Otto Bremer Foundation Awards 92 Grants Totaling 4.1 Million

Source: The Otto Bremer Foundation 12/07/2011

(Dec. 6, 2011) - The Otto Bremer Foundation awarded 92 grants totaling $4,078,690 in November, 2011. Seventy-two grants totaling $3,151,327 support programs and organizations in Minnesota; 12 totaling $648,594 in North Dakota; and 8 totaling $278,770 in Wisconsin. A complete list of grants by state is included below.

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 Bremer Bank communities and to those working to make their lives better continues to guide the Foundation.

The Otto Bremer Foundation owns the 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. Organizations whose beneficiaries are residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, or Wisconsin are eligible to apply for Foundation grants, with priority given to communities served by Bremer Bank. In 2010 the Foundation provided approximately $24 million in grants and program related investments.

Otto Bremer Foundation Grants, November, 2011

Minnesota, 72 Grants, $3,151,327

Admission Possible $125,000
St. Paul, MN; To expand programming in the Twin Cities for low-income youth pursuing college degrees.
Contact: Sara Dzuik (651) 917-3525

Advance Opportunities $28,000
Marshall, MN; To support a social enterprise retail venture and a store manager position.
Contact: Dawn Wambeke (507) 537-7018

Assumption Home, Inc. $6,318
Cold Spring, MN; To implement electronic documentation for services provided to clients by Assumption Health Services.
Contact: Jan Luthens (320) 685-3693

Boy Scouts of America Northern Star Council $10,000
St. Paul, MN; For Scoutreach, a project that mentors, works to strengthen, and develops relationships for at-risk youth.
Contact: John Andrews (651) 254-9140

Brandon Public Schools, #207 $4,972
Brandon, MN; To support the "iDevelop Skills with iPads" Enhancing and Expanding Early Childhood Skills" program.
Contact: Mark Westby (320) 834-4084

Cabrini Partnership $20,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support UfaceMe, an innovative and empirically-based approach to counseling chronically homeless individuals with extensive criminal records.
Contact: Mary Morris (612) 331-7390

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud $75,000
St. Cloud, MN; To implement the Immigrant and Refugee Community Capacity Coalition and develop a strategic plan for systems infrastructure and funding streams.
Contact: Steven Bresnahan (320) 650-1540

Central Minnesota Housing Partnership, Inc. $40,000
St. Cloud, MN; For general operating support to address affordable housing in Central Minnesota.
Contact: Bill Reinke (320) 259-0393

Centro Campesino $50,000
Owatonna, MN; To support increased civic participation, improve working conditions and education outcomes for Latinos in rural Minnesota.
Contact: Victor Contreras (507) 446-9599

Child Care Works $50,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support child care policy advocacy that sustains access to affordable child care for low-income Minnesota families.
Contact: Mary Nienow (612) 455-1055

Citizens League $20,000
St. Paul, MN; To support the "Pathways to Prosperity" project, a public policy initiative.
Contact: Sean Kershaw (612) 338-0791

Community Design Center of Minnesota $15,000
St. Paul, MN; For general operations to help provide jobs skills and leadership training for low-income and disadvantaged youth through community based projects.
Contact: Tamara Downs Schwei (651) 228-7073

Cuyuna Range Youth Center, Inc. $20,000
Crosby, MN; For general operating support for this organization that serves youth.
Contact: Dick Gunter (218) 546-8400

Dads Make a Difference $20,000
Stillwater, MN; For general operating support for this organization that educates young people about parenting responsibilities and the importance of fathers in families.
Contact: Jan Hayne (651) 439-1117

DARTS $20,000
West St. Paul, MN; To support a project which helps seniors retain self-sufficiency through interconnected services.
Contact: Beth Wiggins (651) 455-1560

District 202 $10,000
Minneapolis, MN; For general operating support to dissolve and facilitate a program transfer for this organization that serves youth.
Contact: Cheryl Jensen (651) 340-6167

Elim Homes, Inc. $8,038
Eden Prairie, MN; To support the "Art for Life" a program which concentrates on positive outcomes for residents through Mneme therapy.
Contact: Bob Dahl (952) 259-4500

Emerge Community Development $100,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support the Emerge Career and Technology Center capital campaign.
Contact: Mike Wynne (612) 529-9267

Family Pathways $125,000
Cambridge, MN; To support the relocation of the food shelf, which will strengthen services to low-income residents.
Contact: Rich Smith (763) 552-7284

The Family Tree, Inc. $30,000
St. Paul, MN; For general operating support of this community clinic that provides medical care and community education services focused on reproductive and sexual health.
Contact: Alissa Light (651) 645-0478

