In July, the Midwest Innocence Project alerted its supporters that it was on the brink of closure. Even after cutting its staff by 25%, the nonprofit was struggling to adjust after losing federal grants and funding in 2025.
Since that announcement, the group has raised $400,000 and is now on firmer financial footing. Tahir Atwater, the group's executive director, said the funding crunch has helped put the group's work in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska and Iowa in perspective
"It served as a wake-up call for a lot of people, about how important this work is and that there isn't a lot of recourse for someone if an organization like ours were to shut down," Atwater said.
He said that the recent wave of public support "is not taken for granted" and that the recent donations will allow the nonprofit to start making plans for future expansions.
"This is proof that when our community supports us, we are capable of doing so much more," he said. "So that in 2027 and 2028 and beyond, we can grow and build the services."
On Thursday's "St. Louis on the Air," Atwater and Legal Director Rachel Wester will talk about the continued need for innocence work, some of the 900 cases on the nonprofit's waiting list and notable Missouri cases like those of Christopher Dunn, Kevin Strickland and Lamar Johnson, each of whom served decades in prisons before obtaining their freedom.
Related Event:
What: Stories of Wrongful Conviction, Exoneration, and Hope in Missouri
When: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 13
Where: St. Louis County Library-Clark Family Branch
(1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63131)
"St. Louis on the Air" brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Layla Halilbasic is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
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