Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund

Purpose

2025 Community Responsive Fund Grantmaking

After a successful 2024 Community Responsive Fund pilot program, we are pleased to announce that we have been selected as an intermediary for the 2025 Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) Community Responsive Fund.  

We have been awarded $1.5 million to regrant and have been selected to partner with the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation and the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, expanding the geographic region for this grant opportunity to Brown, Calumet, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago counties. 

Otto Bremer Trust has changed the eligibility and criteria for the 2025 Community Responsive Fund limiting the number of organizations in our region that are eligible for funding. Therefore, we have opted to move to an invitation-only grant cycle. Each community foundation will conduct their own invitation and application process. Select eligible organizations will be notified via email that they are invited to apply by April 30, 2025.

The Otto Bremer Trust’s Community Responsive Fund will support general operating, project, and capital support grants for the following funding priorities:  

• Literacy: Organizations and programs advancing literacy. 
• Adoption and foster care services: Organizations and programs that support adoption and foster care. 
• Children’s health: Organizations and programs that provide health-related access and services for children. 
• Children's disability services: Organizations and programs focused on supporting children with physical/cognitive disabilities. 
• Mental health: Organizations and programs that support access to and delivery of mental health services, with preference given to work that addresses the needs of children ages 5-15. 
• Capital projects for hospitals and clinics: Activities supporting the maintenance of hospitals, construction of facilities and purchase of medical equipment. 

Basic criteria for organizations eligible to receive grants from the OBT Community Responsive Fund:

• Organizations must have held a 501(c)(3) status continuously for the last five years. Government entities, including public schools, are not eligible. Non-public schools are eligible.
• Organizations must have actual expenses of $2 million or more in their last fiscal year.  
• Grant awards may not exceed 10 percent of the organization’s previous fiscal year’s public philanthropic financial support. Public philanthropic financial support includes dollars raised through private fundraising (individuals, businesses, foundations, etc.), giving campaigns, fundraising events, United Way awards, and so forth. It excludes government grants and contracts, earned income, investment gains, and so forth. In-kind contributions are also excluded
• Organizations may not have an open Otto Bremer Trust strategic grant. 
• Operating support grants may not exceed 10 percent of the organization’s administrative services. Administrative expenses include Management and General Expenses and Fundraising Expenses, as is consistent with the Form 990. (Part IX, Statement of Functional Expenses.) Fiscal sponsorships, work to influence public policy, sponsorships or annual event funding are prohibited.  

For information about the Otto Bremer Trust’s strategic grants and grantmaking approach, please visit their grantmaking page. 

Additional Information