logo the dow foundation

Roots

  • Read the Letter From the President

    A Garden’s Unseen Strength

    When you admire a garden, you’re seeing the beautiful flowers, the lush foliage, the tempting fruit. When you take in the sight of a forest, you’re seeing the bright green leaves, the sturdy trunks of the trees, the colors of the forest floor.

    You don’t see what makes all that beauty possible. You don’t see what provides the water and nutrients that allow the flowers and trees to grow.

    Even though they’re one of the keys to the health of the garden or the forest, you don’t see the roots. And the trees can’t grow, the flowers can’t bloom, and the fruit won’t ripen, unless the roots can expand.

    My great-grandfather, Herbert H. Dow, was an avid gardener. He understood the importance of a strong root system to a healthy forest or a productive garden. That understanding is what led my great-grandmother, Grace A. Dow, to create this Foundation: to help create a strong, growing root structure to feed, nourish and strengthen the community.

    Strong arts and cultural roots feed the ethical and emotional growth of the people — creating a more compassionate, enlightened and well-rounded community. Strong educational roots feed their intellectual growth and achievement — strengthening the economy, the community and the world. Strong spiritual roots feed their faith and sense of purpose — making us a stronger, closer community.

    That has always been the purpose behind this Foundation — to strengthen and expand our community’s roots in religion, charity, science, education and the arts, so that we might improve the lives of the people of Midland and Michigan.

    Just as a good gardener uses time-tested tools and techniques to ensure the health and beauty of a garden, we see our investments as tools to do very specific things:

    Sustainability: We like perennials. We want the seeds we plant to keep on growing, year after year. So we invest in initiatives that are sustainable and will have a lasting effect by becoming self-supporting.

    Capacity Building: A farm or fruit or vegetable garden is designed to maximize yield. We do this through matching grants, offering organizations the incentive to raise even more funds on their own to improve and expand their services.

    Collaboration: A garden or a forest is an ecosystem in which various plants and animals work together to strengthen all. We do this, by encouraging organizations to pool their resources, efforts and expertise. All benefit from the symbiosis and cross-pollenization.

    Over the past year, we have laid the groundwork to expand our roots even farther: to touch more people, enhance more lives and do more good. Our garden and our forest — both figuratively and literally — will grow more beautiful and fulfilling.

    This makes it a very exciting time for us. And for that, I thank you, whether you are a trustee, staff member, volunteer, donor, recipient or partner. You have played an important role in helping the garden my great-grandparents envisioned become one that continues to enrich the lives of the people of our community.

    Sincerely,

    Macauley Whiting Jr
    President

Since Grace A. Dow established The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation on December 26, 1936, its Trustees have awarded:

$609,554,311

in actual, not adjusted, dollars to qualifying Michigan organizations.

 

Grants Awarded

Program Area

1936-2016

Select an area for more details.

Arts & Culture

Civic & Community

Education

Environment

Health & Human Services

Religion

  • Grants Awarded by Geography

    Summary:
    1936 to 2016

    $609,554,311

    7,852 Grants

    Select an area for more detail.

    Upper Peninsula

    $13,371,433

    18 Grants

    Select an area for more detail.

    North Central

    $23,987,078

    75 Grants

    Select an area for more detail.

    East Central

    $422,269,186

    7,385 Grants

    Select an area for more detail.

    West Central

    $22,967,785

    118 Grants

    Select an area for more detail.

    MidMichigan

    $43,589,902

    105 Grants

    Select an area for more detail.

    Southeast

    $49,675,105

    121 Grants

    Select an area for more detail.

    Southwest

    $33,693,821

    30 Grants

    Select an area for more detail.