FamilyMeans $24,395
Stillwater, MN; To support the RentWise and financial coaching workshops to metro area families in partnership with other nonprofit agencies.
Contact: Arba-Della Beck (651) 439-4840

Free to Be, Inc. $20,000
Blaine, MN; To donate cars and to provide car repairs to promote independence for families in need of basic transportation.
Contact: Cliff Korkowski (763) 712-7817

Gillette Children's Hospital Foundation $75,000
St. Paul, MN; To expand of the Mobile Outreach Clinic in greater Minnesota.
Contact: Jon W. Galloway (651) 229-1740

Granite Falls Living At Home Block Nurse Program $10,000
Granite Falls, MN; To expand and integrate the caregiver support services.
Contact: Mary Ims (320) 564-3235

Hennepin Health Foundation $40,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support a model hospital-based therapeutic food pharmacy that addresses patient food insecurity and hunger.
Contact: Denise Edstrom (612) 873-4551

Koochiching Aging Options $30,000
International Falls, MN; For general operating support to provide older residents information, referral and program services.
Contact: Douglas Skrief (218) 283-7084

Lakes Area Interfaith Caregivers $10,000
Pequot Lakes, MN; For general operating support to keep seniors independent and safe within their homes.
Contact: Tim McCarthy (218) 820-7454

Lakes Area Youth Service Bureau $20,000
Forest Lake, MN; For general operating support to sustain critical services which contribute to the economic stability and healthy adult outcomes.
Contact: Jeanne Walz (651) 464-3685

Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota $30,000
Minneapolis, MN; To provide employment and training to unemployed or underemployed Lao adults by formalizing a job training curriculum and expanding staff.
Contact: Sunny Chanthanouvong (612) 374-4967

Latino Economic Development Center $175,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support Alliance of Resources for Business Opportunities for Latinos, a project that will create a development network for Latino entrepreneurs and farmers.
Contact: Ramon Leon (612) 724-5332

Leech Lake Tribal College $125,000
Cass Lake, MN; For the construction of a new library and learning center building.
Contact: Ginny Carney (218) 335-4267

Local Initiatives Support Corporation $40,000
St. Paul, MN; To support low-income families through the work of the Financial Opportunity Center program in St. Paul.
Contact: Adriana Abariotes (651) 649-1109

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota $80,000
St. Paul, MN; To provide resettlement support services to refugees in Moorhead, St. Cloud, and the Twin Cities and promote self-sufficiency.
Contact: Mark Peterson (651) 969-2270

MACC Alliance of Connected Communities $20,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support a new Networked Services model of collaboration that will build the ability of the MACC Alliance's members to better serve their communities.
Contact: Yvonne Olsen (612) 341-1647

Marshall County Group Homes, Inc. $40,628
Argyle, MN; To purchase a handicap equipped van.
Contact: Sue C. Holter (218) 437-6695

Mental Health Association of Minnesota $20,000
Minneapolis, MN; To provide assessment and training for local advisory councils while increasing participation for people living with illnesses and improving services.
Contact: Edward Eide (651) 493-6634

Midwest Community Development, Inc. $30,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support "Future Leaders", an early childhood education teaching program.
Contact: Amira Ahmed (612) 298-5754

Minneapolis Believers, MN Foursquare Gospel Church $15,000
Minneapolis, MN; For general operating support for the Three Deep Leadership Academy, which serves students living in poverty.
Contact: Joseph Sutton (612) 251-5717

Minneapolis Recreation Development, Inc. $5,000
Edina, MN; For general operating support for this organization that serves homeless, low-income, vulnerable, disadvantaged youth and their families.
Contact: Allen Law (612) 423-9923

Minneapolis Urban League $30,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support training and placement of residents of the North Minneapolis tornado zone construction jobs.
Contact: Scott Gray (612) 302-3100

Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. $50,000
St. Paul, MN; To support policy advocacy work to increase rental assistance resources and support health care reforms.
Contact: Liz Kuoppala (651) 645-7332

Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center $50,000
Minneapolis, MN; For general operating support and emergency basic needs for this organization that serves Native women.
Contact: Suzanne Koepplinger (612) 728-2000

Minnesota State University Moorhead $135,856
Moorhead, MN; For start-up of a counseling clinic which will serve homeless and low-income individuals.
Contact: Edna Mora Szymanski (218) 477-2243

Morris Community Education and Recreation $50,000
Morris, MN; To support the "Students of Service" program.
Contact: Cindy Perkins (320) 589-4394

Morris Senior Citizens Club, Inc. $32,278
Morris, MN; To remodel the kitchen, upgrade appliances and install new lighting for this local senior community club.
Contact: Pauline Carr (320) 589-2951

