Quedellis Rick Walker Short-Term Financial Assistance

Rick Walker Named in honor of wrongfully convicted, Rick Walker, who first called attention to the need for this program, then advised and championed its creation, our financial assistance provides innocent individuals with money for necessities. Rick died in November 2020, after spending years being a calm, reliable presence for anyone being released from prison and struggling afterward.

Our clients can request financial assistance for essential expenses during a financial hardship. For example, if you need help paying rent this month or are behind on your utility payments, if you had an unexpected medical issue or your car needs repairing–you may be eligible for Pruno Fund assistance of up to $1,000 per year.

This is short-term financial assistance aimed at helping our clients through tough times on the road to financial stability.

Please note: We have limited resources and want to help as many exonerees as we can. Beginning this year, once you have applied and been accepted, your eligibility will last for two years from the date of your first application in 2026 or beyond. Our eligibility requirements have changed. We now consider financial situations in order to use our resources where they are most needed. 

Eligibility: 

  • * Any person that has been wrongfully convicted and released from incarceration due to actual innocence
  • * Must be a low-income household – based on household yearly income and number of household occupants
  • * Financial assistance must go to a financial hardship
  • * Have NOT received a compensation award OR received less than $100,000 over 1 year ago
  • * Have NOT previously received Pruno Fund assistance this year totaling more than $1,000
  • * THIS IS SHORT-TERM FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE – Your eligibility will last for two years. 
To apply, you will need:
  • * Name & contact information, including mailing address, phone number & email address, for the applicant
  • * Applicant’s social security number
  • * Information regarding the applicant’s innocence claim including innocence project or attorney contact (We realize not all innocent individuals can be formally exonerated. If the applicant has been released from prison, we will also accept a letter from an attorney stating their belief of their client’s innocence.)
  • * Applicant’s demographic and financial information
  • * Any supporting documents ready to upload. These let us know what you need the money for and who to pay. It can include a picture or PDF or a bill, rental agreement, or written estimate of costs from the provider. Documents must include your name, account information, & where/how to pay. If the bills are not in your own name, please give an explanation as to why they need to be paid. Also, if the rental agreement or lease is not in your own name, please provide the original along with a separate agreement stating how much you are responsible for within the household.
All assistance will be provided directly to the service provider. We cannot give you the money directly because it would be considered income and you would be taxed accordingly.

To apply, please complete our online application. We will review your application and notify you of our decision within 3 business days of a complete application, including all relevant invoices and paperwork with payment information. Please note that payment can take up to 14 business days from submission of information to our bank to reach a service provider. Thank you for your patience.

We respect your privacy. We do not sell or rent your personal information to anyone, including third-party marketers. Your data is used to provide you with current and future services. Your data is anonymized and aggregated for fundraising and measuring impact.