    Michigan Map Upper Peninsula Northern Central Western Central Eastern Central MidMichigan Southeast Southwest
    Upper Peninsula
    North Central
    East Central
    West Central
    MidMichigan
    Southeast
    Southwest

  • 2016 Financial Position

    Assets

    Cash and Cash Equivalents
    $6,236,399

    Receivables and Prepaid Expenses
    $95,668

    Investments at Fair Market Value
    $456,887,839

    Land Buildings & Equipment
    $21,849,099

    Total Assets
    $485,069,005

    Liabilities and Net Assets

    Pledges Payable
    $17,814,226

    Other Payables
    $1,456,176

    Net Assets
    $465,798,603

    Total Liabilities and Net Assets
    $485,069,005

  • Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Legacy / History

    A Legacy of Beauty

    Grace A. Dow established The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation in 1936 in memory of her husband, Herbert H. Dow, founder of The Dow Chemical Company, who died in 1930.

    Throughout her life, she contributed to projects in the Midland community personally as well as through the activities of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. She was an active member of several civic organizations including a women's study club, the Monday Club, for which she served two presidencies; co-founder of the John Alden Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and she served for 50 years on the Midland Library board.

    Grace and Herbert Dow were parents of seven children and spent their married life in Midland. They were both devoted to the family, the community, and to the enhancement of the quality of life for everyone in the Midland area and in Michigan. Their compassionate and visionary philosophy continues to be the guiding inspiration for the Trustees of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation.

    A Signature Gift

    The Foundation's signature gift, each year, is Dow Gardens as they share the family estate with the community and its visitors. The first focus of the property, established in 1899, was a homestead. However, Herbert H. Dow began to quickly expand and develop the grounds. Today, the land Dow saw as a creative outlet for his interest in agriculture and design reaches incredible heights through the work of staff and volunteers.

    For Herbert H. Dow the Gardens and nature study were his hobby and his passion. Dow Gardens continues the tradition of diffusing knowledge into the region through its many programs and events. Learning opportunities include horticulture, entomology, floriculture as well as history and fine arts.

    Dow Gardens offers a broad range of programs for all ages. Over 1,000 school-aged children are introduced to the world of entomology during exhibits like Butterflies in Bloom and through summer-long insect classes. The Children's Garden becomes a living classroom, every summer, as 80 families gather to learn about weeds, water, and pest identification. Adults may choose from smaller hands-on workshops or larger public lectures such as the annual Know & Grow Conference, which brings nationally-recognized speakers to Mid-Michigan. Additional learning opportunities include seasonal summer positions and a world-class internship program, which enable college students to become leaders in horticulture and related fields of study.

    Dow Gardens is comprised of an Estate Garden, Exploration Garden, and Whiting Forest, which is home to the nation's longest forest canopy walk.

  • 2016 Officers, Trustees and Associate Trustees

    Dow Foundation Trustees 2016

    Officers and Trustees:

    Front row (left to right, seated):
    Michael L. Dow, Vice President
    Macauley Whiting, Jr., President
    Margaret E. Thompson, Secretary
    Willard Mott, Treasurer
    Ruth A. Doan, Assistant Secretary

    Associate Trustee:

    Back row (far right, standing):
    Ben Anderson

    Trustees:

    Back row (left to right, standing):
    Bonnie Buchanan Matheson
    Alden Lee Hanson
    Stephen P. Carras
    David Ramaker
    Suzanna McCuan

    Trustees Absent from Group Photo:

    Diane Dow Hullet
    Andrew Liveris

  • 2016 Trustees Bios

    Macauley (Mike) Whiting, Jr.

    Macauley (Mike) Whiting, Jr.

    President and Trustee

    Willard Dow Family
    Associate Trustee 1996-1997, Trustee since June 1997, Secretary 2000-2005, Treasurer 2005-2015, President 2014-present

    Mike Whiting was born and raised in Midland and now resides in Florida and Michigan. He has a BSE degree in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University. He worked at The Dow Chemical Company, and then co-founded a renewable energy company, which he grew for 30 years until selling it in 2012. Mike is passionate about science, entrepreneurship and education.

