Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund

The Otto Bremer Trust was founded in 1944. Since then, it has granted over $1 billion to help further Otto Bremer’s mission in communities across the region.

Responsive Grantmaking

Addressing challenges and opportunities within Montana in partnership with Otto Bremer Trust.

As a trusted intermediary partner of the Otto Bremer Trust, the Montana Community Foundation administers the Community Responsive Fund program in alignment with the priorities, eligibility requirements, and criteria established by the Trust’s Trustees. In 2025, MCF will distribute $1.5 million in grants to Montana organizations through this program.

Please find the 2025 grant guidelines and funding focus areas below.

Grantees

  • Organization: Aware Inc.
  • Overview: For youth mental health services in rural areas with limited access to services.
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Big Sandy Medical Center
  • Overview: For a CT scanner to provide critical local access for 600 frontier farmers, ranchers, and elderly residents.
  • Serving: Chouteau County
  • Amount: $22,679

     

  • Organization: Billings Head Start, Inc.
  • Overview: To expand access to sensory spaces, behavioral health support, and trauma-informed care.
  • Serving: Yellowstone County
  • Amount: $35,000 

     

  • Organization: Bitterroot Health
  • Overview: To add urgent care, imaging, therapy, and lab services, strengthening healthcare in this underserved rural area.
  • Serving: Ravalli County
  • Amount: $54,330

     

  • Organization: Butte Native Wellness Center
  • Overview: To launch a culturally grounded Well-Child Program to provide preventive pediatric care for Native children in rural southwest Montana.
  • Serving: Rural Southwest Montana
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Central Montana Medical Center (CMMC)
  • Overview: To expand local orthopedic surgical services.
  • Serving: Central Montana
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Daniels Memorial Hospital
  • Overview: To help build a modern health care facility in the area.
  • Serving: Daniels County
  • Amount: $26,000

     

  • Organization: Fallon County Mental Health Council
  • Overview: To strengthen mental health support for K–5 students in
  • Serving: Fallon County
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Florence Crittenton Home & Services
  • Overview: To support early intervention for young families.
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies- The Montana Coalition
  • Overview: To expand access to essential safety equipment and education for Montana families.
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $57,682 

     

  • Organization: Helena Indian Alliance
  • Overview: To renovate underused space to expand behavioral health services.
  • Serving: American Indian/Alaska Native population and the Helena community
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: HELP Committee and Boys and Girls Club of the Hi-Line
  • Overview: To enhance mental well-being for staff and youth through trauma-informed training, wellness activities, and quiet spaces.
  • Serving: Hill County
  • Amount: $34,000

     

  • Organization: Intermountain Deaconess Children's Services
  • Overview: To support the Residential Treatment Program, which provides 24/7 therapeutic care for children facing severe emotional and behavioral challenges.
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: International Rescue Committee in Montana
  • Overview: To expand its refugee child health initiative in Flathead, Lewis & Clark, and Missoula Counties.
  • Serving: Flathead, Lewis & Clark, and Missoula Counties
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Madison Valley Medical Center
  • Overview: To replace outdated patient monitoring systems and upgrade the internet infrastructure.
  • Serving: Madison County
  • Amount: $55,063

     

  • Organization: Mountain Home Montana
  • Overview: To provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care for young mothers facing poverty and homelessness.
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Native American Development Corporation
  • Overview: To hire a benefits coordinator and outreach coordinator to help Native children access healthcare, coverage, and support services.
  • Serving: Native communities in Montana
  • Amount: $40,000

     

  • Organization: Northwest Association for Blind Athletes
  • Overview: To support Camp Spark, a free residential sports camp, and Sports Outreach, which offers year-round adaptive activities like biking and hiking.
  • Serving: Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho 
  • Amount: $30,000

     

  • Organization: Pioneer Medical Center
  • Overview: To establish a local cardiac care program to address a critical gap in rural services.
  • Serving: Sweetgrass County
  • Amount: $65,615

     

  • Organization: Region IV Family Outreach, Inc.
  • Overview: To support early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities.
  • Serving: Western Montana
  • Amount: $9,007

     

  • Organization: Rural Behavioral Health Institute
  • Overview: To pilot statewide school-based Screening Linked to Care (SLTC) program for grades 3–5.
  • Serving: Rural Montana
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Sidney Health Center
  • Overview: Towards a capital project to improve care access for 84,000+ residents across 11 counties in eastern Montana.
  • Serving: Richland County
  • Amount: $65,624

     

  • Organization: St. Labre Indian School Educational Association (St. Labre)
  • Overview: To support the Shiloh Youth Group Home for Native American children in foster care.
  • Serving: Southeastern Montana
  • Amount: $30,000

     

