Monday, September 20, 2010

Minnesota Children Stand to Gain From Online Giving Challenge

Bremer Give-to-the-Kids Challenge will benefit 50 nonprofits in Greater Minnesota

Fifty nonprofits whose common mission is improving the lives of young people in Greater Minnesota will be the beneficiaries of a giving challenge that will launch Sept. 28 and end Oct. 5.

The goal of the Bremer Give-to-the-Kids Challenge is to encourage people across Minnesota to support nonprofits serving youth by donating through GiveMN.org, an online giving portal. The Otto Bremer Foundation, which is sponsoring the challenge, is providing a matching grant of approximately $300,000 for the Give-to-the-Kids Challenge. Participating youth-serving nonprofits will receive a one-to-one match for the first $6,000 each organization generates through online donations made on GiveMN.org during the campaign. People can go online at GiveMN.org and select the organizations they want to support.

The participating nonprofits serve communities across the state, including Alexandria, Brainerd, Marshall, Moorhead, and St. Cloud. The nonprofits range from community centers that sponsor after-school programs to organizations aimed at strengthening families through education.

“We have a long history of supporting youth programs,” said Charlotte Johnson, a trustee with the Otto Bremer Foundation. “Our youth are the future of our communities, and the Bremer Give-to-the-Kids Challenge is a great opportunity for people to join in shaping those futures.”

The Bremer Give-to-the-Kids Challenge also aims to introduce nonprofits throughout Greater Minnesota to new efficient and cost-effective fundraising techniques, such as online channels like GiveMN.org. Nonprofits commonly struggle to reach their goals because of limited staff and resources. The Challenge seeks to help participating nonprofits reach potential new donors as well as encourage current donors to leverage their donations through the Otto Bremer Foundation match.

“Through this challenge, donors will have an added incentive to give to a participating nonprofit of their choice, thanks to the Otto Bremer Foundation and its generous donation,” said Dana Nelson, executive director of GiveMN. “The services that will be enhanced by these donations will directly affect the lives of our communities’ youth, building a better future for everyone.”

About the Otto Bremer Foundation
Created in 1944, the Otto Bremer Foundation assists people in achieving full economic, civic, and social participation in and for the betterment of their communities. The Foundation’s work to help build and maintain vibrant communities is based on the vision and legacy of Otto Bremer, whose commitment to the Bremer Bank communities and to those working to make their lives better continues to guide the Foundation.
The Otto Bremer Foundation owns a majority share of Bremer Bank, and a portion of the bank’s profits comes to the Foundation as dividends, enabling the Foundation to invest back in the bank communities in the form of grants and program-related investments. In 2009, the Foundation provided approximately $23.5 million in grants and program-related investments. Visit www.ottobremer.org for more information about the Foundation and its programs.

About GiveMN
GiveMN is an innovative online resource that will change the way Minnesotans give and help create a stronger nonprofit community for Minnesota collaborative effort to transform philanthropy in Minnesota by growing charitable giving and moving more of it online. GiveMN is an independent 501(c)(3) organization that is a supporting organization of the Minnesota Community Foundation. Many partners shaped GiveMN to build upon Minnesota’s strong tradition of philanthropy, including: Blandin Foundation, Briggs & Morgan, Central Minnesota Community Foundation, Ecolab Foundation, F.R. Bigelow Foundation, Greater Twin Cities United Way, HealthPartners, Initiative Foundation, The Minneapolis Foundation, Northland Foundation, Northwest Minnesota Foundation, The Saint Paul Foundation, Southern Initiative Foundation, Southwest Initiative Foundation, Target, West Central Initiative Foundation and Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. For more information, go to www.GiveMN.org.

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