    Michael (Mike) L. Dow

    Michael (Mike) L. Dow

    Vice President and Trustee

    Alden Ball Dow Family
    Trustee since March 1982, Treasurer 1992-2005, Vice President 2005-present

    Mike Dow grew up in Midland and lives in Michigan. He served in the U.S. Army and graduated from Michigan State University. He was elected to serve on the boards of The Dow Chemical Company from 1988-1998 as well as the Chemical Financial Corporation and the Michigan State University Foundation. He is an active philanthropist and volunteer. Mike is passionate about land conservation, aviation and entrepreneurship.

    Margaret (Peggy) E. Thompson

    Margaret (Peggy) E. Thompson

    Secretary and Trustee

    Margaret Dow Towsley Family
    Associate Trustee 1995-1996, Trustee since June 1999, Secretary 2005-present

    Dr. Margaret Thompson grew up in Midland and lives in Michigan. She graduated from Northwestern University, the University of Michigan Medical School, and completed a Family Practice residency at the University of Vermont. Peggy practiced as a volunteer physician, and now is Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Community Associate Dean and the Assistant Dean for Clinical Curriculum at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids. Peggy has expertise in health, education, land conservation and philanthropy.

    Willard Mott

    Willard Mott

    Treasurer and Trustee

    Dorothy Dow Arbury Family
    Associate Trustee 2005-2006, Trustee since November 2006, Treasurer September 2015-present

    Willard Mott grew up and resides in Michigan. He graduated from Michigan Technology University with a Civil Engineering degree and from Purdue University with an MBA. Willard has worked in business development, engineering, corporate finance, economics and business planning. He currently owns and operates two restaurants. Willard is an active volunteer with student ministries.

    Ruth Doan

    Ruth Doan

    Assistant Secretary and Trustee

    Ruth Dow Doan Family
    Associate Trustee 2004-2005, Trustee since June 2006, Assistant Secretary 2014-present

    Dr. Ruth Doan grew up in Michigan and now resides in Virginia. Ruth earned her bachelor's degree from Princeton University and her Masters and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a Professor Emerita at Hollins University. Her professional specialty is U.S. history, especially religion in the United States between the Revolutionary and the Civil War years. She has expertise in religion and is passionate about history and education.

    Alden Lee Hanson

    Alden Lee Hanson

    Ruth Dow Doan Family
    Associate Trustee 2006-June 2007, Trustee since September 2011

    Lee Hanson currently resides in California. He has a BS in Political Science from the University of Southern California and an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from the Marshall School of Business at USC. He works in the information technology sector. Lee is an active outdoorsman and entrepreneur.

    Diane Hullet

    Diane Hullet

    Alden Ball Dow Family
    Associate Trustee 1997-1998, Trustee since February 2003

    Diane Hullet grew up in Michigan. She has a BA in English from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MA in Education from Stanford University. She is actively engaged in education, the arts and philanthropy.

    Bonnie Ruth Buchanan Matheson

    Bonnie Ruth Buchanan Matheson

    Helen Dow Hale Family

    Associate Trustee 1996-1997, Trustee since June 1998

    Bonnie Matheson has a BA in Psychology from George Mason University. She is a lifelong volunteer with a passion for helping others. She is a speaker, author, wellness coach and entrepreneur.

    Suzanna (Suzie) McCuan

    Suzanna (Suzie) McCuan

    Dorothy Dow Arbury Family
    Associate Trustee 2010-2011, Trustee since June 2013

    Suzie McCuan was educated in and resides in Michigan. She studied at both University of Michigan and Hillsdale College. She has expertise in accounting and a passion for free enterprise and education.

    Stephen Carras

    Stephen Carras

    Alden Ball Dow Family
    Associate Trustee 2003-2004, Additional Trustee September 2014

    The Honorable Stephen Carras is Chief Judge of the Midland County courts. He graduated from Michigan State University, University of Detroit/Mercy School of Law and Wayne State University Law School. He was born and raised in Midland. He is passionate about the arts, health and education.

    Andrew N. Liveris

    Andrew N. Liveris

    Additional Trustee since 2004

    Andrew Liveris currently resides in Midland. He received a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Andrew was also awarded an honorary doctorate in science by his alma mater. He is President and Chairman of The Dow Chemical Company. He has expertise in business strategy and has a passion for chemistry and his adopted hometown of Midland.