Mounds Park Academy $40,000
St. Paul, MN; To provide academic support and increase St. Paul youth opportunities to relieve poverty.
Contact: Mike Downs (651) 748-5500

Native Americans in Philanthropy $23,842
Minneapolis, MN; To support the Minnesota Indian Business Alliance, a statewide volunteer organizational collaborative, with strategic planning and organizational capacity building.
Contact: Carly Hare (612) 724-8798

Neighbors, Inc. $290,000
South St. Paul, MN; To support the 40th Anniversary Capital Campaign and general operations..
Contact: John Kemp (651) 455-1508

North End South Como Block Nurse Program $15,000
St. Paul, MN; For general operations of this organization that provides supportive services so seniors can continue to live in the community.
Contact: Christine Langer (651) 487-5135

Northside Economic Opportunity Network $34,000
Minneapolis, MN; To provide entrepreneur training classes and technical assistance to resident-owned emerging small businesses in north Minneapolis.
Contact: Grover Jones (612) 302-1505

Operation de Novo, Inc. $30,000
Minneapolis, MN; For sustainability planning and for general operations of this organization that administers diversion programming for first time offenders.
Contact: James T. Brown (612) 355-5020

Organizing Apprenticeship Project $25,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support "Building Leadership Capacity for Equity and Opportunity" a project that develops relationships, training and technical support for organizations in greater Minnesota.
Contact: Beth Newkirk (612) 746-4224

Oromo Community, Inc. $20,000
St. Paul, MN; For general operating support to sustain and enhance the capacity of the Employment Services program for unemployed immigrants and refugees.
Contact: Alemayehu Baisa (651) 757-3047

Otter Tail-Wadena Community Action Council, Inc. $18,000
New York Mills, MN; To support the Fathers' Resource program.
Contact: Davis Leino-Mills (218) 385-2900

Otter Tail-Wadena Community Action Council, Inc. $50,000
New York Mills, MN; To support a new family planning clinic in the Brainerd area.
Contact: Davis Leino-Mills (218) 385-2900

Patchwork Quilt $25,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support out-of-school programming for at-risk youth, their parents and community that builds knowledge, social and life skills.
Contact: Margaret Nelson Brinkhaus (612) 296-0357

Pillsbury United Communities, Inc. $60,000
Minneapolis, MN; To implement strategies to help low-income individuals and families develop skills, tools and experience to acquire jobs with livable wages.
Contact: Chanda Smith (612) 302-3400

Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota $3,000
St. Paul, MN; For general operating support for "Circle of Parents".
Contact: Karina Forrest-Perkins (651) 523-0099

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities $40,000
St. Paul, MN; For the operations of this organization that works to preserve home-ownership for low-income homeowners by providing need repairs.
Contact: Kathryn Greiner (651) 776-4273

Rivers of Hope $40,000
Monticello, MN; To support services and programs for victims of family violence.
Contact: Darlene Coughlin (763) 295-3433

Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation $45,000
St. Paul, MN; For a matching grant to support the "Believe Achieve Tutoring" Program.
Contact: Mike Anderson (651) 325-4254

The Salvation Army $150,000
Roseville, MN; To provide emergency disaster assistance service, case management and relief work to the communities of Bismarck and Minot.
Contact: Daniel Sjogren (651) 746-3400

Southwest Initiative Foundation $50,000
Hutchinson, MN; To support the Leadership Capacity Building project.
Contact: Sherry Ristau (320) 587-4848

Stepping Stone Emergency Housing $30,000
Anoka, MN; For general operating support to expand services, staffing, and new programs for this organization that serves the homeless population.
Contact: Heather Ries (763) 323-7006

Trinity Lutheran Church $17,000
Pelican Rapids, MN; For the "Welcome Place" a hospitable space for the community to gather and build relationships through cultural interaction.
Contact: Laurie Skow-Anderson (218) 863-2424

Washington County Housing and Redevelopment Authority $10,000
St. Paul Park, MN; To support the "Youth in Transition" a program for homeless and precariously housed youth.
Contact: Barbara Dacy (651) 458-0936

Way to Grow $80,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support the Great by 8 Program Development Campaign.
Contact: Carolyn Smallwood (612) 874-4740

Wellspring Faith In Action $15,000
St. James, MN; For general operating support of this organization which provides aid to the elderly and other in need.
Contact: Kimberly L. Askeland (507) 375-1276

West Suburban Teen Clinic $30,000
Excelsior, MN; To support the "Becoming Program" which prodies pregnancy and parenting tools for young people.
Contact: Leah Hebert (952) 474-3251

