Midland Area Community Foundation

09/01/2026

High school seniors across Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties, this is your opportunity to carry Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy forward.

Applications are now open for the 2027 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Scholarships.

These scholarships recognize graduating seniors who are making a difference through leadership, service, and a commitment to racial harmony, social justice, equality, and greater cross-cultural understanding.

Students of all ethnicities are encouraged to apply. Applicants must attend a high school in Bay, Midland, or Saginaw County, have at least a 2.0 grade point average, and plan to attend a two-year, four-year, or vocational program following graduation.

Scholarship recipients will receive an award of at least $1,000 and will be recognized at the Great Lakes Bay Regional Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, held in partnership with Saginaw Valley State University.

Earlier this year, 15 high school seniors from across the region received scholarships for the ways they were already putting Dr. King’s values into action through leadership, community involvement, and efforts to promote racial harmony and social justice.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Scholarships are supported through a partnership among the Midland Area Community Foundation, Bay Area Community Foundation, and Saginaw Community Foundation. Together, our community foundations are proud to invest in young people who are helping build stronger, more inclusive communities throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region.

Applications are due October 31.

If you are a senior who is leading, serving, speaking up, bringing people together, and working to improve your community, we encourage you to apply.

Apply here: https://goapply2.akoyago.com/midland/Identity/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=/midland/opportunities

08/26/2026

There’s something special coming to Grove Park this weekend.

Public Arts Midland, an initiative of the Midland Area Community Foundation, is partnering with Creative 360 to bring a free, family-friendly Shakespeare experience to the community with The Tempest on Saturday, August 29.

The cast and crew have been hard at work preparing for the performances, with every detail helping bring the story to life. A special shoutout goes to costume designer Carol Rumba for her incredible work making the cast look the part.

Catch The Tempest at either noon or 5 p.m., and stick around between performances for even more live performing arts entertainment throughout the afternoon.

We’re proud to help create opportunities for people across Midland County to experience art, creativity, and community together, and we hope to see you at Grove Park.

08/25/2026

Stacy Stremlow, Impact Officer for the Midland Area Community Foundation - In Her Own Words

“I'm Stacy Stremlow, and I joined the Midland Area Community Foundation as Impact Officer in 2026.

For me, joining The Foundation feels a lot like coming full circle.

I grew up in Coleman and attended Coleman Community Schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. My family has deep roots in Midland County. My mom is a Dow High graduate, and my family's connection to the area goes back generations. Growing up here shaped who I am, and one of the words I have always used to describe myself is strong.

I mean that in more ways than one.

I grew up playing volleyball and basketball and competing in track and field. I even continued track and field at Saginaw Valley State University. But when I say I identify as a strong person, I also mean that I love helping other people recognize their own strength. I believe deeply in people. I want to be someone who can look at another person and say, “I believe in you,” and then help them believe it too.

After graduating from Coleman as valedictorian, I attended Saginaw Valley State University, where I studied history. While there, I became involved in international programs and had opportunities to travel, connect with people from around the world, and discover a passion for community development.

That eventually led me back to Saginaw Valley professionally. I worked as an international recruiter, traveled around the world, managed study abroad programs, and later served as an international student advisor. In that role, I helped students navigate everything from academics to adjusting to life in a new country.

Those experiences taught me the importance of meeting people where they are.

Eventually, another experience changed the direction of my career. My younger brother and several of his friends attended Saginaw Valley, and I watched some of those young people struggle because they had not been set up to make informed decisions about their education. Some left with debt and little to show for it. That stayed with me.

I wanted to help students understand their options before making decisions that could affect the rest of their lives.

That brought me to Delta College, where I spent six years. Most recently, I served as the admissions representative for Midland County and the Thumb. I loved being in local high schools, talking with counselors, and connecting directly with students. Going back into Coleman High School was especially meaningful. I could tell students, “I am a Coleman Comet too. Here is the path I took, but your path does not have to look like mine.”

My goal was never to sell someone on one particular path. It was to help them think about what they wanted, what opportunities were available, and whether the decision they were making was truly theirs.

My connection to the Midland Area Community Foundation actually goes back to high school. I received a Community Foundation scholarship when I graduated. At the time, I did not understand everything the Foundation did, but I understood that someone in my community had chosen to invest in my future.

