The Otto Bremer Foundation Provides $3 Million to Help Community Organizations Continue to Meet Emergency Needs

We  wanted to share this great news from the Otto Bremer Foundation.


The Otto Bremer Foundation Provides $3 Million to Help Community Organizations Continue to Meet Emergency Needs

The supplemental emergency funding is a response to ongoing economic challenges and based on lessons from 81 community organizations

ST. PAUL, November 29, 2010—The Otto Bremer Foundation today announced 80 Bremer Emergency Fund supplemental grants totaling approximately $3 million (see grants list below). The grants will enable community organizations in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin to continue providing emergency financial assistance to families and individuals who are struggling with basic needs such as food, warm and stable housing, health care, and reliable transportation.

The current Otto Bremer Foundation grants supplement initial funding provided to these organizations in January 2009. At that time, 81 organizations received a total of approximately $4.2 million via the Bremer Emergency Fund, a joint response by the Foundation and Bremer Bank to the difficult economic situation. An evaluation of the impact of those initial grants led to the Foundation’s decision to provide supplemental funding to organizations in the original group that are able to continue providing emergency assistance and follow-up services.

“These supplemental grants are made by the Otto Bremer Foundation in recognition of the continuing economic challenges,” said William Lipschultz, Foundation trustee. “We learned from the initial Bremer Emergency Fund grants that timely financial assistance can enable individuals and families to meet emergency needs and retain housing or jobs. Then, once a crisis is averted, people are in a better position to access community programs that can help them achieve long-term stability.”

The Foundation’s emergency funding honors the legacy and vision of Foundation founder Otto Bremer, who believed that people could survive and flourish if they had help at critical times. While the Foundation is no longer accepting Emergency Fund applications, other Foundation funding is ongoing. Information about the Foundation’s grantmaking programs and application guidelines are available at http://www.ottobremer.org/.

Read the full release here.