Otto Bremer Trust
The Otto Bremer Trust is a private foundation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1944, it invests in people, places, and opportunities in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Otto Bremer Trust at a glance
In short: Otto Bremer Trust gave $57.2M across 180 grants in 2025 (avg $318K), mostly in Minnesota. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $57,229,750
- -16.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 180
- -79.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $317,943
- +309.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $150,000
- Total assets
- $1,391,202,004
- -2.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (27 of 154, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (57% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Otto Bremer Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Trust does not accept unsolicited requests or direct grant applications. It identifies prospective strategic-grant recipients through its research and contacts organizations it is considering. Community Responsive Fund grants are administered by selected intermediaries, which regrant funds in areas aligned with Trust priorities. The filing directs prospective grantees to the Trust’s grant guidelines for forms, materials, deadlines, and award restrictions.
- Contact
Application contact: Otto Bremer Trust
Mailing address: 30 East 7Th Street, St Paul, MN 55101
Phone: (651) 227-8036
Website: https://ottobremer.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Otto Bremer Trust
Who Otto Bremer Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Greater Twin Cities United Way ($4.4M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $21.6M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($600,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
4,092 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 1,649 grants of 4,092 (40%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Trust’s stated service region is Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, and it says grants are made only to organizations whose beneficiaries are residents of one or more of those states. In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Minnesota (57%), Wisconsin (26%), Montana (11%), and North Dakota (5%); Washington accounted for 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 180 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Otto Bremer Trust open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 27 of 154 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $342K; repeat grants $373K. How we count
Medians: $200K first-time, $150K repeat.
- 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 85% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $46.6M (2019) to $95.4M (2023). In 2025 it made 180 grants totaling $57.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Twin Cities United Way Minneapolis, MN | Community Responsive Fund | $4,200,000 |
| Initiative Foundation Little Falls, MN | Community Responsive Fund | $3,150,000 |
| Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc Milwaukee, WI | Community Responsive Fund | $3,150,000 |
| United Way of Wisconsin Madison, WI | Community Responsive Fund | $2,100,000 |
| Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region Appleton, WI | Community Responsive Fund | $1,575,000 |
| Montana Community Foundation Inc Helena, MT | Community Responsive Fund | $1,575,000 |
| University of Minnesota Foundation Minneapolis, MN | Community-University Health Care Center Capital Project | $1,300,000 |
| Allina Health Foundation Minneapolis, MN | Healthcare Capital | $1,250,000 |
| North Dakota Community Foundation Bismarck, ND | Community Responsive Fund | $1,050,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | Hospital Capital Project | $1,000,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Otto Bremer Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,391,202,004 | $12,636,777 | $70,021,431 | $57,229,750 | 180 | $68,863,168 | $326,979,555 | $81,377,824 |
| 2024 | $1,419,998,555 | $89,366,853 | $93,908,405 | $68,547,586 | 883 | $91,256,719 | $83,125,874 | $73,326,079 |
| 2023 | $1,477,747,505 | $83,679,183 | $122,833,797 | $95,389,988 | 1,145 | $113,989,535 | $75,683,964 | $91,409,566 |
| 2022 | $1,436,282,731 | $83,597,528 | $82,283,664 | $67,755,734 | 931 | $88,825,831 | $71,407,729 | $117,177,806 |
| 2021 | $1,543,197,073 | $135,875,116 | $94,360,318 | $66,854,508 | 953 | $80,666,448 | $152,094,803 | $115,122,055 |
| 2020 | $1,417,385,077 | $69,637,257 | $87,084,604 | $49,989,332 | 1,086 | — | $72,537,119 | $110,006,512 |
| 2019 | $1,347,640,816 | $94,804,638 | $69,071,232 | $46,620,772 | 695 | — | $165,965,333 | $97,788,872 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Otto Bremer Trust reported a distributable amount of $81.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Trust’s mission is to invest in people, places, and opportunities in its region. Its website describes strategic grants as supporting activities aligned with the Trust’s objectives, and Community Responsive Fund grants as supporting organizations, projects, and services with significant impact and local need.
