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Otto Bremer Trust

Annual Giving
$79.8M
Grant Range
$5K - $5.0M
Decision Time
4mo

Otto Bremer Trust - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $79,797,586 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $1 billion
  • Decision Time: Varies by program (3-5 months typical for Community Responsive Fund)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $5,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin (communities with Bremer banks)
  • Application Method: No public application for strategic grants; Community Responsive Fund through intermediaries

Contact Details

Address: 30 East 7th Street, Suite 2900, St. Paul, MN 55101

Phone: (651) 227-8036 | Toll Free: (888) 291-1123

Email: portal@ottobremer.org (for portal assistance)

Website: https://ottobremer.org

Overview

The Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) was created in 1944 by Otto Bremer, a German immigrant who became a prominent banker and community leader in the Upper Midwest. With total assets of $1 billion, OBT has invested more than $1 billion in its region since its founding. In 2024, the Trust contributed $79,797,586 through 881 grants and program-related investments (PRIs) to 789 organizations. The Trust serves communities in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin where Bremer banks are located. In recent years, OBT has transformed its grantmaking approach, no longer accepting direct applications for strategic grants but instead using an internal selection process and partnering with philanthropic intermediaries to administer the Community Responsive Fund. The Trust's mission is to invest in people, places, and opportunities, with trustees carrying out Otto Bremer's philanthropic vision with a fiduciary obligation to ensure all activities are for charitable purposes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Strategic Grants: $5,000 - $5,000,000

  • Awarded to selected organizations identified by OBT trustees and staff
  • Focus on activities that align with OBT's objectives and demonstrate sustained impact
  • No public application process; OBT staff contacts organizations for exploration
  • Organizations new to OBT can submit an organization introduction form (available sometime in 2025)

Community Responsive Fund: Up to $75,000

  • Administered through seven regional philanthropic intermediaries
  • 2025 fund total: $16,800,000 distributed to intermediaries
  • Applications submitted through intermediary partners, not directly to OBT
  • Each intermediary sets its own application timeline and guidelines
  • 2025 focus areas:
    • Literacy
    • Adoption and foster care services
    • Children's health
    • Children's disability services
    • Mental health (preference for children aged 5-15)
    • Capital projects for hospitals and clinics (maintenance, construction, medical equipment)

Program-Related Investments (PRIs)

  • Investments that align with charitable purposes
  • Range varies based on project

Priority Areas

OBT funds organizations and programs that effectively address challenges and opportunities in local communities. The Trust emphasizes that "local context matters, as it shapes a community's vision and informs how people respond to opportunities and challenges." Recent grants have supported:

  • Housing and homelessness services
  • Food security and hunger programs
  • Wellness and healthcare access
  • Literacy programs
  • Youth programs and services
  • Workforce training and economic development
  • Children's advocacy and protection
  • Services for individuals with disabilities

What They Don't Fund

  • Fiscal sponsorships
  • Work to influence public policy or advocacy
  • Sponsorships or annual event funding
  • Organizations outside Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin
  • Government entities, including public schools (non-public schools are eligible)
  • Organizations without 501(c)(3) status
  • Organizations with less than five years of continuous 501(c)(3) status
  • Organizations with annual expenses below $2 million ($3 million for Twin Cities metro area)

Community Responsive Fund Additional Restrictions:

  • Grant awards may not exceed 10% of organization's previous fiscal year's public philanthropic financial support
  • Operating support grants may not exceed 10% of organization's administrative services

Governance and Leadership

The Otto Bremer Trust is managed by three trustees who serve as full-time co-CEOs, managing all aspects of the Trust as articulated in the Trust Agreement.

Current Trustees:

  • Caroline Johnson - Appointed co-trustee in August 2024 following Charlotte Johnson's retirement. Caroline brings nearly 20 years of leadership and financial management experience in banking and other industries.
  • Francis (Frank) M. Miley - Named trustee in February 2023. Miley stated: "It is a sacred duty and honor to steward the incredible legacy of Otto Bremer."
  • Daniel Reardon

Previous Leadership:

  • Charlotte Johnson - Served as trustee for 25 years and most recently as co-CEO from late 2014 until her retirement in 2024.

