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                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.4


                                TRUST AGREEMENT


         This TRUST AGREEMENT, dated as of May 5, 2000 (this "Trust Agreement"),
among (i) Midwest Banc Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Depositor"),
(ii) Wilmington Trust Company, a Delaware banking corporation, as trustee, and
(iii) Robert L. Woods, Edward H. Sibbald and Daniel R. Kadolph each an
individual, as trustees (each of such trustees in (ii) and (iii) a "Trustee" and
collectively, the "Trustees"). The Depositor and the Trustees hereby agree as
follows:

         1. The trust created hereby (the "Trust") shall be known as "MBHI
Capital Trust I" in which name the Trustees, or the Depositor to the extent
provided herein, may engage in the transactions contemplated hereby, make and
execute contracts, and sue and be sued.

         2. The Depositor hereby assigns, transfers, conveys and sets over to
the Trustees the sum of Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00). The Trustees hereby
acknowledge receipt of such amount in trust from the Depositor, which amount
shall constitute the initial trust estate. The Trustees hereby declare that they
will hold the trust estate in trust for the Depositor. It is the intention of
the parties hereto that the Trust created hereby constitute a business trust
under Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code, 12 Del. C. Section 3801, et
seq. (the "Business Trust Act"), and that this document constitute the governing
instrument of the Trust. The Trustees are hereby authorized and directed to
execute and file a certificate of trust with the Delaware Secretary of State in
accordance with the provisions of the Business Trust Act.

         3. The Depositor and the Trustees will enter into an amended and
restated Trust Agreement, satisfactory to each such party and substantially in
the form included as an exhibit to the 1933 Act Registration Statement (as
defined below), to provide for the contemplated operation of the Trust created
hereby and the issuance of Preferred Securities and Common Securities to be
referred to therein. Prior to the execution and delivery of such amended and
restated Trust Agreement, the Trustees shall not have any duty or obligation
hereunder or with respect to the trust estate, except as otherwise required by
applicable law or as may be necessary to obtain prior to such execution and
delivery any licenses, consents or approvals required by applicable law or
otherwise.

         4. The Depositor and the Trustees hereby authorize and direct the
Depositor, as the sponsor and agent of the Trust, (i) to file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") and execute, in each case
on behalf of the Trust, (a) the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the "1933
Act Registration Statement") (including any pre-effective or post-effective
amendments to the 1933 Act Registration Statement), relating to the registration
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of the Preferred Securities of the
Trust and possibly certain other securities and (b) a Registration Statement on
Form 8-A (the "1934 Act Registration Statement") (including all pre-effective
and post-effective amendments thereto) relating to the registration of the
Preferred Securities of the Trust under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended; (ii) to file with the American Stock Exchange or a national stock
exchange (the "Exchange") and execute on behalf of the Trust one or more listing
applications and all other applications, statements, certificates, agreements
and other instruments as shall be necessary or desirable to cause the Preferred
Securities



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to be listed on any of the Exchanges; (iii) to file and execute on behalf of the
Trust such applications, reports, surety bonds, irrevocable consents,
appointments of attorney for service of process and other papers and documents
as shall be necessary or desirable to register the Preferred Securities under
the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Depositor, on
behalf of the Trust, may deem necessary or desirable and (iv) to execute on
behalf of the Trust that certain Underwriting Agreement relating to the
Preferred Securities, among the Trust, the Depositor and the Underwriters named
therein, substantially in the form included as an exhibit to the 1933 Act
Registration Statement. In the event that any filing referred to in clauses (i),
(ii) and (iii) above is required by the rules and regulations of the Commission,
an Exchange or state securities or blue sky laws, to be executed on behalf of
the Trust by one or more of the Trustees, each of the Trustees, in its or his
capacity as a Trustee of the Trust, is hereby authorized and, to the extent so
required, directed to join in any such filing and to execute on behalf of the
Trust any and all of the foregoing, it being understood that Wilmington Trust
Company in its capacity as a Trustee of the Trust shall not be required to join
in any such filing or execute on behalf of the Trust any such document unless
required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, the Exchange or state
securities or blue sky laws. In connection with the filings referred to above,
the Depositor and Robert L. Woods, Edward H. Sibbald and Daniel R. Kadolph, each
as Trustees and not in their individual capacities, hereby constitutes and
appoints Robert L. Woods, Edward H. Sibbald and Daniel R. Kadolph, and each of
them, as its true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for the Depositor or such Trustee or in the
Depositor's or such Trustees' name, place and stead, in any and all capacities,
to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to the 1933
Act Registration Statement and the 1934 Act Registration Statement and to file
the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Commission, the Exchange and administrators of the state
securities or blue sky laws, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all
intents and purposes as the Depositor or such Trustee might or could to in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and
agents or any of them, or their respective substitute or substitutes, shall do
or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         5. This Trust Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts.

