This Goes Out to the Ones We Love

As Bremer Nonprofit Resource Specialists, we know that those of you who are representing nonprofit and community organizations in our market areas work hard to build relationships with private sector businesses in your communities. Sometimes the work is successful and sometimes it’s not. But it is worth pursuing in whatever big or small ways your organization can establish value and credibility with businesses. Public-private relationships can build respect between the business and the nonprofit, as well as provide opportunities for collaborative work that meets the needs of both sectors. Best of all, what often goes along with solid, respectful relationships are useful resources such as employee volunteers and in-kind or cash donations to support the work of nonprofit partners.

Readers of our blog regularly see photos like the one here that captures what we call “The Bremer Story.” The Mankato Area Living At Home Block Nurse Program recently was awarded a grant from The Otto Bremer Foundation. The story is that our bankers work everyday to meet clients’ needs, deliver profits to our owner, the Otto Bremer Foundation, which makes grants to eligible nonprofits, and ultimately builds healthy communities through the nonprofits’ work. Averaging over 27 million dollars in grants per year over the past five years to nonprofits in Bremer Bank communities, it’s a powerful way to support valued groups that provide crucial services. Additionally, at the local bank level, thousands of dollars and thousands of employee volunteer hours further deepen our relationships in the community.

At Bremer Bank, we know we can only be as successful as are our communities’ organizations, along with the people and families they serve. Our business model – The Bremer Story – depends as much on your good work as nonprofits as it does on our good work as a private, for-profit financial services provider.

Lois Schmidt, NRS, Willmar

Pictured L-R:
Jolene Wall, Bremer Treasury Management; Cindy Chadwick, LAHBNP Program Supervisor; Bradley Peters, Bremer Bank President; Richard Ringler, Bremer Business Banking, Mankato