  • Organization: Watson's Children's Shelter, Inc.
  • Overview: For emergency shelter and trauma-informed care for children facing abuse, neglect, or family crisis—many of whom enter foster care or become eligible for adoption.
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Inc.
  • Overview: For supervised visitation services that support the mental and emotional well-being of children in foster care.
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Youth Homes
  • Overview: To support Targeted Case Management for 26 youth in four Missoula group homes, addressing severe emotional disturbances.
  • Serving: Missoula County
  • Amount: $75,000

Basic Need

  • Organization: Arlee Community Development Corporation
  • Overview: Support a new Food Resource Center Manager position and enhance Food Sovereignty initiatives
  • Serving: Lake, Mineral, and Sanders Counties
  • Amount: $45,000

     

  • Organization: Billings District Council of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul
  • Overview: Help unhoused friends suffering housing-related emergencies with nowhere to turn
  • Serving: Yellowstone County
  • Amount: $50,000

     

  • Organization: Central Montana Community Cupboard
  • Overview: Sustain and increase food supply; maintain the cupboard's solvency
  • Serving: Fergus, Judith Basin, Petroleum, and Wheatland Counties
  • Amount: $10,000

     

  • Organization: Custer County Food Bank, Inc
  • Overview: Operation expenses to continue to serve 375 families
  • Serving: Custer, Prairie, and Rosebud Counties
  • Amount: $10,000

     

  • Organization: Harvest Food Pantry Inc.
  • Overview: Meet the needs of their food-insecure community members
  • Serving: Glacier County
  • Amount: $25,000

     

  • Organization: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, The Montana Coalition, Inc.
  • Overview:  Support the Essentials program
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $35,000

     

  • Organization: Helena Indian Alliance
  • Overview:  Assistance program for tribal members served by Helena Indian Alliance
  • Serving: Broadwater, Jefferson, and Lewis and Clark Counties
  • Amount: $25,000

     

  • Organization: Human Resource Development Council of District IX, Inc.
  • Overview: Shelter unhoused individuals in the most dignified and human-centered manner possible
  • Serving: Gallatin, Meagher, and Park Counties
  • Amount: $50,000

     

  • Organization: Libby Food Pantry
  • Overview: Provides food for eligible individuals and families in need without discrimination
  • Serving: Libby, MT
  • Amount: $10,000

     

  • Organization: Montana Continuum of Care Coalition
  • Overview: Youth homelessness
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $30,000

     

  • Organization: North Valley Food Bank
  • Overview: Will be able to provide fresh and nutritious food to community members living in food deserts across Lincoln County year-round
  • Serving: Lincoln County
  • Amount: $65,000

     

  • Organization: Ronan Bread Basket
  • Overview: Continue to maintain a supply of healthy food for the families in their community
  • Serving: Lake County
  • Amount: $25,000

     

  • Organization: Shelter Solutions for Central Montana
  • Overview:  Provide a sustainable, safe, seasonal warming center that meets the evolving needs of the community
  • Serving: Fergus County
  • Amount: $17,000

Health and Well Being

  • Organization: Anaconda PCA Family Resource Center
  • Overview: The Anaconda Family Resource Center (AFRC) is dedicated to the health and well-being of children experiencing abuse and neglect.
  • Serving: Deer Lodge, Granite, and Powell Counties
  • Amount: $25,000

     

  • Organization: Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Cheyenne Nation
  • Overview: Evidence-based programs that provide opportunities for youth to receive academic and social enrichment
  • Serving: Big Horn and Rosebud Counties
  • Amount: $50,000

     

  • Organization: Bridgercare
  • Overview: Providing excellent, affordable reproductive  and sexual healthcare and education in Montana
  • Serving: Beaverhead, Broadwater, Carbon, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Valley, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, McCone, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Park, Petroleum, Powder River, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Teton, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone
  • Amount: $50,000

     

  • Organization: Butte Native Wellness Center
  • Overview: Implement a new youth program to serve the American Indian and Alaska Native communities of Butte, Montana, and the surrounding areas
  • Serving: Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Madison, Powell, and Silver Bow
  • Amount: $50,000

     

  • Organization: Fallon County Mental Health Council/Southeast MT Area Revitalization Team
  • Overview: Make mental health services more accessible to all residents of Fallon County, particularly those in rural and underserved areas,
  • Serving: Fallon County
  • Amount: $50,000

     

  • Organization: Friends of the Children - Western Montana
  • Overview: Address the community-wide mental health and wellness crisis on the Flathead Reservation
  • Serving: Lake, Missoula, and Ravalli Counties,
  • Amount: $50,000

     

  • Organization: Indian Family Health Clinic
  • Overview: Offers culturally rooted educational experiences and indigenized health programming, aiming to improve quality of life and longevity
  • Serving: Cascade, Chouteau, Glacier, Hill, Liberty, Pondera, Teton, and Toole Counties
  • Amount: $45,000

     

  • Organization: Messengers for Health
  • Overview: Providing transportation  to health and wellness appointments for Apsáalooke tribal members in Southeast Montana
  • Serving: Big Horn County
  • Amount: $15,000