    David B. Ramaker

    David B. Ramaker

    Additional Trustee since 2011

    David B. Ramaker resides in Midland. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Southern Methodist University. His other educational achievements include graduate with honors from the Intermediate School of Banking, Southern Methodist University; graduate of the American Bankers Association Commercial Lending School; and graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking. David is Chairman, CEO & President of Chemical Financial Corporation and Chemical Bank. He has a passion for civic projects that enhance the economic climate and improve the quality of life for the people of Michigan. David has expertise in business development and is a champion for the arts, education, health and human services.

    Ben Anderson

    Ben Anderson

    Dorothy Dow Arbury Family
    Associate Trustee June 2016-June 2017

    Ben Anderson lives in Overland Park, Kansas. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a Masters of Accountancy. He is a manager at a regional public accounting firm. Ben is involved with the organization Youth Entrepreneurs. He is also involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and is currently Co-Organizer of Annual Young Professionals Tent.

  • Original Trustees

    Ruth Alden Dow Doan

    Ruth Alden Dow Doan

    Ruth Alden Dow was born on November 16, 1895, the second child of Herbert Henry Dow and Grace Anna Ball Dow, in Massillon, Ohio, during a brief period when her father was working in nearby Navarre, Ohio, to perfect the extraction of chlorine from salt brine. The family returned to Midland, Michigan, her mother's childhood home, in 1896, and her father founded The Dow Chemical Company the following year to make bleaching powder. Ruth was tutored at home until high school and then attended the University of Michigan before marrying Leland I. Doan of Ann Arbor at the Dow family home on April 4, 1917. The family lived in a home built adjacent to the Dow family home and the Doans had three children. She took her job as wife and mother seriously. Leland Doan worked for Dow Chemical, and Ruth's activities supported those efforts as confidante, counselor and source of inspiration during his rise to the presidency of Dow Chemical. She holds a unique place as the daughter, wife, mother and sister of four presidents of Dow Chemical. She was an active community volunteer, serving on the Midland Community Fund board, as president and director of Family Services of Midland, as president of the Monday Club and as an active member of the American Association of University Women, Daughters of the American Revolution and King's Daughters. She became a trustee at The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation at its founding. The superintendent of public education appointed her to the Michigan Committee for the Study of Community Education Policies. She died while visiting New York City on January 21, 1950.

    Willard Henry Dow

    Willard Henry Dow

    Willard Henry Dow, third child of Herbert and Grace Dow, was born on January 4, 1897, in Midland, Michigan. He was tutored at home and then attended Midland High School, graduating in 1914. He worked at The Dow Chemical Company for a year before attending the University of Michigan, where he served in the Student Army Training Corps the last year of World War I. He graduated in 1919 with a chemical engineering degree and returned to Midland to work for Dow Chemical, where his father groomed him as his successor. On September 3, 1921, he married Martha L. Pratt, originally from Midland but at the time a teacher working in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. They had two children and lived in a home built adjacent to the Dow family estate. After his father's death in 1930, Willard Dow took the company's reins and pushed efforts to extract magnesium and other chemicals from seawater. This experimentation and new technology made Dow Chemical the major magnesium producer for World War II airplanes, incendiaries and other equipment. During his tenure, he increased the company's assets tenfold through research, new products and basic chemical production expansion. Willard Dow was known for his modesty, broad vision and receptiveness to new ideas. He wove his sense of humor and purpose into his love for art, music, athletics and community affairs. He became the first President of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation after it was founded in 1936 and continued in that position until 1947. He received the American Institute of Chemists' Gold Medal in 1944. He and his wife Martha died in a plane crash in Canada on March 31, 1949, en route to a meeting of the board of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on which he served.