Years later, scholarships became an important part of my own professional life. I managed study abroad scholarships at Saginaw Valley and continued reviewing scholarships at Delta. I have always found something incredibly powerful in the idea that a person can create an opportunity for someone they may never meet simply because they believe education, training, or a particular experience can change a life.

That is what made the Impact Officer position so exciting to me.

Through my work in Midland County schools, I’ve built relationships with people connected to the Midland Area Career and College Access Network and The Foundation. I saw people who cared deeply about this community and about helping others succeed. When this role opened, it brought together so many things I care about: education, scholarships, community development, relationships, and creating opportunities for people to see what is possible for themselves.

As I look toward the future, my hopes for Midland County are rooted in connection.

I believe we have far more shared values than we sometimes realize. My dream is to help bring people together around those common values and build deeper relationships throughout our community. I want Midland County to be a place where people feel seen, where they feel they belong, and where they know others genuinely care about them.

I believe we are already moving in that direction, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of it.”

08/24/2026

Backpacks are packed. Classrooms are ready. A new school year is here.

As students across Midland County head back to school, we’re reminded that supporting young people means showing up for them at every stage, from middle school and high school to college, career training, and beyond.

At the Midland Area Community Foundation, that support takes many forms, in addition to grantmaking:

The Midland Area Career and College Access Network works with high school students and adult learners to make postsecondary education and training more accessible. Through high school advisors, a postsecondary hub in Coleman, an adult learner team, and other resources, nearly 75% of students are now enrolling in postsecondary education, according to the most recent data collected.

Our scholarship program helps turn those plans into reality. This spring, 359 scholarships totaling approximately $1 million were awarded to help students continue their education.

The Midland Area Youth Action Council gives local students in grades 6 through 12 a real voice in philanthropy. Each year, members research community needs, volunteer, develop their own projects, and decide how to invest approximately $100,000 in programs that improve the lives of young people in Midland County.

The Midland Area Youth Impact Partnership brings together educators, nonprofits, mental health staff, and other youth-serving organizations to share resources, strengthen prevention and early intervention efforts, and promote kindness throughout our schools and community.

Education can open doors, but supporting young people goes far beyond the classroom. It means giving them resources, opportunities, a voice, and people in their corner.

To every student, educator, school staff member, parent, caregiver, and community partner beginning another school year: we’re wishing you a great first day and an even better year ahead.

08/19/2026

Yesterday, we had the privilege of welcoming our regional community foundation partners to Midland for a day centered on innovation, collaboration, and filling gaps in our communities.

The Midland Area Community Foundation hosted friends and colleagues from the Bay Area Community, Saginaw Community Foundation, Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, Tuscola County Community Foundation, and Frankenmuth Community Foundation for our Regional Community Foundation Retreat.

We began the day at the Midland Center for the Arts, where a regional panel highlighted the many ways community foundations are responding to local needs. Alysia Christy shared Your Foundation’s work around the Access to Community initiative, alongside Liz Conway on strategic infrastructure changes, Chamika Ford on career and technical scholarships, Nicole Horn on community partnerships, John Hunter on food security, and Jon Webb on collaborative fundraising. Sharon Mortensen moderated the conversation.

After a tour of the Midland Center for the Arts renovation, we headed to Nord Social, an impact investment of the Midland Area Community Foundation, for lunch catered by Sergey’s Bakery, another impact investment of The Foundation. We also welcomed Kyle Caldwell, President & CEO of the Council of Michigan Foundations, for a conversation about the work happening across our field.

Our day concluded at Sanford Lake Park, where Dolores Porte, with the Village of Sanford, and Kayla Stryker, with the Four Lakes Task Force, helped lead a conversation about innovation and filling gaps through flood response, public art, and special assessments, followed by a chance to get out on Sanford Lake.

Community foundations are built to listen, connect people and resources, take thoughtful risks, and step into the spaces where needs remain unmet. While every community represented yesterday faces different opportunities and challenges, we share the same goal: helping the places we call home become stronger, more vibrant, and more resilient.

We are grateful to everyone who joined us, shared ideas, asked questions, and reminded us how much we can learn from one another. There is incredible work happening across our region, and we are proud to be part of it.

08/13/2026

Long before Neil and Annmarie Hawkins became supporters of the Midland Area Community Foundation, their relationship began with community service.

The two met in a church basement in Boston, working on community outreach. Annmarie had come from the Bronx, while Neil was originally from Asheville, North Carolina. Career changes eventually brought them to Midland, where they would spend most of their adult lives and raise their two daughters.

