit’s teacher and leadership pipeline, while Detroit Academy of Arts & Science received several awards for foundational tools and support to staff and students, including retention bonuses. Detroit Public Schools Foundation and other partners appear in grants tied to curriculum coaching, district improvement, and high school supports. Across these awards, Detroit Children's Fund backs both the people and the systems that shape day-to-day school experience, from teacher development to transportation, laptops, and school building needs.
What Detroit Children's Fund Funds
A clear theme in Detroit Children's Fund’s grantmaking is curriculum implementation and coaching. Great Minds Pbc received $500,000 in 2023 for implementation of Model Schools' math curriculum and instructional coaching, and another $242,500 in 2024 for principal and teacher coaching/development. El Education Inc. was awarded $400,000 in 2023 for implementation of Model Schools' EL curriculum and instructional coaching, followed by $242,500 in 2024 for principal and teacher coaching/development. The funder also invests in college and career readiness. Michigan College Access Network received $210,000 in 2025 to increase Detroit’s college and Michigan’s college matriculation, persistence, and match rates at participating schools, plus $112,700 in 2023 and $110,000 in 2023 for high school college readiness programming. Postsecondary access appears again in a $25,000 2025 grant to University Preparatory Academy for transportation for enrollees of dual enrollment courses. Teacher pipeline development is another recurring area, with grants to New Paradigm for Education Inc. and TNTP for teacher and leadership pipeline work.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.8M
Total Assets
$6.4M
Total Revenue
$3.9M
Total Expenses
$5.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $60K and $243K, with a median of $113K.
25th Percentile
$60K
Median
$113K
75th Percentile
$243K
Geographic Reach
Local5 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
NICK KARMANOS
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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