    Alden Ball Dow

    Alden Ball Dow

    Alden Ball Dow was born April 10, 1904, in Midland, Michigan, the fifth child of Herbert and Grace Dow. Tutored at home until high school, he attended Midland High School and graduated in 1922. Like most of the Dow children, he spent a year between high school and college working at The Dow Chemical Company as a millwright assistant and traveling with his parents. He attended the University of Michigan and transferred to Columbia University to study architecture, receiving his degree in 1931. He married childhood sweetheart Vada Bennett on September 16, 1931, and they had three children. Well known for his architectural association with Frank Lloyd Wright, Alden returned to Midland to open an architecture practice and received the Diplome de Grand Prix for residential architecture awarded by the Paris International Exposition in 1937. Midland churches, schools and residences are laced with his architectural designs and influence, as is the entire community of Lake Jackson, Texas, an expansion site for Dow Chemical. His style is clearly reflected in his own home and studio, a masterpiece of modernist design adjacent to the Dow family estate. Alden became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1957, and was named Michigan's Architect Laureate in 1983, the only architect ever to be given that honor. The fiber of his life and work was his own personal philosophy based on individualism, appreciation, honesty, humility and enthusiasm, which is intertwined in his design contributions to the Midland Center for the Arts, the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, the master plans for Northwood University and Muskegon Community College and the renovation of the Dow Gardens. He served on The Dow Chemical Company Board, became a Trustee of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation upon its founding and served as President from 1947 to 1970. Alden Dow died in Midland, Michigan, at age seventy-nine on August 20, 1983.

    Margaret Grace Dow Towsley

    Margaret Grace Dow Towsley

    Margaret Grace Dow was born on January 3, 1906, the sixth child of Herbert and Grace Dow, in Midland, Michigan. She was tutored at home until high school and attended Midland High. She was junior class president, senior class treasurer and a member of the women's basketball team. She graduated in 1922 along with her brother Alden and traveled with the family before enrolling at the University of Michigan where she received her degree in 1928. Margaret then earned a master's degree in education at Teacher's College of Columbia University. She married Dr. Harry Albert Towsley on September 14, 1932, and they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Dr. Towsley worked as a professor in the department of pediatrics and communicable diseases and later as chairman of postgraduate medicine. The Towsleys had five children. Margaret was diminutive in size but tough, and her links to the community were deep. She founded and operated the Children's Play School in Ann Arbor beginning in 1935 and co-founded the Mid-Michigan Chapter of Planned Parenthood that later presented her with the prestigious Margaret Sanger Award in 1967. She was active in Ann Arbor politics and civic affairs and served as the first woman on the Ann Arbor City Council from 1953 to 1957. She served as a Trustee of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation from 1936 to 1963. In 1959, the Towsleys created their own family Foundation dedicated to philanthropy and were tremendous supporters of the Salvation Army, the Humane Society and the fine arts and medical community. Margaret Towsley received honorary degrees from Eastern Michigan University, Cleary College and the University of Michigan during her lifetime. She died on May 2, 1994, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    Dorothy Darling Dow Arbury

    Dorothy Darling Dow Arbury

    Dorothy Darling Dow, the youngest child of Herbert and Grace Dow, was born on January 2, 1908. She was tutored at home through eighth grade and then attended Midland High School, graduating as salutatorian of her class in 1925. Dorothy studied at Kalamazoo College, Michigan State University and the Maryland College for Women and traveled extensively with her parents. On June 21, 1933, she married Anderson Arbury, a local orthodontist and rancher of Angus cattle and Standardbred horses. The Arburys stayed in Midland and raised their four children on their property southwest of town. Dorothy Arbury's life was a tapestry of philanthropic activities, including her 30 years' work as Vice President and Trustee of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. The Midland King's Daughters Home assisted living facility in Midland, affiliated with the oldest Christian service organization in the United States, was created, in part, through her efforts and 50 years' work on their governing board. She was active in the Midland County Historical Society and supported work to preserve a local 19th century businessman's Victorian house, and create the Herbert H. Dow Museum, a facility to interpret the history of The Dow Chemical Company which was founded by her father. She spearheaded the development and financial campaign for the Pinecrest Home, an adult foster care facility in Midland County. Her philanthropic ties extended to the Midland Hospital, Monday Club, Chippewa Nature Center, Hillsdale College, West Midland Family Center, Social Services Board and Alma College. She was known for her intelligence, keen wit and infectious sense of humor. She died in Midland, Michigan, on June 2, 1993.