Phyllis Wheatley Community Center $30,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support the Mary T. Welcome Child Development Center Sustainability Project.
Contact: Barbara Milon (612) 977-3241

White Bear Lake School District, #624 Community Services $15,000
Department
White Bear Lake, MN; For general operating support for this organization that serve seniors.
Contact: Barbara Green (651) 653-3121

YMCA of Greater Saint Paul $30,000
Minneapolis, MN; To support the Y's Saint Paul Out-of-School Time programs, which foster academic success, leadership skills and engage citizenship.
Contact: Thomas R. Brinsko (612) 465-0450

North Dakota, 12 Grants, $648,594

AID, Inc. $30,000
Mandan, ND; To provide assistance to low-income residents of Morton and Burleigh counties with rental, utilities, food, clothing and other basic needs.
Contact: Patti Regan (701) 663-2122

Community Ambulance Service of New Rockford $50,000
New Rockford, ND; To support the construction of a new ambulance building.
Contact: Sandra O'Connor (701) 302-0499

Community Homes and Resources in Service to Many $67,914
Fargo, ND; To implement a new tutoring program which will serve at-risk multicultural students in Fargo.
Contact: Julie Gunkelman (701) 241-8570

FIND, Inc. $40,000
Medina, ND; For SAFELY, a education and training program for new and existing firefighters in North Dakota and Minnesota.
Contact: David Just (701) 786-3264

Golden Ages Club of Minto $35,380
Minto, ND; To support renovations for this local senior center.
Contact: Ruby Roy (701) 248-3971

Grafton Parks and Recreation $85,000
Grafton, ND; To repair the Grafton Public Community Swimming pool in order to correct safety issues and become ADA compliant.
Contact: Bill Dahl (701) 352-1842

City of Grand Forks $75,000
Grand Forks, ND; To support the NV 360 Community Visioning Initiative which will engage the community in a planning project for the Red River Valley.
Contact: Michael R. Brown (701) 746-2607

ND-SD Medical Transport $25,450
Linton, ND; To support Angel Air Care, a helicopter emergency medical service.
Contact: Kristen Vetter (701) 332-6726

North Dakota Consensus Council, Inc. $100,000
Bismarck, ND; For the North Dakota Economic Security & Prosperity Alliance, a coalition of organizations concerned with asset building for people with low to moderate incomes.
Contact: Rose Stoller (701) 224-0588

Rutland Senior Citizens Club, Inc. $2,850
Rutland, ND; To support building repairs for this local senior club.
Contact: Ronald Narum (701) 724-3908

University of Mary $127,000
Bismarck, ND; To develop and implement a program that focuses on increasing the rural health care workforce.
Contact: James Patrick Shea (701) 355-8100

University of North Dakota $10,000
Grand Forks, ND; To support the Backpack program, which provides meals for at-risk children.
Contact: Robert Kelley (701) 777-2122

Wisconsin, 8 Grants, $278,770

Advocacy and Benefits Counseling for Health $40,000
Madison, WI; For general operating support of health benefits counseling at Chronic Care Plus Clinic of Polk County, and development of special community research projects.
Contact: Bobby Peterson (608) 261-6939

Colfax Senior Citizens Merry Mixers Club $23,000
Colfax, WI; To update this local community center for residents of Colfax.
Contact: Victoria Hendricks (715) 962-4037

Easter Seals Wisconsin, Inc. $30,000
Madison, WI; To support vocational rehabilitation services for farmers and agricultural workers with disabilities in northwest Wisconsin.
Contact: Christine Fessler (608) 277-8288

Interfaith Caregivers of Polk County, Inc. $15,000
Balsam Lake, WI; For general operating support for coordinating volunteers to help elderly and adults with disabilities with rides, chores and other services.
Contact: Karen Krupa (715) 483-9263

Mashkisibi (Bad River) Boys & Girls Club, Inc. $48,000
Odanah, WI; For general operating support which will enable delivery of programming for young people.
Contact: Kristi Broeniman (715) 685-9489

Moms and Dads Against Meth, Inc. $20,000
St. Croix Falls, WI; For general operating support for Butterfly House, a transitional sober home for women in recovery.
Contact: Doreen M. Rivard (715) 417-1216

St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity $70,000
River Falls, WI; To support the operations of ReStore, donor outreach and communications for this organization that serve low-income families.
Contact: Jim Farr (715) 425-5623

Wisconsin Judicare, Inc. $32,770
Wausau, WI; To develop and implement an online application, referral and triage system for low-income people seeking legal services.
Contact: Rosemary Elbert (715) 842-1681