The Otto Bremer Trust’s Twin Cities Focus

With responsibilities including the oversight of investments and management of the trust as per its trust instrument, Daniel Reardon serves the Otto Bremer Trust alongside his fellow trustees and co-CEOs. In working with the Otto Bremer Trust, Daniel Reardon also ensures it maintains its support in the Twin Cities, to which a large portion of its funding activities are devoted.

The trust supports this area, which is made up of seven counties spanning the St. Paul and Minneapolis metro area, by focusing its investments on programs that help families and individuals develop self-reliance and financial stability. While this focus often includes providing for the basic needs of people, it is predominantly focused on offering support and access to the resources that help people attain self-sufficiency.

Examples of such opportunities include the creation of learning and development programs, the provision of tools, the creation of economic opportunities, and other strategies that engage both entire communities and individual families and people.

The Otto Bremer Trust Makes $47 Million in Grants in 2016

Serving as both a trustee and co-CEO of the Otto Bremer Trust, Daniel Reardon brings more than 20 years of experience to his role. Working alongside his fellow trustees, Daniel Reardon oversaw a record-breaking year for the trust in 2016. 

At the beginning of 2017, the trust announced that it has distributed $47.3 million to people, places, and organizations throughout the Upper Midwest. In total, the trust contributed to the activities of over 550 organizations, with the investments focused on those that provided services that improve Bremer communities.

Grants included one of $50,000 to Steele County Clothesline, Inc., in support of a project that provided clothing and general household items to residents of the county, and one of $43,500 to Owatonna Healthy Seniors Program to help the organization offer volunteer services.

Further, it provided grants of $1 million to three organizations in the Twin Cities, including Habitat for Humanity, the Metropolitan Economic Development Association, and the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund.

The Key Responsibilities of a Trustee

As co-CEO and trustee of Otto Bremer Trust, Daniel Reardon is responsible for making sure the organization works toward the goals put in place by Otto Bremer, who founded the trust in 1944. Daniel Reardon is tasked with ensuring the organization’s investments and grant making are in keeping with both the trust instrument and all relevant legal requirements.

Trustees are expected to assume a number of responsibilities, including investment of assets with the aim of securing them for both existing and potential beneficiaries. Further, they are expected to maintain communication with fellow trustees and beneficiaries, particularly in regards to financial matters and the direction the trust will take.

Trustees also need to develop an understanding of the unique terms put in place by the trust, which often define the ethical commitments of the trust and its duty to beneficiaries. Additionally, these terms must be followed in accordance with state and federal law, meaning trustees must also be familiar with legal matters and how they apply to the trust.

The Creation of Augusta National and the Masters Tournament

Daniel Reardon’s responsibilities at Otto Bremer Trust in St. Paul, Minnesota, include helping manage the Trust’s operations as a grant-making foundation. Otto Bremer Trust supported the Junior Achievement Company Program for the third year in a row in 2016 with a $1 million grant. Among other activities, Daniel Reardon enjoys playing golf.

The Master’s tournament is one of golf’s Grand Slam events on the PGA tour, and it takes place at one of the premier golf courses in the world, Augusta National. The course was built during the Great Depression, when many of the nation’s golf courses were going bankrupt. 

The Augusta National Golf Club was the result of the vision of golfing legend Robert T. ("Bobby") Jones Jr. and his friend Clifford Roberts. They wanted to create a private club with an annual tournament to celebrate the great golfers of the time. 

Jones had retired from competitive golf at the age of 28 after winning the Grand Slam in 1930, and by 1931, he and Clifford had selected the Fruitland Nurseries in Augusta as the site for what would become a national treasure. 

Augusta National hosted the first Master’s tournament in 1934, and despite being the fan favorite, Jones finished the tournament tied for 13th place.

The University of Minnesota - Global Landscapes Initiative

Daniel Reardon serves the Otto Bremer Trust as a co-CEO and trustee. Alongside fellow trustees, he oversees the activities of the trust, particularly in regards to grant making and investing. Prior to joining the Otto Bremer Trust, Daniel Reardon studied economics at the University of Minnesota and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1984

The University of Minnesota has dedicated itself to researching the possible ramifications of global land use through its Global Landscapes Initiative (GLI).

The program is focused on researching and developing new tools that will help the agricultural industry adapt to the changing demands of an ever-growing global population. It does so with an eye toward sustainability and conservation and aims to maintain the balance between the needs of the global population and the environmental responsibilities that humanity has to the land it uses.

Overseen by a team of faculty, graduates, and students, GLI publishes research and data that is made available to key leaders for use in making decisions that will ensure the continued prosperity of both planet and population.

The Minnesota Cross Country Ski Trail Grants Program

Investment executive Daniel Reardon serves as co-CEO and trustee of the Otto Bremer Trust in St. Paul, Minnesota. A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in economics, his duties include managing the Otto Bremer Trust’s responsibilities as a grant making institution. Daniel Reardon enjoys outdoor activities in his free time, including skiing.

Skiing is a winter sport that involves moving across snow-covered ground on skis, which are narrow pieces of flexible but hard material that strap to an individual’s feet. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) is charged with providing outdoor recreation opportunities, such as skiing, among its other responsibilities. In this role, the MN DNR also maintains a Cross-Country Ski Trail Grants-In-Aid (GIA) program to promote skiing activity in the state.

The GIA program is designed to support the maintenance and upkeep of cross-country ski trails in the state of Minnesota. The program was created by the state legislature in 1973 and includes approximately 700 miles of ski trails that participate in the program. Grants are awarded annually to local units of government to help keep ski trails in good condition. In turn, these participating entities fund the program through the sale of ski passes.