The nonprofit foundation behind Midland's Dow Diamond
The Michigan Baseball Foundation owns and operates Dow Diamond while supporting regional youth, recreation, and economic-development projects through grants.
Dow Diamond sits inside an unusual civic-minded baseball structure. The Michigan Baseball Foundation is a nonprofit public charity formed in 2006 to encourage regional economic development and support organizations serving young people. The foundation owns and operates the downtown Midland ballpark where the Great Lakes Loons play.
The foundation’s timeline records a fast start: Dow Diamond broke ground in April 2006, the organization purchased the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays that June, and it announced a partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers in September. The ballpark opened for the Loons’ first home game on April 13, 2007.
The Loons are the Dodgers’ High-A affiliate and won their first championship in 2016. Baseball games are one part of the foundation’s work. Its grant program considers capital projects that serve young people, promote amateur sports and fitness, or contribute to regional economic development.
That is more precise than saying the town owns the team or that every ticket and hot dog directly becomes a donation. The documented connection is institutional: a nonprofit foundation operates the ballpark and runs a regional grant program alongside the baseball enterprise.
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Last reviewed against the listed sources: July 17, 2026.