Opportunity Overview
Hemlock Semiconductor, working through the Saginaw Community Foundation, Bay Area Community Foundation, and Midland Area Community Foundation, is accepting the 2026 Hemlock Semiconductor Community and Regional Empowerment (CARE) Grant. The current official foundation pages list a September 30, 2026 application deadline. The public guidance does not publish a closing clock time or time zone, so applicants should not infer one.
Funding
CARE funding is available in two categories: up to $10,000 for local projects and programs and up to $30,000 for regional projects and programs.
Eligible Applicants and Geography
Eligible applicant classes are 501(c)(3) organizations, schools, and units of government. Applications are administered through the Saginaw, Bay Area, and Midland Area community foundations. Applicants should use the foundation appropriate to the geography served. Saginaw Community Foundation states that applicants proposing work in Saginaw County or regional work spanning Saginaw, Bay, and Midland counties must first discuss the project with its competitive grants program officer; application information is then provided after eligibility is determined. Midland Area Community Foundation states that its grant opportunities are open to eligible organizations serving Midland County. Applicants should confirm the correct foundation route before beginning the application.
Program Priorities and Allowable Request Types
The program emphasizes quality of life, STEAM, and workforce development, while also inviting other projects aligned with Hemlock Semiconductor’s values. The draft application currently linked by Saginaw Community Foundation includes program areas for education, physical and/or mental health, science and technology, human services, food/nutrition/agriculture, employment, recreation, and community improvement. It also identifies request types that include equipment, curriculum/program development, building or renovation, seed money, staff development, capital campaigns, performance/production, and other project types. Final allowability remains controlled by the current application issued through the applicable community foundation.
Current Public Application Requirements
The current Saginaw Community Foundation CARE page links a draft application resource. That draft requests organizational identity and EIN information, mission statement, service geography, program dates, amount requested, total project cost, population served, program narrative, statement of need, measurable goals, collaborations, sustainability, and a program/project budget. It also calls for a one-page list of current board members, the first page of the most recent IRS Form 990 and current operating budget, documentation supporting expenses when applicable, up to three letters of support, and the HSC budget template. Because the linked form is labeled draft and Saginaw states that application information is emailed after eligibility is determined, applicants must follow the final current application supplied by the administering foundation if it differs.
Match, Procurement, Amendments, and Submission
The current public CARE pages and linked draft application do not state a mandatory matching-funds or cost-share percentage. The budget section asks applicants to identify other revenue sources and whether they are confirmed or pending, which is not by itself a mandatory match requirement. No separate solicitation number, universal vendor-registration requirement, or public addendum process is stated on the current foundation pages. Submission mechanics vary by administering foundation: Saginaw requires an eligibility discussion before application information is sent, while Midland directs applicants through its grant application system. Applicants should rely on the final application and instructions supplied by the foundation handling their geography.
Atlas Strategic Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 78/100. The opportunity is relevant to Michigan schools and community organizations because schools are expressly eligible, STEAM and workforce development are core priorities, and the current draft form includes health, education, science and technology, and equipment among its program/request categories.
N9+ Fit Score: 42/100, conditional. The opportunity is not a dedicated clinical-technology grant, so an N9+ use case should not be forced. A legitimate fit could exist only where an eligible school, nonprofit, or government applicant owns a clearly aligned health, school-health, STEAM, or community-care project and the administering foundation confirms the proposed equipment and related costs are allowable in the final application.
Dr. Miltie, LLC direct-applicant status: Not eligible as a prime applicant under the published applicant classes. Any Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare role would have to be applicant-led and permitted under the final grant budget and procurement requirements.
Outreach Status
Atlas publication is appropriate because the September 2026 cycle is current. New applicant outreach is held pending authoritative confirmation of the exact September 30 closing time and time zone and review of the final 2026 application instructions for the specific administering foundation. Atlas will not infer an unpublished deadline time or use the linked draft form as a substitute for a final application.
Official Sources
- Saginaw Community Foundation — HSC CARE Fund
- Midland Area Community Foundation — Apply / CARE Grant
- Bay Area Community Foundation — Grant Programs
Atlas verification date: September 16, 2026. Applicants should rely on the administering community foundation’s current final application and any later guidance.