12 NEWisco organizations receive $375,000 in grants from Otto Bremer Trust

OSHKOSH, WI (WISS) – 12 organizations in the Oshkosh area will benefit from $375,000 in grants from the Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) Community Responsive Fund within the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation (OACF). 

Grants were awarded to support work aligned with focus areas set by OBT: literacy, adoption and foster care services, children’s health, children’s disability services, and mental health. 

“This support from the Otto Bremer Trust goes a long way in our region,” said Amy Putzer, OACF’s Director of Programs. “These grants will help fill critical gaps, especially in the rural communities within our service area. And thanks to our local knowledge and relationships, we’re in a unique position to help these dollars reach the people and programs that need them most.”

Philanthropic Partnership

The Oshkosh Area Community Foundation is one of several partners selected to distribute grants of up to $75,000 through the 2025 OBT Community Responsive Fund in Wisconsin. 

The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation round out the three foundations helping to distribute $1.5 million across 10 counties.

Otto Bremer Trust Grant Recipients 

Grant recipients awarded through the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation include:

• ADVOCAP – Head Start Literacy: To enhance literacy support at Head Start programs in the rural communities of Markesan and Ripon, including daily literacy activities, culturally responsive reading materials, and routine vision screenings.
• Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County Area – Advancing Language Literacy in Early Childhood: To help children ages 0–5 build strong language skills through books, songs, sign language, and play-based learning—while actively engaging and equipping families in the Ripon area with tools and resources to foster literacy at home.
• CAP Services – Early Childhood Development: To support early childhood development programming in Waupaca and Waushara Counties. The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region co-invested in this award.
• Catalpa Health – Psychiatry Program: To support mental health and psychiatry programs for youth at the Appleton and Oshkosh clinics. The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region co-invested in this award.
• Covey – iCanBike & Let’s Talk About It: To support two vital programs for youth with disabilities: iCanBike, which teaches bike-riding skills to boost independence and health, and Let’s Talk About It, which equips young adults with tools to build healthy relationships and prevent abuse.
• Diverse Options – Empowered Me Program: To support youth with developmental disabilities ages 10–19 through age-appropriate classroom instruction and community engagement that build life, social, and vocational skills while offering real-world practice, fostering confidence.
• HeadsUp Fox Cities – Targeted Interventions and Wrap-around Support for Former Foster Youth: To support programming for foster youth and former foster youth ages 16–24. The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region co-invested in this award.
• Remarkable (FKA Lakeside Packaging Plus) – Youth Services Program: To support teens with disabilities (ages 13–19) in Winnebago County through structured programs that build skills, confidence, and character—empowering them to make positive life choices with guidance and strong role models.
• Oshkosh Community YMCA – Early Childcare Programming: To enhance early literacy for children ages 0–5 through language-rich childcare programs that build skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing—laying a strong foundation for school readiness and long-term academic success.
• Rawhide Youth Services – Community-Based Mental Health Counseling in Winnebago County: To support trauma-informed, outpatient behavioral health therapy for youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh and school-based services in the Oshkosh Area and Omro School Districts, as well as the expansion of services into neighboring rural communities.
• Tri-County Community Dental Clinic – Robert Glass Focus on the Children Program: To provide free quality oral health care to children in Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago counties. The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region co-invested in this award.
• Winnebago Area Literacy Council – Eliminating Barriers to Language Literacy: To eliminate language and literacy barriers for multilingual learners by providing free, learner-centered English instruction and tutoring to build communication skills, foster community integration, and support educational and workforce success.