For Annmarie, who had familiarity with big cities, Midland took a bit of getting used to.

“I did not really get Midland for a long time,” she recalled, laughing about having to learn that smiling and waving to strangers was simply part of life here.

But raising a family helped her discover something deeper about the community.

“No matter what your interests, no matter what your need, you usually can find a group of people either already working on it, or people drawing together to address something that hasn’t been directly addressed before,” Annmarie said.

That idea, people drawing together, has become a recurring theme in the Hawkins' relationship with Midland and with the Community Foundation.

Their involvement stretches back decades. One of their memorable early connections came in the early 2000s, when they established the Deborah Lynn Hawkins Special Educator Endowed Scholarship Fund in honor of their daughter Deborah. The scholarship supports those pursuing careers working with children with disabilities, including special education teachers and therapists. For years, the Hawkins' made a point of meeting scholarship recipients and introducing them to Deborah.

“It’s a way for our family to give back to this community,” Annmarie said. “Deborah benefited directly from all the specialists at the ESA [Educational Service Agency] and from Midland Public Schools personnel, and we wanted to encourage local students.”

Over the years, their relationship with the Foundation expanded. Neil served on the grants committee and later the Board of Trustees. The couple established a donor-advised fund and regularly partnered with the Foundation to support projects throughout the community.

That history made their decision to contribute to the Wave Maker’s Society, supporting unrestricted grantmaking that allows the Foundation to respond to Midland County’s evolving needs, an easy one.

“I trust the Community Foundation,” Neil said. “If they said they needed to do this and that having a few people give early would help, I was happy to do it just because of the trust I have in Sharon and in the Community Foundation. They don’t ask us to do much, so when they ask, I tend to listen.”

For Neil and Annmarie, that trust is about more than making a contribution. It is about knowing their philanthropy is part of something larger.

The couple has frequently looked to the Foundation as a partner when supporting new ideas, including the Friction Theatre and arts programming in Midland. Annmarie said having the Foundation involved helps demonstrate that a project has support beyond any individual donor.

“We always feel that partnership with the Foundation is an important part of the process of supporting something new in town,” she said. “We don’t ever want to just go off in one direction. We always want to come to the Foundation to make sure there’s also community support behind these kinds of projects.”

That philosophy mirrors the purpose of the Wave Maker’s Society: individual generosity becoming collective community impact.

Looking ahead, the Hawkins’ hope that the same collaborative spirit continues to strengthen the community they have called home for nearly four decades. They particularly hope Midland continues advancing opportunities and representation for people with disabilities while nurturing a diverse, thriving arts community.

For both Neil and Annmarie, making waves has never been about acting alone. It is about trusting the community, finding the right partners, and helping create momentum that carries far beyond a single gift.

08/11/2026

Neighboring starts with something simple: an invitation. 🏡

Neighboring Week returns September 27 – October 3, 2026, and the Midland Area Community Foundation is proud to support the Midland Area Cultural Awareness Coalition as it brings our community together for another year of connection, conversation and good old-fashioned neighboring.

And yes, the Neighboring Week Celebration Fund is back!

Have an idea for bringing your neighbors together? Midland County residents can apply for a $75 Neighborhood Stipend to host an activity like a block party, ice cream social, driveway gathering, game night, care package project or whatever gets people out of their houses and talking to each other.

🤝 NEW FOR 2026: Organizational Collaboration Stipends

Local organizations and businesses can team up to create a Neighboring Week event and receive:

• 2 organizations = $100
• 3 organizations = $150
• 4 organizations = $200
• 5+ organizations = $250

Funding for the Organizational Collaboration Stipends is generously provided by the Consumers Energy Foundation.

At the Foundation, we believe strong communities are built through relationships. Neighboring Week gives all of us an excuse to meet someone new, reconnect with the people around us and strengthen the sense of belonging that makes Midland County home.

Applications are OPEN NOW, and funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Start thinking about what you could do with your neighbors!

Links to apply are in the comments. ⬇️

08/05/2026

It takes a lot of people to put on a festival. We are proud of everyone who comes together each year to build community and produce the Midland Area River Days Festival. From donors, volunteers, planning partners, sponsors, and visitors, we simply say, "thank you." Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are proud to walk alongside you in the pursuit of long-term community transformation.

07/29/2026

Sure, it's Midland Area River Days Festival weekend, but what does it all mean?