Examples of supported organizations include community foundations, United Ways, health-care organizations, and social-service organizations. The grantees describe their own missions in varied ways: the Initiative Foundation says it empowers people to build thriving communities and a vibrant Central Minnesota region; the Montana Community Foundation says it seeks to create a culture of giving so Montana communities can flourish; and Allina Health Foundation says it raises philanthropic support to advance Allina Health’s care mission.
Grantmaking
The 2025 filing reports 180 grants totaling $57,229,750. Grant amounts ranged from $3,500 to $4,200,000, with a median of $150,000.
Among the largest 2025 awards were $4,200,000 to Greater Twin Cities United Way for its Community Responsive Fund; $3,150,000 each to Initiative Foundation and Greater Milwaukee Foundation for Community Responsive Fund grants; and $2,100,000 to United Way of Wisconsin for its Community Responsive Fund. Other notable awards included $1,300,000 to University of Minnesota Foundation for a community-university health-care center capital project, $1,250,000 to Allina Health Foundation for healthcare capital, and $1,000,000 to Mayo Clinic for a hospital capital project.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Francis Miley, Daniel Reardon, and Caroline Johnson as co-CEOs and trustees. The Trust’s website also identifies these three as its trustees.
Otto Bremer Trust is led by Daniel Reardon, Co-Ceo & Trustee since 2023 (on filings since 2019); all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel Reardon
Co-Ceo & Trustee
Co-Ceo, Trustee & Investment → Co-Ceo & Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$550K (2019) → $712K (2025)
Francis Miley
Co-Ceo & Trustee
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$486K (2023) → $701K (2025)
Caroline Johnson
Co-Ceo & Trustee
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$270K (2024) → $712K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Charlotte Johnson (2019–2024) — Co-Ceo & Trustee
- Former: S. Brian Lipschultz (2019–2022) — Co-Ceo, Trustee & Investment
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $712K, to Caroline Johnson (Co-CEO/Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Otto Bremer Trust
How much does Otto Bremer Trust give each year?
Otto Bremer Trust gave $57.2M across 180 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $68.5M across 883 grants.
What is Otto Bremer Trust's typical grant size?
Otto Bremer Trust's median grant in 2025 was $150,000, and its average grant was $317,943, across 180 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Otto Bremer Trust that year got $342K on average.
Where does Otto Bremer Trust give grants?
Otto Bremer Trust gives mostly in Minnesota: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wisconsin (26%) and Montana (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Paul, MN (33 grants), Minneapolis, MN (30 grants), Milwaukee, WI (13 grants) and Madison, WI (7 grants).
Does Otto Bremer Trust give general operating support?
Occasionally: 8% of Otto Bremer Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 180) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Food Programs" (13 grants), "Community Responsive Fund" (7 grants) and "Relieve Poverty in St. Paul" (7 grants).
Who are Otto Bremer Trust's largest grantees?
Otto Bremer Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Greater Twin Cities United Way ($4,400,000 across 2 grants), Initiative Foundation ($3,150,000) and Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc ($3,150,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($600,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Otto Bremer Trust?
Otto Bremer Trust reported $1.4B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $68.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $81.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Otto Bremer Trust fund?
The Trust’s mission is to invest in people, places, and opportunities in its region. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Otto Bremer Trust?
The Trust does not accept unsolicited requests or direct grant applications. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Otto Bremer Trust's EIN?
Otto Bremer Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-6019050. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Otto Bremer Trust accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 29, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Otto Bremer Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Otto Bremer Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 7, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/otto-bremer-trust-morg_10f66da58ad8421ab9026cd6dc563ed7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_416019050_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Otto Bremer Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/otto-bremer-trust-morg_10f66da58ad8421ab9026cd6dc563ed7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-07. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Otto Bremer Trust's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Otto Bremer Trust down — hundreds of funders to go?