Brissman Foundation donates $45,000 for BHC scholarships

The Black Hawk College Quad-Cities Foundation has received two donations totaling $45,000 from the Grant W. Brissman and Virginia M. Brissman Foundation. The donations will fund scholarships for Milan, Ill., residents who attend the college’s Quad-Cities Campus in Moline.

The private Brissman Foundation started in 2011 and is managed by the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend. The Brissman Foundation distributes charitable funds to nonprofit organizations to help to improve the quality of life in Milan.

“The Brissman family wanted to encourage people from Milan to get a good education and have the opportunity for education locally,” said Kelly Thompson, director of programs at the Community Foundation.

“They hoped people would be able to find well-paying, meaningful work to allow them to stay in the region and contribute to the community,” Thompson said.

“The Brissman Foundation’s generosity will make an incredible impact on the lives of Black Hawk College students residing in Milan,” said Jessica Malcheff, executive director of the Black Hawk College QC Foundation.

The inaugural Brissman Scholarship has been awarded to a student for the 2016-17 school year.

“With these endowed funds, we will be able to provide numerous scholarships each year for years to come,” Malcheff said.

“Donors like Grant and Virginia Brissman – who looked toward the future of their community by establishing these funds – only serve to enhance the lives of community members who seek to improve their life through learning,” Malcheff said.

Grant Brissman was a pioneer Milan business owner, starting Brissman’s Auto Supply in 1948. The business served Milan and the surrounding communities for almost 30 years before he retired in 1978. He was also a founding director and shareholder of Blackhawk State Bank in Milan, where he served on the board of directors for many years.

Virginia Brissman worked for Illinois Bell Telephone Company for 40 years before retiring in 1977 as a schedule clerk. They had been married for 60 years when Grant died in 2004 at age 88. Virginia died in 2010 at the age of 94. The Brissman Foundation was established through their estates.

For more information about the Black Hawk College Quad-Cities Foundation.

Find out more information about the Brissman Foundation.