Grant Application Guidelines
Funding Process/Timeline
The Foundation's review process begins once complete application materials are received.
We acknowledge receipt of proposals within three business days and notify applicants immediately
if a proposal is incomplete or falls outside our geographic or programmatic purview. Program officers
review eligible proposals, request additional information if necessary, conduct site visits in many cases,
and make recommendations to the Trustees, who make final decisions at a bi-monthly meeting.
The Foundation accepts grant proposals throughout the year, and applicants may submit proposals
at any time. Please note that the Foundation has a policy of providing one grant to an organization at a time.
If you are currently receiving a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation, we cannot review a new proposal
until your current grant is complete and you have submitted final reports. The one exception is in the case of
Bremer Emergency Fund grants. Organizations in receipt of an Emergency Fund grant are eligible to apply
in 2009 for another grant under the new Twin Cities focus or under another program or purpose.
Trustees meet six times a year to make grant decisions. If you wish to ensure consideration
at a specific Trustee meeting, please submit a complete application on or before the dates indicated below.
Please note: The consideration dates listed below pertain to complete proposals. We will hold
incomplete proposals until they are complete; once all materials are received, newly completed proposals will
then move forward for consideration according to the following schedule.
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Completed proposals must be received at the
Foundation on or before:
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For consideration on:
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Friday,
December 5, 2008
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January
29, 2009
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Friday,
January 2, 2009
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March
26, 2009
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Friday,
February 27, 2009
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May
28, 2009
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Friday,
April 24, 2009
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July
30, 2009
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Friday,
June 26, 2009
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September
30, 2009
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Friday,
August 28, 2009
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November
19, 2009
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Friday,
October 23, 2009
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January
28, 2010
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What We Fund
The Otto Bremer Foundation assists people in achieving full economic, civic, and social participation
in and for the betterment of their communities. Our work to help build and maintain vibrant communities
is based on the vision and legacy of our founder, Otto Bremer, whose commitment to the
Bremer bank communities and to those working to make their lives better continues
to guide the Foundation.
Grants and program-related investments respond to community needs by supporting programs, initiatives,
and partnerships that address immediate concerns and/or long-term strategies.
Grants support the following purposes:
- Program or project development
- General operations
- Organizational effectiveness
- Civic engagement
- Capital
- Challenge/matching grants
- Program-related investments.
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Funding Qualifications
Grants are only made to organizations whose beneficiaries
are residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, or Wisconsin
with priority given to those communities or regions served
by Bremer affiliates.
Grants are not made to individuals.
Grants are restricted to private nonprofit or public tax
exempt organizations for purposes defined under section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Foundation does not have a staff discretionary fund.
While the Otto Bremer Foundation does fund some post-secondary
programs, it does not fund Kindergarten through 12th grade
education.
Proposals that are turned down may not be considered again
for one year.
Requests for the following types of projects are discouraged:
- Annual fund drives
- Benefit events
- Camps
- Commercial and business development
- Medical research
- Sporting activities
- Endowments other than for the development of community foundations
- Theatrical productions, including motion pictures, books, and other artistic or media projects
- Historical preservation, museums and interpretive centers
- Conservation projects
- At this time we do not fund in the state of Montana.
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Considerations of the Foundation
The Foundation works to insure that the impact of its funding
results in all people fully participating in community life.
The Foundation is interested in its resources being used
for programs that work to empower beneficiaries, not just
serve them.
The Foundation's resources are available to organizations
that serve the public without discrimination on the basis
of race, color, creed, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual
orientation, marital status, or national origin.
The Foundation is supportive of organizations that are constituency-led,
have an impact on the future wellbeing of the communities,
and advocate systemic change.
The Foundation funds a variety of programs and services
whose relevancy and value have been identified by the community
and work with other community members to create broad-based
solutions to common issues.
The Foundation looks to see how the program or project is
sustainable.
Most grants are awarded for a one-year period, however the
Otto Bremer Foundation will consider multi-year funding as
well.
The Foundation values working with new and emerging groups
as well as established organizations.
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Assistance
In the preliminary stages of a grant request, telephone inquiries or emails
to discuss potential projects or programs are encouraged,
but not required. Staff are available to offer assistance
in the development of grant proposals. Letters of Inquiry
are not accepted.
Our search function allows you to identify Grant
Recipients by year, grant type including related investments and region.
The Grant Review Process
- Applications are accepted at any time during the year.
- If an application falls outside
the geographic or programmatic purview of the Foundation,
the Foundation will notify the applicant immediately by
letter and the application will receive no further consideration.
- After complete application materials are received, the review process starts
after the submission date listed in the schedule of consideration above.
- A program officer will investigate the proposal,
request additional information if necessary, and conduct
site visits whenever possible.
- Program officers analyze and
evaluate the information gathered from the applicant, then
make a recommendation to the trustees, who make the final
decision on grant requests.
- Trustees make final decisions at a bi-monthly meeting
(see our schedule of consideration).
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After the Decision
The Foundation will send written notice of the trustees' decision
to the applicant within a week of the grant review meeting.
Grant recipients must complete and return a donee agreement
before the Foundation can release the grant.
Payment is scheduled after a signed donee agreement is
received.
- A two-part report is required at the end of one year
from the day the grant payment was received. The report
should include:
- a narrative portion explaining the impact of the program, if you have been successful,
how you measured success, and how you communicated results to others.
- a financial report of the expenditure of grant dollars.
The Otto Bremer Foundation does accept
the Minnesota
Common Report Form.
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Mail proposals to:
Otto Bremer Foundation
445 Minnesota Street, Suite 2250
St. Paul, MN 55101-2107
Phone: (651) 227-8036
Toll Free Number: (888) 291-1123
Fax: (651) 312-3665
E-mail: obf@ottobremer.org
Website: www.ottobremer.org
The Foundation requires only one copy of a proposal.
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Grant Application Packet
Click here to download the Foundation's
general application guidelines.
The components of the Application Packet are available individually as well:
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