Over the last several years, our world and the communities we serve have undergone tremendous change, and there is a growing need for supporting residents and services in local communities throughout our region. Not only have these needs increased, but the philanthropic landscape has become much more complex. Because of this, we are continually assessing and improving our processes to be more efficient and effective and to lessen the burden on prospective grantees. With these changes to our giving, we can accomplish both goals while focusing our grantmaking where it is most needed, as was Otto Bremer’s vision 80 years ago.

We are changing how we invest in communities, allowing us to be more impactful in our work. Our new, two-pronged approach includes:

1. Strategic grants initiated and provided directly by OBT
2. Community Responsive Fund grants through selected intermediary partners

While OBT is changing its processes, our objectives and mission will not change. We are simply adjusting the process we use to deliver on our mission in a more impactful way.

A new process will replace our open application process. Strategic grants will be awarded to selected organizations and activities that align with the Otto Bremer Trust’s objectives and have demonstrated impact that will be sustained and enhanced through further investments from OBT. We will identify and engage with organizations in two main ways to do this:

1. OBT will leverage internal knowledge, our robust funding history, engagement with external stakeholders including our intermediary partners, and research to identify strategic grant recipients.
2. Organizations new to OBT can submit an organization introduction form through our website when it becomes available sometime in 2025.

Visit Eligibility to learn more.

In late 2023, OBT initiated a pilot project to work with intermediary partners, engaging them to identify and recommend grants to organizations addressing community needs in alignment with the Otto Bremer Trust’s objectives. The extraordinary response to the Community Responsive Fund encourages OBT to continue to expand and explore grantmaking through this approach.

Community Responsive Fund grants leverage the expertise and local insights of intermediaries to extend the reach of OBT’s objectives and to provide grants to organizations, projects, and services that will have the greatest impact and are most needed in their local communities and regions. These intermediaries will regrant from the Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund in areas aligned with OBT and approved by the trustees. Intermediaries will be selected through a closed process and announced in the fall of 2024.

Visit Eligibility to learn more.

Following are the eligibility requirements and restrictions for strategic grants:

1. The work must align with the Otto Bremer Trust’s objectives.
2. The organization’s previous year’s expenses must have been at least $500,000.
3. The organization must be at least five years old.
4. OBT does not support sponsored organizations or activities.
5. Strategic grants are limited to one year.
6. Grants will not be made for work that influences public policy.

Following are the eligibility requirements and restrictions for Community Responsive Fund grants:

1. The work must align with the Otto Bremer Trust’s objectives.
2. The organization’s previous year’s expenses must have been less than $500,000.
3. The organization must be at least five years old.
4. Grants will be made for up to $75,000 and are limited to one year.
5. Grants will not be made for work that influences public policy.

Grants are made only to organizations whose beneficiaries are Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and/or Wisconsin residents.

Grants are generally restricted to organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and to governmental entities.

OBT does not make grants to individuals.

In accordance with federal regulations, the Otto Bremer Trust does not discriminate based on race, color, creed, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, or national origin. We require that prospective grantees’ employment and service practices comply with this policy.

Please note that as a regulated financial institution, we screen organizations in accordance with the Bank Secrecy Act and file Suspicious Activity Reports when warranted.