  • 2016 Grant Payments

    Payee  Amt. Paid in 2016 Project Title Program Area
    The Arc of Midland $20,000.00 $60,000 pledge awarded in 2014 and paid in full in 2016 to increase the capacity for providers and caregivers to learn about Gentle Teaching and create cultures of Gentleness Health Human Services
    Bullock Creek School District $167,400.00 $496,000 pledge awarded in 2015 to extend the Nature Kindergarten approach to first grade, and build teacher capacity for nature-based elementary education for school years ending 2016 to 2018 Education
    Bullock Creek School District $10,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to support the "Call to the Creek IV Workcamp"  Health Human Services
    The Center for Michigan $48,822.00 $225,000 pledge awarded in 2016 to fund operations over three years (2016-2018) by matching the percentage of funds raised Civic & Community
    Central Michigan University $1,900,000.00 $5,000,000 pledge awarded in 2015 to fund the "Maximize STEM Teaching and Learning in the Middle Years" program initiative Education
    Christian Celebration Center $12,500.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to purchase a professional grade lighting system for their auditorium Religion Annual Church Grants
    Chippewa Nature Center, Inc. $50,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to help relocate the former Whiting Forest tower to Chippewa Nature Centers's Wetlands Environment
    Chippewa Nature Center, Inc. $60,000.00 $180,000 pledge awarded in 2014 for operations for three years  Environment
    Chippewa Watershed Conservancy $40,000.00 $120,000 pledge awarded in 2016 for operating expenses over three years  Environment
    City of Auburn $25,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to create an ADA accessible, floating fishing pier at Auburn Park Civic & Community
    City of Midland $1,000,000.00 $2,500,000 pledge made in 2015 to fund asbestos removal at Washington Woods senior housing Civic & Community
    City of Midland $2,500,000.00 $4,620,000 pledge awarded in 2016 to renovate the streetscape of Main Steet, Midland Civic & Community
    City of Midland $190,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to restore the fascia of the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library  Civic & Community
    City Rescue Mission of Saginaw $50,000.00 $150,000 pledge awarded in 2014 and paid in full in 2016 to renovate the Men's Emergency Shelter Health Human Services
    Council of Michigan Foundations $18,600.00 to support 2016 operations as an organization member Civic & Community
    Council of Michigan Foundations $20,000.00 $60,000 pledge awarded in 2015 to support the Office of Foundation Liaison, a partnership between philanthropy and the Executive Branch of the State Government in 2016 - 2018  Civic & Community
    County of Clare $20,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to purchase materials to build an adult day care center in Clare County Health Human Services
    Creative 360 Stage, Studios & Gallery $50,000.00 $100,000 pledge awarded in 2014 and paid in full in 2016 to match funds raised for operations over two years Arts & Culture
    Delta College Foundation $60,000.00 $180,000 pledge awarded in 2014 and paid in full in 2016 to support the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center (MI-SBTDC) Education
    Garfield Township $25,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to develop a Lake Station Trailhead in Garfield Township, Clare Co., on the Pere Marquette State Trail system from Midland to Ludington Civic & Community
    Grace A. Dow Memorial Library $2,000.00 2016 Annual grant for library operations Arts & Culture
    Greater Midland Community Centers, Inc. $40,000.00 $70,000 pledge awarded in 2016 to support 2016/2017 operations for Coleman Family Center Health Human Services
    Greater Midland Community Centers, Inc. $100,000.00 $190,000 pledge awarded in 2016 to support 2016/2017 operations for North Midland Family Center Health Human Services
    Inland Seas Education Association $75,000.00 $300,000 pledge awarded in 2014 and paid in full in 2016 for 2015-2017 operations  Education
    Interlochen Center for the Arts $1,000,000.00 $3,000,000 pledge awarded in 2014 and paid in full in 2016 to construct, furnish and endow Phase 1 of a Music Complex Arts & Culture
    Iosco County Coats for Kids $10,000.00 $50,000 pledge awarded in 2016 to purchase a building for storage and distribution of coats Health Human Services
    Junior Achievement of Central Michigan, Inc. $50,000.00 $100,000 pledge awarded in 2016 to fund operations over two years (2016-2017) by matching $1 for $1 of funds raised Education
    Kalamazoo College $255,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to upgrade the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer used by chemistry and biology students Education
    King's Daughters and Sons of Midland, Inc. $2,000.00 $2,000 annual grant to support the 2016 Community Christmas Closet Health Human Services
    Little Forks Conservancy $36,895.00 $50,000 pledge awarded in 2015 and paid in full in 2016 to support 2015 operations by matching funds  Environment
    Little Forks Conservancy $50,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to establish a universal access trail, and other improvements, at the Averill Preserve Environment
    Mackinac Center for Public Policy $500,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to support the education policy initiative Education
    Mary Free Bed Hospital & Rehabilitation Center $500,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to support the "Join the Movement" capital campaign  Health Human Services
    Michigan Baseball Foundation, Inc. $304,651.82 $885,000 pledge awarded in 2015 to support the Momentum Midland Program Office over three years with outright payments totaling $600,000 and payments totaling up to $285,00 to be made on a quarterly basis upon receipt of invoices of non-recurring expenses. Civic & Community
