New grant from the Laughing Gull Foundation enables Resilience Education to expand career and reentry support in the South
Charlottesville, VA | Resilience Education is honored to announce a new grant from the Laughing Gull Foundation (LGF). The grant enables the Resilient Professional Community (RPC) to increase career development opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals and expand its impact in the South.
This $110,000 grant over two years will build upon a foundational three-year grant that Laughing Gull made in 2022 to found the RPC Mentoring Program. This new grant will focus on developing private circles within the larger RPC community, offering alumni groups for Higher Education in Prison (HEP) programs, localized groups such as the Atlanta, GA area, and a private circle for LGBTQIA+ members with its own unique resources and offerings.
LGF’s initial three-year grant helped Resilience to launch the RPC, forming an online community of formerly incarcerated people, trusted mentors, and allies. Since taking on the first full-time hire on the RPC, the team has scaled the mentoring program, created stipends for the Community Advisory Board, and established an additional role focused on onboarding and enhancing the experience of community members with new program offerings.
“Laughing Gull has been instrumental to getting the Resilient Professional Community to where it is today and we’re thrilled to work with them again to expand and specialize our offerings for key groups in their portfolio,” said Sophia Bender Koning, VP of Product and Business Development.
Laughing Gull Foundation currently has 91 grantee partners in 10 states throughout the South.
Building on this foundation, the new grant will help Resilience to develop three key investment areas aligned with LGF’s mission:
Higher education in prison (HEP) alumni communities
With Pell funding increasing access to HEP programs, the need for reentry support is more urgent than ever. In collaboration with the Southern HEP Collective, the team will select three college programs and establish private alumni networks on the RPC, providing HEP graduates with an engaged community.
LGBTQIA+ community support
To foster a more inclusive space, the RPC will introduce an LGBTQIA+ affinity group, providing specialized support for those facing unique challenges post-incarceration. A dedicated coordinator with experience in LGBTQIA+ advocacy will lead these efforts.
A new Atlanta regional community
With LGF’s strong ties to the South, the RPC will establish a focused community in Georgia. Leveraging existing networks, Resilience will pursue partnerships with local institutions to create career opportunities for RPC members in the Atlanta area.
About Laughing Gull Foundation:
Laughing Gull Foundation envisions a more equitable, just, and sustainable world. As a supportive partner, we are committed and intentional, and never take our eyes off the horizon. Founded in 2012 as a progressive family foundation rooted in the South and committed to justice, Laughing Gull Foundation ensures frontline leaders have the funding, resources, and support needed to build power and make change.
About Resilience Education:
Resilience Education is a non-profit organization focused on breaking the cycle of incarceration by improving the economic mobility of formerly incarcerated individuals through high-quality business education and post-release support. By partnering with correctional facilities, academic institutions, and private sector allies, Resilience Education empowers formerly incarcerated individuals to excel in the workforce. For more information, visit www.resilience-education.org.
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