Funding Philosophy: The trustees maintain Otto Bremer's original vision, with a fiduciary obligation to ensure all OBT activities are for charitable purposes. As stated on their website: "Otto Bremer's commitment to helping people and communities provides the cornerstone of the Trust's investment philosophy. The Trust is committed to ensuring its assets are put to work to support a better quality of life for people in the region."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Strategic Grants:

Otto Bremer Trust does not have a public application process for strategic grants. Instead:

  • OBT's trustees elevate focus areas for staff to identify, research, and assess prospective organizations
  • Staff contacts identified organizations directly for further exploration and consideration
  • Organizations cannot request meetings with OBT staff to discuss potential strategic grant consideration
  • All publicly available information is included in their FAQs and grantmaking page

For Organizations New to OBT:

  • An organization introduction form will become available on their website sometime in 2025
  • There are no deadlines for organization introductions
  • Organizations can submit an introduction anytime after the form becomes available

For Community Responsive Fund:

Applications must be submitted through regional intermediary partners. 2025 intermediaries include:

  • Initiative Foundation (Little Falls, MN) - $3,150,000
  • Greater Twin Cities United Way (Minneapolis, MN) - $4,200,000
  • Greater Milwaukee Foundation (Milwaukee, WI) - $3,150,000
  • Montana Community Foundation (Helena, MT) - $1,575,000 | Application: April 1 - May 15, 2025
  • North Dakota Community Foundation (Bismarck, ND) - $1,050,000
  • Southwest Initiative Foundation (MN) - Application: April 15 - May 22
  • Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region (WI)

Visit the OBT website for the complete list of 2025 Community Responsive Fund intermediaries and their specific application timelines.

Decision Timeline

Strategic Grants:

  • Once OBT identifies a candidate, they contact the organization to schedule in-depth discussion and request basic financial information
  • Timeline varies based on the complexity and scope of the grant
  • If a grant is awarded, a straightforward final report is required at the end of the grant period

Community Responsive Fund:

  • Timelines vary by intermediary
  • Example (Montana): Applications close May 15, award announcements in August, funding available early September
  • Typically 3-5 months from application deadline to award announcement

Notification:

  • For strategic grants: Organizations are contacted directly by OBT staff
  • For Community Responsive Fund: Notifications handled by intermediary partners
  • Financial reports required at the end of each one-year grant period

Reapplication Policy

For organizations that were previously turned down:

  • Must wait one year from the date of submission before applying again
  • In special circumstances, OBT may waive the one-year waiting period
  • Applicants will be notified if the waiting period is waived at the same time they receive their turndown notification

Application Success Factors

Eligibility Requirements (Critical):

  • At least five years of successful operations with 501(c)(3) status continuously held
  • Last fiscal year's actual expenses must have been at least $2 million (or $3 million for Twin Cities metro area organizations)
  • Serve beneficiaries in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and/or Wisconsin
  • Located in a community where there are Bremer banks

Alignment with OBT's Mission: From GrantAdvisor reviewer feedback: "Make sure the mission of your organization matches up well to OBT and their priorities." The Trust gives highest priority to "opportunities with the potential to move a community forward in meaningful, powerful and broad-based ways."

Understanding Otto Bremer's Legacy: GrantAdvisor reviewers recommend: "Take time to understand what Otto Bremer was all about. He really wanted to help build better communities." Otto Bremer's philosophy of supporting small-town banks during the Great Depression—often showing up with a satchel of cash to save local banks from failing—reflects his commitment to community stability and local empowerment.

Demonstrated Impact and Sustainability: Strategic grants are awarded to organizations with "demonstrated an impact that will be sustained and enhanced through further investments from OBT." The Trust looks for activities that show measurable, lasting community benefit.

Local Context Matters: OBT explicitly states: "Local context matters, as it shapes a community's vision and informs how people respond to opportunities and challenges." Applications should demonstrate deep understanding of specific community needs and how the proposed work addresses them.

Persistence: From GrantAdvisor: "Keep applying. We did not get funding the first application." While strategic grants no longer have a traditional application process, organizations should use the forthcoming organization introduction form to get on OBT's radar.

Recent Grant Examples (showing what OBT funds):

  • Minnesota Children's Alliance (Saint Paul, MN): $25,000 for general operations providing training, education, and technical assistance to Children's Advocacy Centers
  • Northern Voices (Roseville, MN): $50,000 to teach children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen and speak

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No direct application for strategic grants: OBT now identifies and contacts organizations internally. Use the organization introduction form (available in 2025) to get on their radar if you're new to OBT.

  • Community Responsive Fund is your accessible pathway: With $16.8 million distributed through seven intermediaries in 2025, this represents the most direct route for most organizations. Identify your regional intermediary and apply through them.

  • Size matters: Organizations must have annual expenses of at least $2 million ($3 million in Twin Cities metro) and five years of continuous 501(c)(3) status. This is a high bar that eliminates many smaller nonprofits.

  • Geographic specificity is critical: You must serve communities where Bremer banks are located in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Research whether your service area aligns.

  • Understand Otto Bremer's philosophy: His legacy of showing up with cash to save small-town banks during the Depression reflects values of community stability, local empowerment, and practical support. Frame your work in these terms.

  • Local context is paramount: Don't submit generic applications. Demonstrate deep knowledge of your specific community's needs and how your work addresses them in meaningful, broad-based ways.

  • Broad community impact: OBT prioritizes opportunities that can "move a community forward in meaningful, powerful and broad-based ways"—not just serve individual clients but create systemic change.

References

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