Herbert H & Grace A Dow Foundation

The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation is a deeply rooted Michigan community foundation with $642.6 million in assets and nearly 90 years of grantmaking history centered on Midland and the broader state. Its charter mission — to improve the educational, religious, economic, and cultural lives of Michigan's people — translates into a focused but flexible grantmaking posture that rewards organizations with a compelling vision for community transformation and a credible path to self-sustainability.

The foundation operates through a relationship-oriented, merit-based process. Applicants begin with a Letter of Intent (LOI) submitted through the online portal at hhgadowfdn.org, with no fixed submission deadlines. The board reviews LOIs on a rolling basis throughout the year and invites select organizations to submit full proposals — an explicit signal of interest, though not a funding guarantee. This two-stage architecture means your LOI must do significant persuasive work before staff or trustees engage more deeply.

First-time applicants should calibrate expectations around the types of organizations the foundation funds: Michigan-incorporated 501(c)(3)s and governmental entities, with particular affinity for academic institutions, health systems, community centers, arts organizations, and environmental initiatives. The grantee profile tilts toward established mid-to-large institutions — organizations like Northwood University, MyMichigan Health Foundation, and Greater Midland Community Centers — that have credibility, audited financials, and capital campaign experience. Smaller grassroots organizations will find the pathway more competitive unless their project aligns tightly with Midland's civic priorities.

Relationship progression matters. Multi-year pledge relationships are common, with the foundation committing $1.9M to $4M over two to four years and tracking disbursements against milestones. Building a relationship with Executive Director Jenee Velasquez and program staff before submitting an LOI is advisable for new entrants. The foundation's strong family governance — with Dow family descendants serving as uncompensated trustees — means institutional values (innovation, scientific enterprise, community enrichment) resonate strongly. Applicants should speak the foundation's language: leverage, self-sufficiency, broad public benefit, and transformational community impact.

The Dow Foundation's grantmaking reflects a significant and intentional variance year over year, driven by the distinction between new pledge commitments and installment disbursements. Reviewing the IRS 990 data from FY2019 to FY2024, grants paid ranged from a low of $10.7 million (FY2022) to a high of $25.3 million (FY2021), while total giving — which includes program expenses related to Dow Gardens — reached peaks of $46.4 million (FY2021) and $45.1 million (FY2023). FY2024 showed total giving of $12.9 million with $14.0 million in grants paid, a comparatively modest year that likely reflects fewer new multi-year pledges initiated.

Total assets have grown steadily from $540.2 million in FY2019 to $642.6 million in FY2024, generating net investment income of $51.3 million in FY2024 alone — indicating the endowment is strong and grantmaking capacity is robust despite the reported total giving figure.

By program area, Education commands the largest share at approximately 41% of grants, followed by Civic & Community (23%), Health & Human Services (15%), Arts & Culture (14%), Environment (6-7%), and Religion (1%). In dollar terms, at a $25 million average annual grants-paid baseline, that translates to roughly $10.2M for education, $5.8M for civic/community, $3.75M for health, $3.5M for arts, and $1.7M for environment per year.

Individual grant awards range from approximately $10,000 (small programmatic or pilot grants) to $4 million for major capital campaigns, with the median single-year disbursement to major grantees falling in the $500,000 to $1.5 million range. Notable recent benchmarks: $1.5M disbursement to Greater Midland Community Centers (of a $3.75M pledge), $1.28M to Keweenaw Community Foundation (of a $1.9M pledge), and $1M to Northwood University (of a $4M pledge). Total historical disbursements surpassed $750.9 million as of 2025.

The Dow Foundation occupies a peer cohort of private foundations with assets clustered between $636 million and $651 million. Unlike its peers, which operate nationally or in major metropolitan areas, the Dow Foundation is uniquely place-based, restricting all grantmaking to Michigan-incorporated organizations.

The Dow Foundation stands out for its extreme geographic concentration — every grant dollar stays in Michigan — and its historical depth (nearly 90 years) compared to peers. Its annual giving variance ($13M to $46M across the six-year window) is wider than typical foundations of this asset size, reflecting a pledge-based disbursement model rather than a fixed payout rate. Michigan nonprofit leaders have a meaningful structural advantage: there is no national competition for these dollars, making the pool of eligible applicants comparatively small.

The most current grantmaking intelligence from the foundation's stewardship page and news coverage reveals active multi-year pledges in progress as of 2025. The foundation is disbursing installments on several large capital campaign commitments: a $4,000,000 pledge to Northwood University for academic space renovation, a $4,000,000 pledge to MyMichigan Health Foundation for a Comprehensive Cancer Center, a $3,750,000 pledge to Greater Midland Community Centers for tennis center capital projects, and a $1,900,000 pledge to the Keweenaw Community Foundation for sustainable forestry and property acquisition.

In September 2024, Family & Children's Services announced a $180,000 Dow Foundation grant disbursed across three years (2024–2026) to upgrade electronic medical records infrastructure and expand telehealth mental health services — a smaller-scale example illustrating the foundation's appetite for technology-enabled service expansion in health and human services.

Historically notable 2023 grants include $8 million to Greater Midland Community Centers for a new facility, a $4 million award to MyMichigan Health Foundation, $7 million to Michigan Technological University for a chemical sciences building, and $1.75 million to the City of Midland for South Riverfront restoration. These larger pledge years contrast with lower-disbursement years that follow.

Executive Director Jenee Velasquez, who has led the foundation for multiple years with compensation rising from $280,342 (FY2020) to $395,645 (most recently reported), provides institutional continuity. No leadership transitions were identified in recent web research. The board of trustees includes James Fitterling (former Dow Chemical CEO) and multiple Dow family descendants, ensuring deep ties to Midland's corporate and civic ecosystem.

Know the two-stage gate. The LOI is your actual first impression — it must demonstrate mission alignment, organizational credibility, and a clear community benefit. Staff review LOIs and only extend full-proposal invitations to the strongest fits. An LOI that reads as boilerplate or fails to reflect an understanding of the foundation's four pillars (education, arts/culture, community life, science) will not advance.

Lead with leverage and sustainability. The foundation's stated evaluation criteria prioritize projects where their grant dollar triggers broader public participation, unlocks matching funds, or catalyzes self-sufficiency. Explicitly quantify the leverage ratio: for every $1 from the Dow Foundation, how much is raised from other sources? If requesting seed funding, show a concrete revenue model for years 2-5 post-grant.

Size your ask appropriately. Individual grants range from $10,000 to $4 million, but most single-project awards fall between $100,000 and $2 million. If your project budget warrants a larger commitment, propose a multi-year pledge structure with clear milestones. The foundation is experienced with phased disbursements and this approach often improves success rates for capital campaigns.

Target Michigan-specific language. Every proposal should connect explicitly to benefit for Michigan residents, Midland's civic fabric where relevant, or statewide economic/educational advancement. References to out-of-state partners, national replication models, or non-Michigan beneficiaries without clear Michigan anchor will weaken your case.

Highlight youth and senior populations. The foundation's guidelines specifically call out projects benefiting youngsters and senior citizens as receiving special consideration. If your program serves either cohort, make that explicit and quantify the population reached.

Timing for December disbursements. With no submission deadlines but December payment cycles, submit your LOI no later than late summer (August–September) to maximize the chance of board consideration in time for year-end disbursement. If you miss that window, January–February submission positions you for the following December.

Pre-application contact is encouraged. Reach out to info@hhgadowfdn.org or call 989-631-3699 to introduce your organization before submitting. Staff can confirm whether your project is in-scope before you invest time in a formal LOI.