Otto Bremer Trust awards 236 grants totaling record $15.9 million

The Otto Bremer Trust has awarded $15,978,453 as part of its most recent grantmaking cycle, making it the largest responsive grant round in the organization’s 77-year history.

“All these grants represent OBT’s ongoing commitment to responsive grantmaking,” said Daniel Reardon, Co-CEO and Trustee, Otto Bremer Trust. “These organizations are providing much-needed services despite the effects of the lingering pandemic and its continued economic impact.”

The Otto Bremer Trust is a bank holding company and a private charitable trust based in Saint Paul, Minn., that works at the intersection of finance and philanthropy. Created in 1944 by Otto Bremer, it is today one of the nation’s largest philanthropic organizations and is committed to supporting a better quality of life for residents of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. OBT is the majority owner of Bremer Financial Corporation, a regional financial services company; manages a diversified investment portfolio; and operates Community Benefit Financial Company, a financial resources subsidiary. Since its founding, OBT has invested more than $841 million in people, places, and opportunities in the Upper Midwest. Visit ottobremer.org.

A list of grants awarded to organizations in Wisconsin is included below. For a complete list of grants awarded, review the full release on our website.

Northwest Wisconsin

• American National Red Cross – Wisconsin Region, Altoona, WI, $100,000. For general operations to provide disaster response for the public, support services for veterans, and humanitarian aid for international evacuees in Wisconsin.

• Amery Area Senior Citizens, Inc., Amery, WI, $35,000. For general operations to provide programs and services that benefit the health and wellness of community members.

• Amery Regional Medical Center Foundation, Amery, WI, $150,000. To renovate the emergency department and cancer treatment center in order to meet medical needs in northwest Wisconsin.

• Fierce Freedom Inc, Altoona, WI, $15,000. For general operations to address human trafficking by supporting survivors and educating the public in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

• Free Clinic of Pierce and St. Croix Counties, Inc., River Falls, WI, $33,000. For general operations to provide free primary healthcare, medications, and preventative health education for Pierce and St. Croix County residents.

• Friends of the Glenwood City Library, Inc., Glenwood City, WI, $25,000. To provide furniture and equipment for the new library in Glenwood City, Wisconsin.

• Hudson Hospital Foundation, Hudson, WI, $25,000. To improve pediatric healthcare through access to on-demand virtual consultations with medical specialists.

• Indianhead Enterprises of Menomonie, Inc., Menomonie, WI, $3,000. To provide community-based pre-vocational programs to ensure people with disabilities have access to community resources and employment options in Menomonie, Wisconsin.

• Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College, Hayward, WI, $20,000. To provide micro-grants to assist students with emergency expenses that might threaten their ability to be successful in college.

• Literacy Volunteers – Chippewa Valley, Eau Claire, WI, $44,185. For general operations to provide free, flexible adult basic education services.

• West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency, Inc., Glenwood City, WI, $119,000. For general operations to improve the quality of life and increase self-sufficiency for low-income households in northwest Wisconsin.

• Westfields Hospital Foundation, Inc., New Richmond, WI, $40,000. To provide grief support and resiliency training to youth and staff in the New Richmond and Somerset school districts.

Visit ottobremer.org.