While the “Midland Area River Days Festival” as we know it didn’t begin until 1985, the City of Midland held a “Riverdays” celebration starting in the early 1950s. In those days, the festival coincided with the 4th of July and consisted of baseball games, log rolling competitions, a parade, and a brilliant firework display in the evening.

In July of 1985, Hugh Starks made arrangements with the J & K Steamboat Company of Lansing to bring their 50-passenger stern-wheeler into town for four days of river cruises. Hugh, who passed away in 2010, worked for Dow Chemical for over 40 years and was the first chair of the Riverdays Committee.

“…there will be the ti**le of a player piano when the ‘Grand Queen’ sails up the river for a four-day visit to Midland,” said Starks in an article from 1985. The Grand Queen riverboat was well received and returned to Midland for a week-long stay the following year.

“As I think of Eileen and Hugh Starks, I’m reminded of poet T.S. Eliot’s writing about one’s value of not only impacting the present but generations yet unborn. Introduced 38 years ago, the Starks’ River Days vision is so good, it has become entrenched in our community and is recognized as a “must-do” annual event for individuals and families. It has all the elements (natural and cultural history, diverse entertainment, and just plain fun) to be of benefit and enjoyed now and in the future. One of the highlights of my time in Midland (1990-present) was having the good fortune to have experienced Eileen and Hugh’s leadership and vision, not only as they developed River Days, but it’s noteworthy that they were also the catalyst for many other community-wide initiatives impacting present and future generations,” said Dick Touvell, Executive Director Emeritus of the Chippewa Nature Center.

1987 marked the beginning of increased activities. Michigan celebrated its 150th birthday, and the Midland Area Community Foundation planned a six-day celebration called “River Days Festival….a Rendezvous at the Forks.” An array of activities were designed to honor the state’s sesquicentennial. These activities included the riverboat, the Drum and Fife Corps, reenactors of the French voyageurs and Native Americans, a trout pond, and, of course, music. More than a history lesson, the Riverdays Festival in 1987 was a chance to acknowledge the vital role of the rivers in Midland’s prosperity for 150 years. Hugh and Eileen Starks were the co-organizers of the event. As stated in an August 1987 MACF publication, “Recognizing our heritage and working to realize a vital future along the riverfront will continue to be a Midland Foundation commitment.”

Building upon the success of the 1987 celebration, Riverdays Plus in 1988 added a lumberjack show, horse show, and petting zoo. One noteworthy event of the 1988 River Days included the rescue of the Princess Laura riverboat. Longtime Riverdays volunteer Bob Johns stayed at the riverfront overnight to monitor the electrical equipment he had installed for Saturday’s activities. During the late night hours, he was disturbed by the sounds of laughter and running feet. A quick survey revealed that the boat had been cut loose and drifting off under the Tridge. Bob jumped in and swam after her, only to realize he could not pull the large boat back in. So he returned to shore for rope, retook the plunge, and towed Princess Laura back to her base! Bob continued to volunteer with River Days until he passed in 2020. In 2021 the entertainment mainstage was named “Bob Johns River Days Stage” in his memory.

Moving forward, the event name was changed to “The Midland Area River Days Festival” to align with the Community Foundation. Milk jug races, games, nature walks, and canoe rides were all festival components at one point or another. The Midland Rotary Clubs Cheeseburger Dinner and Lion’s Club Chicken Dinner became staples of the festival. Fireworks became an annual part of the event in 1991 when the Tridge celebrated its 10th anniversary. They continue to be supported by the Gerstacker Foundation and have been renamed the Esther Gerstacker Fireworks in honor of Esther’s love of fireworks. In 2018 the Balloonfest was incorporated into the festival and remains the weekend’s highlight.

To carry out River Days’ purpose of being an inclusive community celebration by the river to honor the past and embrace the future of Midland, a hard-working committee representing various organizations and businesses assists in planning. This group plans and carries out activities that unite the community. River Days would not be possible without the many volunteers in our community who help make this event successful each year.

Visit RiverDaysMidland.com to support the festival or plan your trip.

07/04/2026

Midland County will be rocking today. Your Foundation wishes you a happy and healthy Fourth of July celebration. We look forward to walking alongside you this summer as your partners in philanthropy.

Happy Semiquincentennial Birthday to the USA! 💛

Wishing everyone a fun and safe holiday weekend. 🇺🇸🦅🎆