Grantmaking
SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS OF ENGAGED COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Enriching individuals’ lives is a cooperative endeavor. We see our role as supporting extraordinary efforts. For more than 75 years we have partnered with people and organizations working on the front lines, and we continuously look to do more. We welcome grant applications that will strengthen the community and are consistent with OBT's objectives. We seek to make our process as efficient as possible so that the good work can continue and grow.
Social Return Focus
Grant Categories
While the Otto Bremer Trust does not have specific strategic grant-making priorities, we do provide broad categories to explain the types of programs and services we invest in. These categories are intended to provide some insight into our social returns.
- Basic Needs
- Community Asset Building
- Health & Wellbeing
- Restorative & Emergency Services
Basic Needs
For displaced individuals or those facing other challenges, securing a roof overhead, finding clothing to wear and putting food on the table are the first steps toward self-sufficiency.
These grants include those that focus on short-term assistance through food shelves and outreach programs, cash or vouchers, and auto repair, along with refugee resettlement efforts, transitional housing programs, and homeless shelters.
Where We Work
A UNIQUE RESOURCE FOR INVESTMENT IN THE UPPER MIDWEST
By investing in people, places, and opportunities in the Upper Midwest, the Otto Bremer Trust seeks to build healthy, vibrant communities in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
2020 Impact
$59,496,641
795 Grants & PRIs
See all RecipentsMinnesota-North Dakota team:
Dominic Papatola, Regional Director
Elyse Coleman, Program Officer
Lisa Keske, Program Officer
Kabao Xiong, Program Officer
Email the Team 651-227-8036 888-291-1123Grantmaking Process
How To Apply For A Grant
If you have already started your online grant application, log in to the
Application Portal
- Eligibility
- Application Information
- Schedule
- Review
- Reporting
- Application Portal
Important announcement
The Otto Bremer Trust will launch a new grant application process in May 2021. We’re designing the system to be more efficient and to provide grant decisions more quickly. Learn more here.
Eligibility
Grants are made only to organizations whose beneficiaries are residents of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, or Wisconsin. 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. Please note that as a regulated financial institution, we will screen applications in accordance with the Bank Secrecy Act and file Suspicious Activity Reports when warranted.
ACTIVITIES WE DO NOT FUND
The Otto Bremer Trust provides funding to support critical assistance, health and well-being, and community engagement. We do not fund the following:
- Requests for projects that support beneficiaries outside our four-state region
- K-12 core curriculum and related in-school resources
- Religious programs for the purpose of religious education or proselytization
- Municipal infrastructure projects; for example:
- Fire trucks
- Ambulances and related emergency-response equipment
- Animal welfare or animal-based therapy
- Sporting teams and events
Otto Bremer Trust provides general operating, program, and capital grants. We do not provide grants for the following purposes:
- Sponsorships for events
- Servicing or paying off previously incurred debt or expenses
- One-time experiences, including conferences, convenings, trips, etc.
- To bring a building or program into government compliance
ALL ARE WELCOME HERE
OBT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, or national origin.
Waiting period after a turndown
When an application is turned down, the applicant must wait one year from the date they submitted it before applying again. In a few special circumstances, OBT will waive the one-year waiting period. In those cases, the applicant will receive notice of the waiver at the same time they receive their turndown notification.
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact us at 651-227-8036 or toll-free at 888-291-1123. If you have questions about the use of the Applicant and Grantee Portal, please ask for portal support, or email us at portal@ottobremer.org.
ONE GRANT AT A TIME
The Otto Bremer Trust has a policy of providing one grant at a time to an organization. While there are exceptions, this generally means applicants may apply once per 12-month period. OBT requires that applicants complete the terms of a grant and file a final narrative and financial report before the trustees will consider a subsequent funding request. When the timing element of this policy is unclear, please contact program staff to determine eligibility.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS POLICY
When can my organization submit its final reports? When the one-year grant period is completed (or when the grant activity is completed, if that is sooner), your organization may submit its final narrative and financial reports.
When can my organization submit a new proposal? Your organization may submit a new proposal after:
- OBT has received the organization’s final narrative and financial reports from the previous grant; and
- The one-year grant period from the previous grant is complete.
Are there any exceptions to this policy? Yes, there are two exceptions. In both situations, the one-grant-at-a-time policy does not apply.
