Our Story

The Detroit Boys Mentoring Club was created out of pain—but has become a movement of hope. After losing his younger brother to gun violence in 2012, founder Keith Butler committed himself to transforming the lives of young boys across Detroit.

Today, The Detroit Boys Mentoring Club stands as a lifeline to boys ages 7–17 from underserved communities. We teach life skills, leadership, and opportunity through weekly mentoring, creative outlets, career exposure, and cultural experiences. Every week, we show up for our boys—no matter what.

And thanks to supporters like you, our boys are not just surviving—they're thriving.

🚀 What We've Done in 2025 So Far

✅ 500+ students served
✅ 100+ hours of in-person mentoring
✅ Over 20 field trips—to tech hubs, banks, creative studios, and more
✅ Career tours with Comcast, Detroit Pistons, and The People Mover
✅ Financial literacy partnerships with First Merchants Bank & One Detroit Credit Union
✅ Every student received a laptop during our Digital Equity Back-to-School Event
✅ New partnership with Mount Clemens Schools to deliver in-school mentoring
✅ Hosted Family Financial Literacy Event + 90-day Savings Challenge

📈 And the results speak volumes:

80% of our boys have seen GPA increases
92% of parents report a dramatic improvement in behavior at school and home
99% of boys show a noticeable increase in confidence, drive, and passion

“Because of The Detroit Boys, my son now has a savings account, his first business idea, and a mentor who believes in him.” — Parent Testimonial

🧠 What We Teach

Our mentorship focuses on three core pathways to success:

Self-Excellence: Life skills, mental health, emotional intelligence
Career Readiness: Real-world career exploration and goal-setting
Community Leadership: Giving back, building pride, becoming change agents

Program Areas Include:

Financial Literacy
Entrepreneurship
Digital Literacy & Content Creation
Mental Health & Emotional Wellness
Leadership Development
Group Mentoring
Field Trips & Cultural Exposure
The Arts: Music, fashion, media, and photography
Sports & Fitness: Teamwork, discipline, and physical health

🔢 Who We Serve

We currently mentor over 400 boys each week across three active program sites:

30+ boys (8th–9th grade) at Mount Clemens Middle/High School
40+ boys (9th–12th grade) at University Prep High School
60+ boys in our Saturday community mentoring program
30+ boys at UPREP Ellen Thompson
30+ boys at Pontiac Middle School

But the need is growing—300 boys are currently on our waitlist, waiting for the opportunity to be part of this life-changing experience.

🤝 Our Partners

We are proud to have partnered with and received support from incredible organizations that believe in our mission, including:

The Skillman Foundation
First Merchants Bank
One Detroit Credit Union
Comcast
NAMIC Detroit
Detroit Pistons
Motor City Cruise
Code 313
Design Core Detroit
Energy Overflow Organization
Mount Clemens Community Schools
University Prep High School
City of Detroit – Department of Neighborhoods
The Detroit People Mover
DTE Energy
Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design
College for Creative Studies
BBQ Central

These partners help power our programming through funding, collaboration, and direct engagement with our boys.

💸 Why We Need Your Support

Your donation will help us:

Expand programming to reach more youth
Provide meals, transportation, and supplies
Fund sports, arts, and mental health programming
Support mentor staffing and field trips
Open the door to boys who are still waiting

🧡 Ways to Give

✅ One-time donation
✅ Become a Monthly Supporter
✅ Sponsor a Boy ($50/month funds full program access)
✅ Share this campaign with your network

📣 Join the Movement

This work is urgent. The streets, the system, and the grave cannot have our boys. But with your help, we can make sure they thrive instead.

Let’s invest in Detroit’s future—one boy at a time.

The Detroit Boys Giving Tuesday!

By The Detroit Boys Mentoring Club

The Detroit Boys Giving Tuesday!

🧡 Help Us Reach More Boys in Detroit!