Applications for grants supporting Village of Milan now open

Grants of up to $10,000 for projects dedicated to improving quality of life for residents of the Village of Milan, Illinois, are now available through the Grant W. Brissman and Virginia M. Brissman Foundation, a private foundation administered through the Quad Cities Community Foundation.

Grants will fund work focused on youth development, community development, and cultural activities, as well as relief for underprivileged people. While nonprofits located outside of Milan may apply, their applications must demonstrate specific benefits to the village and its residents. Applications are due by October 1, 2021, and recipients will be notified by late November.

According to Kelly Thompson, vice president of grantmaking and community initiatives at the Community Foundation, the foundation has awarded more than $900,000 in grants over the last 8 years. “This funding makes a true difference for nonprofits and the people they serve in the place that meant so much to the Brissmans,” Thompson said.

For the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities (CTCQC), support from the Brissman Foundation has been critical to the organization’s ability to continue providing physical, occupational, speech, and feeding therapy services to children from families of all financial backgrounds.

“We accept any child who is referred by their doctor to come to us, even if they can’t afford to pay,” said Chris VanSpeybroeck, CTCQC’s vice president of development. Ultimately, he explained, private insurance and Medicaid reimbursements account for only a fraction of what it costs the outpatient rehab clinic to reach all the children it does, many of whom come from low-income households. “The difference is made up through donations, fundraising events, and grants like this one,” said VanSpeybroeck. “We truly rely on these grants so that we can continue to help these kids. And without us, a lot of them wouldn’t get the therapy they need.”

Though CTCQC is located in Rock Island, Illinois, it serves children from Milan every year, and a portion of that therapy is funded directly by Brissman Foundation grants. “Milan’s right next door—I can see it from my window,” said VanSpeybroeck. “The Children’s Therapy Center doesn’t have any boundaries, geographically. We exist for Milan just as we do for any of the other towns around here, but these grants help us make up the difference so that we can continue to help those Milan kids achieve their highest levels of independence and thrive.”

VanSpeybroeck encouraged other nonprofits who can make a difference for the Village of Milan to apply. “The Brissman Foundation understands the needs of this community, and their generosity is one of the reasons this is such a great community,” he said. “We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them.”  

Grant & Virginia Brissman

The Grant W. Brissman and Virginia M. Brissman Foundation was established in 2011 to honor its namesakes’ legacy and enhance quality of life in the Village of Milan, where Grant Brissman ran Brissman’s Auto Supply for 30 years and served on the board of directors of Blackhawk State Bank. Virginia Brissman worked for Illinois Bell Telephone Company for 40 years before retiring in 1977. The couple had been married for 60 years when Grant died at age 88 in 2004. Virginia died at the age of 94.

For more information and to apply, visit: www.brissmanfoundation.org. Applicants with questions are invited to contact Kelly Thompson, vice president of grantmaking and community initiatives, at (563) 326-2840.