- Fiscal sponsors. An organization currently receiving an Otto Bremer Trust grant may apply for a new grant to support activities of a different organization for which it is serving as the fiscal sponsor. Similarly, an organization serving as fiscal sponsor for a program receiving an Otto Bremer Trust grant may apply for a grant for its own activities.
- Serving a different community. An organization currently receiving an Otto Bremer Trust grant to serve one community is eligible to apply for another grant to serve a different community.
FISCAL SPONSORSHIP
In some situations, one organization asks for a grant that will be used at least in part to pay for another organization to do the proposed work. Put another way, a grant intended to be used by one organization is first paid to an intermediary organization. The Otto Bremer Trust’s policies related to fiscal sponsorship grants are outlined below.
Language to describe the two organizations
It can be confusing to talk about the organizations involved in a fiscal sponsorship situation. One organization receives a grant and uses the money to fund another organization to do some or all of the work:
- Grantee. We use the term grantee to talk about the fiscal sponsor. OBT’s legal relationship is with the grantee, and OBT sends the grant funds to the grantee.
- Sponsored Organization. We use the term “sponsored organization” to talk about the other organization — the organization that the grantee chooses to support to do the work.
When is fiscal sponsorship appropriate?
Fiscal sponsorship can come up in many different situations, including:
- New organization. A new organization that does not yet have 501(c)(3) status seeks to raise funds through a grantee that does have such status. That grantee agrees because it is able to accomplish its charitable purpose through the new organization.
- Young organization. A young organization that is not able to manage the financial aspects of a project seeks to have a more sophisticated organization receive and administer the grant funds. That organization agrees to be the grantee because it is able to accomplish its charitable purpose through the young organization.
- Collaborative. The grantee proposes to accomplish its charitable purpose through a collaborative that is doing just one project together (such as putting on a conference) and the collaborative is not a legal entity and/or does not have tax-exempt status.
In all fiscal sponsorship grants, two things must be true: 1. The proposed work must further the grantee’s charitable purpose; and 2. The sponsored organization must be qualified to carry out the project.
Grantee (Fiscal Sponsor) Responsibilities
The grantee has full responsibility for grant funds for tax, accounting, and other purposes. The grantee also has full responsibility for complying with the terms of the grant agreement, including preparing and submitting grant reports to OBT.
Other Rules
There are two more things that grantees should know about fiscal sponsor grants from the Otto Bremer Trust: 1. If a grant is approved, OBT expects that the grantee will disburse the grant funds to or for the benefit of the sponsored organization identified in the proposal. However, the grantee is not legally bound to disburse funds to the sponsored organization and may decide to disburse the funds to other organizations instead, as long as that choice effectively carries out the purpose of the grant. 2. OBT requires the grantee to have a written agreement with the sponsored organization outlining the terms of the fiscal sponsorship. This agreement should lay out the grantee’s responsibilities and the sponsored organization’s responsibilities. Among other items, this agreement must:
- Specify the amount or percentage of grant funds (if any) that the grantee is entitled to withhold to meet its reasonable expenses for administering the grant.
- Acknowledge that the grantee is not legally required to disburse the grant funds to or for the benefit of the sponsored organization.
REACH OUT WITH QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact us at 651-227-8036 or toll-free at 888-291-1123.
For substantive questions about your application, including those related to eligibility, we recommend calling as early as possible in the grant application process.
If you have questions about the use of the Applicant and Grantee Portal, please ask for portal support, or email us at portal@ottobremer.org. To ensure delivery of email from the portal, please add the address portal@ottobremer.org to your email contacts and safe list. For information about program-related investments, please review our Hybrid Return page.
The Impact
EXPLORE GRANTS MADE BY THE OTTO BREMER TRUST
Good knows no boundaries, especially in the Upper Midwest. Here’s a look at the types of work made possible by our grantmaking.
Featured Story
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Keeping a community healthy
REDEEMER CENTER FOR LIFE, INC., MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
Recent Grant Recipients
See All RecipientsThe Community Table, Inc.
$40,000 | 2020 | Eau Claire, WI
For general operations to serve nutritious meals in a safe, welcoming environment and to connect economically disadvantaged individuals with resources.
Full STEAM Ahead
$30,000 | 2020 | Minot, ND
For general operations to support youth development and enrichment activities for children in the Minot area.
Phyllis Wheatley Community Center
$50,000 | 2020 | Minneapolis, MN
To support the Family Engagement and Resource Center, which will provide early childhood options, employment, job training, financial literacy, and network opportunities for families in north Minneapolis.