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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.

MN

$59,496,641

795 Grants & PRIs

In 2020
MT

$1,064,000

39 Grants & PRIs

In 2020
ND

$5,459,865

117 Grants & PRIs

In 2020
WI

$5,268,826

149 Grants & PRIs

In 2020

REGIONAL CONTACTS

Use the dropdown menus below to identify your OBT region and regional contact.

CONTACT FORM

Use this form to send a message directly to your regional contact.

Grantmaking 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
- One Grant at a Time
- Fiscal Sponsorship
Schedule
Review
Reporting
Frequently Asked Questions
Start An Application
Application Portal

Welcome to the Otto Bremer Trust’s new application process. We have made many improvements, reducing the time between applying for a grant and receiving a decision. This page contains important information about what’s new in our process—and what remains the same.

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.

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

Following are some basic questions and answers about how that process will work.

When can my organization submit its final report?

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. These are:

Fiscal sponsors. An organization that has an open 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 a fiscal sponsor for a program with an OBT grant may apply for a grant for its own activities. Learn more about fiscal sponsorships.
Serving a different region. An organization with an open Otto Bremer Trust grant to serve one region is eligible to apply for another grant to serve a different region.

If you have questions about this policy, call our office (651-227-8036 or 888-291-1123) and ask to speak with a program officer.

You may also reach our program teams directly by email:

Minnesota: mn@ottobremer.org
Montana: mt@ottobremer.org
North Dakota: nd@ottobremer.org
Wisconsin: wi@ottobremer.org

FISCAL SPONSORSHIP

In some situations, a sponsoring organization asks for a grant that will be used at least in part to pay for another entity to do the proposed work. Put another way, a grant intended to be used by a sponsored organization is first paid to an intermediary organization. The Otto Bremer Trust’s policies related to fiscal sponsorship grants are outlined below.

Prospective applicants are required to speak with a program officer before applying for a grant as a fiscal sponsor.

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

To speak with a program officer about the application process for a sponsored application, please contact us at 651-227-8036 or toll-free at 888-291-1123.

You may also reach our program teams directly by email:

Minnesota: mn@ottobremer.org
Montana: mt@ottobremer.org
North Dakota: nd@ottobremer.org
Wisconsin: wi@ottobremer.org

For substantive questions about your application, including those related to eligibility, we recommend calling as early as possible in the grant application process.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Otto Bremer Trust has implemented a new grant application process. This new process will provide a better platform for OBT’s growing philanthropic work in our four-state region.

Here are some common questions you might have about the change in our process.

Has OBT changed its funding priorities?

While we recently expanded the geographic scope of our philanthropic work, our funding priorities and interest areas have not changed with this new process.

How do I start an application?

Before beginning a new application, we encourage you to review our grantmaking priorities carefully. See the Eligibility and Application Information sections, where you will find our eligibility guidelines, a link to begin an application, and other information.

How long will it take to receive a grant decision once my organization applies?

In our old process, it took about five months from the application deadline to receive a decision. In the new system, we will significantly shorten that timeframe.

Where can I find a list of application deadlines and grant notification dates?

Future deadlines will soon be available in the Schedule section. To receive updates when we add or modify dates, subscribe to OBT updates (and select General Announcements).

Will my program officer change?

Program staff work in broad geographic territories and are not assigned to specific organizations. So, you may or may not work with the same program officer you have worked with before.

My organization currently has an open grant. When will we be able to apply again?

See the Eligibility Chart for Current Grantees in the Schedule section.

Will we still have access to our old records?

Yes, you will continue to have access to your previous applications and grants after the new application launches.

If I have other questions, who can I call?

You can find the right contact person by visiting Where We Work or call our office (651-227-8036 or 888-291-1123) and ask to speak with a program officer.

If you need technical assistance with the portal, send an email to portal@ottobremer.org.

Featured Story

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Keeping a community healthy

REDEEMER CENTER FOR LIFE, INC., MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

Recent Grant Recipients

See All Recipients

The 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.

Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. (CT) on:	For emailed results by:
Thursday, June 3, 2021	Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Thursday, July 29, 2021	Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Thursday, October 7, 2021	Wednesday, January 26, 2022

If your current grant term ends:	You are eligible to apply by:	For emailed results by:
On or before May 14, 2021	Thursday, June 3, 2021	Wednesday, September 8, 2021
May 15 – August 13, 2021	Thursday, July 29, 2021	Tuesday, November 16, 2021
August 14 – November 5, 2021	Thursday, October 7, 2021	Wednesday, January 26, 2022
After November 5, 2021	To be announced	To be announced