About Otto Bremer Trust
Otto Bremer Trust is making large, targeted investments in regional intermediary organizations to support pilot community initiatives. Their giving in this dataset is focused on funding intermediaries (community foundations and United Ways) to catalyze local systems- or place-based work rather than direct service providers. Grants are substantial, equal-sized commitments that suggest strategic, high-impact support for pilot projects in Midwestern metropolitan areas.
Focus Areas
Regional intermediary support — Greater Twin Cities United WayRegional intermediary support — Greater Milwaukee FoundationPilot funding for community systems change or capacity-buildingPlace-based philanthropic initiatives in the Upper Midwest
Who They Fund
low-income neighborhood residentspeople with cancer / patients requiring medical supportNative American community memberschildren, young mothers, and familiespeople experiencing homelessness or housing instability
About Otto Bremer Trust
Otto Bremer Trust’s recent grantmaking is shaped by large, multi-million-dollar commitments to regional intermediaries and health infrastructure. In 2024, it awarded matching $3.64 million grants to Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Greater Twin Cities United Way for an intermediaries pilot project, signaling a preference for organizations that can channel resources into local systems work. The pattern continues across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, and North Dakota through community foundations, United Ways, hospitals, and health-related nonprofits. The trust also funds capital and expansion projects. Recent awards include $1.4 million to University of Minnesota Foundation for the Community-University Health Care Center capital project, $1 million to Southside Community Health Services for One Southside, and $1 million to Mayo Clinic for healthcare capital. Other significant grants support neighborhood centers, emergency services, food infrastructure, and early intervention services. Rather than relying on many small awards, the trust often makes substantial, strategic grants that align with local capacity-building, pilot projects, and place-based investment across its region.
What Otto Bremer Trust Funds
Health care is a major theme. Otto Bremer Trust gave $3 million to Allina Health Foundation for innovative, equity-based cancer care, then followed with $1 million to Mayo Clinic for healthcare capital and $550,000 to Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation for healthcare capital. Basic needs and housing also appear across the portfolio. The trust awarded $1 million to Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota to address poverty in St. Paul and $500,000 to The Salvation Army Northern Division for Pathway of Hope and emergency services. Education and youth development show up through institutional and community-serving grants. St. David’s Center received $1 million for Twin Cities early intervention expansion, while St. Mary’s University of Minnesota received $600,000 for First Generation Initiative (FGI) scholars support. The trust also gave $880,000 to Young Men’s Christian Association of the North for expanding and sustaining YMCA neighborhood centers.
How Otto Bremer Trust Gives
Otto Bremer Trust’s recent grants cluster around a few standard sizes: the 25th percentile is $30,000, the median is $50,000, and the 75th percentile is $75,000. The dataset also shows repeated large awards, including several at $1 million and above, which points to a two-tier pattern of routine grants and major strategic commitments. The same organizations can appear in multiple years. University of Minnesota Foundation, Mayo Clinic, Regions Hospital Foundation, and Montana Community Foundation each received more than one award in the recent-grants list. Otto Bremer Trust is a regular funder, makes program-related investments, and accepts unsolicited applications for some grant programs, including Responsive Grants and General Grantmaking.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$68.5M
Total Assets
$1.4B
Total Revenue
$89.4M
Total Expenses
$93.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $30K and $75K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$30K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$75K
Geographic Reach
Regional14 states funded
About 57% of grants go to recipients in MN.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
DANIEL REARDON
CO-CEO/TRUSTEE
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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