     

  • Organization: Salish Kootenai College
  • Overview: Prioritize delivering culturally competent, trauma-informed care, fostering meaningful community partnerships to mitigate mental health risks, and bolstering the wellness of the SKC student body
  • Serving: Flathead, Lake, Missoula, and Sanders
  • Amount: $25,000

     

  • Organization: The Rural Behavioral Health Institute
  • Overview: Screening Linked to Care (SLTC), an innovative suicide prevention program for youth grades 6-12
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $40,000

Community Asset Building

  • Organization: Evergreen Kids Corner Inc
  • Overview: The Bitterroot Childcare Coalition seeks to address the pressing need for affordable and accessible childcare in the Bitterroot Valley
  • Serving: Ravalli County
  • Amount: $55,000

     

  • Organization: Helena Area Habitat for Humanity
  • Overview: To complete 20-25 repairs in FY2025 with the goal of increasing production to complete at least 75 home repairs every year by the year 2030
  • Serving: Broadwater, Jefferson, and Lewis And Clark Counties
  • Amount: $50,000

     

  • Organization: Montana Childcare Resource and Referral Network
  • Overview: Improve high-quality childcare access by enhancing the sustainability and growth of existing and new childcare access
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: NeighborWorks Great Falls
  • Overview:  To expand the current matched savings program to rural communities in Hill County and the Golden Triangle to help individuals and families achieve homeownership and create financial stability
  • Serving: Blaine, Cascade, Chouteau, Hill, Liberty, Pondera, and Teton Counties
  • Amount: $50,000

     

  • Organization: The Peoples Partners for Community Development
  • Overview: Assist their lending circle capacity by building assets for the Northern Cheyenne and Crow Communities
  • Serving: Big Horn and Rosebud Counties
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Winnett ACES, Inc
  • Overview: Active in implementing community asset-building projects through creating workforce housing, economic opportunities, a business incubator, and opening a daycare
  • Serving: Fergus, Garfield, Golden, Musselshell, Petroleum, and Wheatland
  • Amount: $25,000

Restorative and Responsive

  • Organization: ASPEN Abuse Support & Prevention Education Network
  • Overview: Provide 50 criminal justice support services and 300 civil legal services to victims and survivors from July 2024 through June 2025.
  • Serving: Statewide
  • Amount: $25,000  

     

  • Organization: FAST Blackfeet
  • Overview: Improving food security, providing nutrition education, and promoting food sovereignty within the Blackfeet Nation
  • Serving: Glacier and Pondera Counties
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Mountain Shadow Association
  • Overview: Offers struggling Apsáalooke families a path to heal and repair the harms caused by generations of trauma
  • Serving: Big Horn County
  • Amount: $75,000

     

  • Organization: Native American Development Corporation
  • Overview: NADC seeks to develop a Client Assistance Fund to mitigate unforeseen, crisis and emergent financial hardships associated with basic living needs, health and wellness, and restorative and emergency responsiveness that lend to various inequities
  • Serving: Big Horn, Carbon, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Treasure, and Yellowstone Counties
  • Amount: $61,000

     

  • Organization: SAFE Harbor
  • Overview: For survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and child abuse, the barriers they encounter; emotionally, physically, and systemically, can leave them unable to move forward
  • Serving: Flathead, Lake, Missoula, and Sanders Counties
  • Amount: $30,000

     

  • Organization: Violence Free Crisis Line DBA Abbie Shelter
  • Overview: Provides services for survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence
  • Serving: Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, and Sanders Counties
  • Amount: $61,000

     

  • Organization: YWCA Billings
  • Overview: Connecting victims with the most critical resources needed to aid them in their recovery
  • Serving: Big Horn and Yellowstone Counties
  • Amount: $61,000

2025 Program Eligibility

In 2024, the Montana Community Foundation partnered with the Otto Bremer Trust for the first time to provide grants across four funding priority areas in Montana. For 2025 the program has updated eligibility requirements and funding criteria. If you are interested in applying, it is essential to carefully review the revised guidelines to ensure you meet the new qualifications. 

2025 Community Responsive Fund Funding Priorities

  • Literacy. Organization 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.
  • 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 aged 5-15.
  • Capital projects for hospitals and clinics. Activities supporting the maintenance of hospitals, construction of facilities, and purchase of medical equipment. 

2025 Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund Grant Guidelines

Application Process

  • Applications will open on April 1, 2025, and close on May 15, 2025.
  • All applications will be reviewed by an advisory committee made up of experts in each field.
  • The award announcement will be made in August, and funding will be available in early September.

For additional help, questions or comments, contact us at 406-443-8313

Community Responsive Fund awards $1.5 million

The Otto Bremer Trust selected the Montana Community Foundation as a philanthropic intermediary to administer and distribute $1.5 million in funds for grants up to $75,000 to support Montana organizations that directly respond to immediate challenges and opportunities in the community.