Daily Featured Foundation - 12/2/25

12/2/2025

Here is today’s featured foundation.

Otto Bremer Trust

Website: https://ottobremer.org/

Mission & Purpose: To invest in people, places, and opportunities in the Upper Midwest. The trust was created by a banker, Otto Bremer, and is unique in that it owns a bank (Bremer Bank) and uses the profits to fund the community.

Broad Funding Guidelines: Grantmaking is limited to communities in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin where there is a Bremer Bank presence. They support organizations that help build healthy, safe, and vibrant communities. Their four pillars are Basic Needs, Community Asset Building, Health & Wellbeing, and Restorative & Responsive Services.

Featured Opportunity: The Community Responsive Fund is a key tool they use to support immediate, local needs. Because of their banking roots, they are often very supportive of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and projects that promote financial literacy and economic stability in rural towns.

Recommendation: A nonprofit in a rural town in MN, ND, WI, or MT that has a local Bremer Bank branch. Projects focused on economic independence, housing, or food security are strong fits.