    Michigan Baseball Foundation, Inc. $60,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to purchase and demolish four houses on Jerome Street in Midland to create a West Downtown Entrance in order to encourage development in adjacent areas Civic & Community
    Michigan Center for Construction Education and Research Trust $250,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 for classroom expansion, equipment upgrades and parking lot improvements at the Greater Michigan Construction Academy (GMCA)  Education
    Michigan Master Gardener Association, Inc. $5,800.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 for the Gladwin County Master Garders to create a fully accessible garden and provide horticulture edcuation at the Cedar Avenue Courtyard in Gladwin, Michigan Civic & Community
    Michigan State University $25,000.00 $75,000 pledge awarded in 2015 for three-year operational support for the Michigan Political Leadership Program beginning in 2015 Education
    Michigan State University $1,000,000.00 $4,000,000 pledge awarded in 2015 for Michigan State University's STEM programming in Midland, Michigan Education
    Mid Michigan Big Brothers Big Sisters, Inc. $15,787.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to match locally raised funds for operations Health Human Services
    Midland Area Chamber Foundation $15,000.00 $55,000 pledge awarded in 2015 to support the Midland Blooms project in 2015-2018 Civic & Community
    Midland Balloon Festival $10,000.00 $50,000 pledge awarded in 2012 and paid in full in 2016 to support operations for the RE/MAX of Midland Balloon event for 2012-2016 Civic & Community
    Midland Center for Accessible Health Care $75,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to expand facilities Health Human Services
    Midland Center for the Arts $500,000.00 for 2015-2016 operations Arts & Culture
    Midland County $1,000,000.00 $3,500,000 pledge awarded in 2016 to construct a new public entrance and associated interior renovations of the Midland County Courthouse Civic & Community
    Midland County Churches $184,000.00 One-year grants awarded and paid in 2016 for $2,000 to each of the 92 Midland County churches  
    Midland County Child Protection Council (Safe and Sound) $40,000.00 $120,000 pledge awarded in 2015 for the Child Abuse Prevention Education Program operations in 2015-2017  Health Human Services
    Midland County Council on Aging $25,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to support an initial research and feasibility phase of new construction in Jerome Township Health Human Services
    Midland Kids First $23,000.00 $115,000 pledge awarded in 2016 to fund five years of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) Health Human Services
    Midland Tomorrow $50,000.00 $200,000 pledge awarded in 2013 for additional funding to kick-start the SmartZone program  Civic & Community
    MidMichigan Health $313,500.00 $2,162,500 pledge awarded in 2014 to establish the Margaret Ann Riecker Institute for Nursing Excellence Health Human Services
    The Nature Conservancy, Inc.  $1,000,000.00 $5,000,000 pledge awarded in 2015 as a leadership investment in the Conservancy's science-based and ecosystem-scale land and water conservation work in the State of Michigan Environment
    Northwood University $100,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to complete funding of the Alan W. Ott Endowed Chair in Finance Banking Education
    Reaching Our Community Kids (R.O.C.K.) $150,000.00 $450,000 pledge awarded in 2014 as a $2 to $1 matching grant for 2015/2017 operations and expansion Health Human Services
    Reaching Our Community Kids (R.O.C.K.) $685.00 $7,388 pledge awarded in 2013 and paid in full in 2016 to fund the initial subsidy to participate in MITCON's Computer Workstation Standardization Project Health Human Services
    Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy $50,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to match $1 for every $2 raised from Saginaw County sources to implement Outdoor Urban Recreation (O.U.R.) projects in Saginaw County in 2016 Environment
    Saginaw Valley State University $4,230.84 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to host the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow STEM Summit on May 16, 2016 Education
    The Salvation Army  $20,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 to repair and update the HVAC system and roof Religion Annual Church Grants
    Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc. $5,000.00 $25,000 pledge made in 2011 and paid in full in 2016 for continued support of the Education Outreach Program Education
    SpringHill Camps $150,000.00 $300,000 pledge awarded in 2015 and paid in full in 2016 to help fund the construction of the new Fishing Village Health Human Services
    United Way of Midland County $140,000.00 One-year grant awarded and paid in 2016 as a Base Grant for the 2015/2016 annual campaign Health Human Services
    United Way of Midland County $140,000.00 $420,000 pledge awarded in 2015 as a Challenge Grant for three years beginning with the 2015-2016 campaign for new Leadership Circle gifts and gifts increased by at least $500, including new Young Leaders Health Human Services
    United Way of Midland County $30,000.00 $50,000 pledge awarded in 2015 as an additional Challenge Grant promoting the Alexis de Tocqueville giving level beginning with the 2015/2016 campaign Health Human Services
    West Midland Family Center $100,000.00 $300,000 pledge awarded in 2013 and paid in full in 2016 to fund operating expenses by matching $1 for every $1 of funds raised Health Human Services
    West Midland Family Center $1,000,000.00 $2,000,000 pledge awarded in 2015 and paid in full in 2016 for building additions and renovations Health Human Services
    YWCA Great Lakes Bay Region $30,000.00 $100,000 pledge awarded in 2014 to expand the Economic Empowerment Program into Midland County Health Human Services
    Total Pymts. Made 1/1/2016 to 12/31/2016 $15,704,871.66    

