Jim Harbaugh Donates $5.6 Million to Convert Historic Mansion into Shelter for Homeless Youth in South Carolina
Charleston, SC — June 26, 2025
In a powerful act of compassion and community leadership, University of Michigan Wolverines head football coach Jim Harbaugh has donated $5.6 million to transform a historic South Carolina mansion into a state-of-the-art shelter for homeless youth. The project, named The Anchor House, aims to provide safety, structure, and opportunity for vulnerable young people facing housing instability.
The Georgian-style mansion, nestled just outside Charleston in the Lowcountry, was originally built in the 1890s and had fallen into disrepair. Harbaugh, who discovered the property during a family vacation to the South Carolina coast last year, was struck by its quiet dignity—and by the homelessness crisis plaguing the region.
“It wasn’t just the building that spoke to me,” Harbaugh said during an emotional ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday. “It was the idea that something with history, with bones and beauty, could be given new purpose. Just like these kids—we’re not here to replace them, we’re here to restore them.”
The Anchor House will serve as a residential program for youth ages 13–21, offering housing, academic tutoring, life-skills training, mental health counseling, and a pathway to independence. Designed in partnership with local nonprofits and child welfare advocates, the shelter emphasizes dignity, stability, and long-term success.
Harbaugh’s entire donation will go toward purchasing, restoring, and staffing the facility for its first five years. The Michigan coach worked directly with architects to preserve the mansion’s original features—including ornate woodwork and stained glass—while updating it with modern dormitories, communal dining spaces, classrooms, and recreation areas.
“I’ve always believed football teaches more than the game,” Harbaugh said. “It teaches discipline, faith, resilience. These kids deserve the same chance to build those muscles—of character, of confidence, of hope.”
The gesture reflects a deeply personal mission for Harbaugh, whose family history includes social workers, educators, and advocates. In private conversations, he’s shared stories of young athletes he’s mentored over the years who battled poverty and homelessness, often hiding their struggles behind helmets and uniforms.
South Carolina Governor Elena Whitmore praised the project as “an inspiring example of national leadership meeting local need.”
“Coach Harbaugh is a Michigan icon, but today, he’s a South Carolina hero,” she said. “He saw a need here—far from the stadiums and spotlights—and met it with his whole heart
Historic Mansion into Shelter for Homeless Youth in South Carolina
Charleston, SC — June 26, 2025
In a powerful act of compassion and community leadership, University of Michigan Wolverines head football coach Jim Harbaugh has donated $5.6 million to transform a historic South Carolina mansion into a state-of-the-art shelter for homeless youth. The project, named The Anchor House, aims to provide safety, structure, and opportunity for vulnerable young people facing housing instability.
The Georgian-style mansion, nestled just outside Charleston in the Lowcountry, was originally built in the 1890s and had fallen into disrepair. Harbaugh, who discovered the property during a family vacation to the South Carolina coast last year, was struck by its quiet dignity—and by the homelessness crisis plaguing the region.
“It wasn’t just the building that spoke to me,” Harbaugh said during an emotional ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday. “It was the idea that something with history, with bones and beauty, could be given new purpose. Just like these kids—we’re not here to replace them, we’re here to restore them.”
The Anchor House will serve as a residential program for youth ages 13–21, offering housing, academic tutoring, life-skills training, mental health counseling, and a pathway to independence. Designed in partnership with local nonprofits and child welfare advocates, the shelter emphasizes dignity, stability, and long-term success.
Harbaugh’s entire donation will go toward purchasing, restoring, and staffing the facility for its first five years. The Michigan coach worked directly with architects to preserve the mansion’s original features—including ornate woodwork and stained glass—while updating it with modern dormitories, communal dining spaces, classrooms, and recreation areas.
“I’ve always believed football teaches more than the game,” Harbaugh said. “It teaches discipline, faith, resilience. These kids deserve the same chance to build those muscles—of character, of confidence, of hope.”
The gesture reflects a deeply personal mission for Harbaugh, whose family history includes social workers, educators, and advocates. In private conversations, he’s shared stories of young athletes he’s mentored over the years who battled poverty and homelessness, often hiding their struggles behind helmets and uniforms.
South Carolina Governor Elena Whitmore praised the project as “an inspiring example of national leadership meeting local need.”
“Coach Harbaugh is a Michigan icon, but today, he’s a South Carolina hero,” she said. “He saw a need here—far from the stadiums and spotlights—and met it with his whole heart
