The Bremer Emergency Fund

The Otto Bremer Foundation, together with Bremer Bank recently established the Bremer Emergency Fund, which will enable organizations to offer financial assistance to individuals and families in Bremer communities who are struggling to provide basics such as food, warm and stable housing, health care, and reliable transportation in the face of increased unemployment and high prices.

Together, the Foundation and Bremer recognize that timely financial assistance can sometimes mean the difference between instability and security, enabling families and individuals to meet emergency needs and retain housing or jobs. Then, once basic needs are met and a crisis is averted, families are in a better position to access community programs that can help them achieve long-term stability and participate fully in their communities’ economic, civic, and social life.

The Bremer Emergency Fund honors the legacy and vision of our founder, Otto Bremer, who believed that people could survive and flourish if they had help at critical times. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, Otto Bremer liquidated many of his personal assets to help the “countryside banks” in which he had invested ride out the hard times. The Bremer Emergency Fund reflects this commitment to our bank communities and reinforces our vision of building healthy communities through partnerships.

Through the Bremer Emergency Fund, the Foundation will provide one-year grants of up to $100,000 to eligible organizations with the capacity to identify community members who can benefit from financial assistance, provide timely disbursements, and offer appropriate follow-up and referral services. The Foundation’s grant dollars will be supplemented by a donation from Bremer Bank. Eligible organizations are those whose beneficiaries are residents of the Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin communities served by Bremer Bank.

The Foundation will be inviting proposals for this initiative now through December 15, 2008. Recipients will be notified by January 15, 2009. Additional information on the Fund and application forms are available on the Foundation's site.