The mission of the Braddock Fund is to provide support for activities and projects for incarcerated persons that will promote their successful reentry into their communities.
Brief History
From 1965 - 1970, Raymond Braddock taught students at the Lebanon Correctional Institution. Following his death in 1990, The Braddock Trust was established. Donations were received from family members and others to provide scholarships for qualified individuals to continue their education following release. In 2015, the Trust was converted to a Fund under the care of Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting, and its mission was expanded. With the approval of the Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting, the Braddock Fund was transferred to Wilmington College in 2024 to make the funds more accessible to faculty and staff of the Prison Education Program.
How is the fund to be used?
The funds can be used to provide financial resources for support and enhancement of educational offerings of the Wilmington College Prison Education Program, as well as the provision of materials for projects, activities, and trainings within the prison settings.
The funds can provide financial support to individuals, to Monthly Meetings, and to Quaker or related organizations that are willing to carry out prison ministry, provide visitation, support, guidance, skills, and education to incarcerated persons to prepare them for their release.
The funds can be used to fund scholarships for educational or vocational training for formerly incarcerated persons who apply while incarcerated and are recommended by prison staff.
How is the fund administered?
Wilmington College Advancement will appoint a committee to oversee administration of the Braddock Fund and will annually prepare a report for the College and Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting.
The Braddock Fund Committee at Wilmington College will accept grant requests and make the decisions on funding the proposed activities. They will follow up and evaluate the projects or activities funded.
The Braddock Fund Committee will work with the Wilmington College Advancement Office to see that the monies of the Fund are invested responsibly and that the financial records are accurate.
Who can apply for a grant from the Braddock Fund?
Grants may be requested by Wilmington College faculty and staff, incarcerated individuals, prison staff, individual Quakers, Monthly Meetings, and Quaker or related organizations involved in prison education and rehabilitation.
Grant application forms and instructions are available on the website of Wilmington College: www.wilmington.edu.
Grants will be considered as they are received and renewal may be requested annually.
Where Does the Money Come From?
The Braddock Trust was initially funded by memorial gifts from the family of Raymond Braddock. Others have subsequently contributed to enlarge the fund. Advocates of Prison Education Programming are invited to donate.
The funds are invested under the care of Wilmington College in a socially responsible account, which is expected to grow.
All prison program advocates are invited to donate to the Braddock Fund to keep funds available to support prison ministry.
How can I help?
Historically, Quakers have recognized prison ministry as an important mission. Today there continues to be a need to help prepare those who have been incarcerated for a return to a productive life in their communities.
If you know of incarcerated individuals who are interested in furthering their education, you can encourage them to apply for funding.
If you are interested and willing to initiate and maintain a program within a prison to improve the success of incarcerated individuals, please submit a grant proposal.
If you know of others who are interested in doing prison ministry but are hampered by lack of funds to cover their expenses, please encourage them to apply.
You can support the work of the Wilmington College faculty and staff in the Prison Education Program by making a gift to the Braddock Fund. Scan the QR code below to donate electronically. If you prefer, checks should be made payable to Wilmington College and designated for the Braddock Fund. They should be mailed to:
Wilmington College Advancement
1870 Quaker Way, Pyle Box 1307
Wilmington, OH 45177
Elizabeth Gurney Fry
1780-1845
Elizabeth Gurney Fry was an English prison reformer, social reformer and, as a Quaker, a Christian philanthropist. She has sometimes been referred to as the “angel of prisons.”