Laughing Gull Foundation Commits Over $3.6 Million in Grants to Organizations Supporting Higher Education in Prison
College of Education at Illinois' Education Justice Project among the organizations awarded.
Durham, NC – The Laughing Gull Foundation (LGF) is pleased to announce the approval of $3,658,000 in grants to be awarded to 22 organizations, through 2020, increasing access to high quality, accredited college courses in prisons. LGF is honored to support organizations working diligently to affirm the humanity and potential of incarcerated people, and to restore educational equity for students who have been left behind.
“LGF is proud to expand our investment in the field of higher education in prison. The consequences of mass incarceration in this country are devastating and far-reaching, and must be addressed through a number of strategies, including access to higher education. We are excited to see that the importance of this work is gaining more national attention," said Meg Baesmith, LGF Board President.
LGF’s $3.6M commitment represents a 156% increase from 2017 in annual grantmaking for its Higher Education in Prison Program, and the addition of 11 new grantees. The portfolio reaffirms LGF’s focus on the South, which has the highest incarceration rate in the country.
The 22 organizations recognized are doing innovative work to provide rigorous college programs to incarcerated students, create pathways to higher education after release from prison, and expand both the quality and access to higher education in prison in the South and across the country.
For questions about LGF's Higher Education in Prison grant making, please visit laughinggull.org or contact Hez Norton, Interim Executive Director, at hez@laughinggull.org.