         6. The number of Trustees initially shall be four (4) and thereafter
the number of Trustees shall be such number as shall be fixed from time to time
by a written instrument signed by the Depositor which may increase or decrease
the number of Trustees; provided, however, that to the extent required by the
Business Trust Act, one Trustee shall either be a natural person who is a
resident of the State of Delaware or, if not a natural person, an entity which
has its principal place of business in the State of Delaware and otherwise meets
the requirements of applicable Delaware law. Subject to the foregoing, the
Depositor is entitled to appoint or remove without cause any Trustee at any
time. The Trustees may resign upon thirty (30) days' prior notice to the
Depositor.

         7. This Trust Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware (without regard to conflict
of laws of principles).

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         8. The Trustees (the "Fiduciary Indemnified Persons") shall not be
liable, responsible or accountable in damages or otherwise to the Trust, the
Depositor, the Trustees or any holder of the Trust's securities (the Trust, the
Depositor and any holder of the Trust's securities being a "Covered Person") for
any loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed or
omitted by the Fiduciary Indemnified Persons in good faith on behalf of the
Trust and in a manner the Fiduciary Indemnified Persons reasonably believed to
be within the scope of authority conferred on the Fiduciary Indemnified Persons
by this Trust Agreement or by law, except that the Fiduciary Indemnified Persons
shall be liable for any such loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of the
Fiduciary Indemnified Person's gross negligence or bad faith with respect to
such acts or omissions.

            The Fiduciary Indemnified Persons shall be fully protected in
relying in good faith upon the records of the Trust and upon such information,
opinions, reports or statements presented to the Trust by any person as to
matters the Fiduciary Indemnified Persons reasonably believes are within such
other person's professional or expert competence and who has been selected with
reasonable care by or on behalf of the Trust, including information, opinions,
reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets, liabilities,
profits, losses, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of
assets from which distributions to holders of Trust's securities might properly
be paid.

         9. The Depositor agrees, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law,

            (a) to indemnify and hold harmless each Fiduciary Indemnified
Person, or any of its officers, directors, shareholders, employees,
representatives or agents, from and against any loss, damage, liability, tax,
penalty, expense or claim of any kind or nature whatsoever incurred by the
Fiduciary Indemnified Persons by reason of the creation, operation or
termination of the Trust in a manner the Fiduciary Indemnified Persons
reasonably believed to be within the scope of authority conferred on the
Fiduciary Indemnified Persons by this Trust Agreement, except that no Fiduciary
Indemnified Persons shall be entitled to be indemnified in respect of any loss,
damage or claim incurred by the Fiduciary Indemnified Persons by reason of gross
negligence or willful misconduct with respect to such acts or omissions; and

            (b) to advance expenses (including legal fees) incurred by a
Fiduciary Indemnified Person in defending any claim, demand, action, suit or
proceeding shall, from time to time, prior to the final disposition of such
claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding, upon receipt by the Trust of an
undertaking by or on behalf of such Fiduciary Indemnified Persons to repay such
amount if it shall be determined that such Fiduciary Indemnified Person is not
entitled to be indemnified as authorized in the preceding subsection.

        10. The provisions of Section 9 shall survive the termination of this
Trust Agreement or the earlier resignation or removal of the Fiduciary
Indemnified Persons.


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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Trust Agreement
to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

                                           MIDWEST BANC HOLDINGS, INC.,
                                              as Depositor

                                           By: /s/ Robert L. Woods
                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Name:  Robert L. Woods
                                              Title:  President and CEO


                                           WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY,
                                              as Trustee

                                           By: /s/ Donald G. Mackelcan
                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Name: Donald G. Mackelcan
                                              Title: Vice President


                                           /s/ Robert L. Woods
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Robert L. Woods, as Trustee

                                           /s/ Edward H. Sibbald
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Edward H. Sibbald, as Trustee

                                           /s/ Daniel R. Kadolph
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Daniel R. Kadolph, as Trustee



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