  • 2016 Pledges Awarded

    Name Grant Amount Project Title Program Area
    The Arc of Midland $150,000 Pledge awarded to meet an increasing need for assistance to families and individuals with system advocacy and navigation Health & Human Services
    Conservation Fund - Great Lakes Office $300,000 Pledge awarded to support the Saginaw Bay Watershed Network (WIN) for 2017/2018 Environment
    Delta College Foundation $180,000 Pledge awarded to support operations for the Delta College Michigan Small Business Development Center (MI-SBDC) in 2017-2019 Education
    The Ferris Foundation $500,000 Pledge awarded to renovate and expand more than 81,000 square feet of instructional space in the Swan Building Annex Education
    Inland Seas Education Association $250,000 Pledge awarded as a $1 to $1 matching grant to build a new Inland Seas Support facility, direct scholarships for the Schoolship programming, and for operations Education
    Midland Center for the Arts $150,000 Pledge awarded for a $1 for $1 match to support experimentation and implementation of new programs and services Arts & Culture
    Midland Center for the Arts $500,000 Pledge awarded to support 2016-2017 operations Arts & Culture
    United Way of Midland County $150,000 Pledge awarded as a base grant over three years beginning with the 2016/2017 annual campaign Health & Human Services
    Total Pymts. Made 1/1/2016 to 12/31/2016 $2,180,000