Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Awards More Than $57 Million in Grants in the First Half of 2023

Expanding investments in locally led organizations

Women Collective Kenya hosts an outdoor Jam Session in 2022. “Jam Sessions” are informal spaces powered by the Grassroots Solidarity Revolution designed by and for activists to promote human connection and collective healing. Participants explore new organizing realities and visions, share skills and establish collaborations. CIVICUS, a grantee partner of the Hilton Foundation’s Partnerships program and Refugees initiative, supports grassroots organizations like these to organize community discussions and locally led spaces. Photo courtesy of CIVICUS 

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Board of Directors approved 13 grants totaling more than $57 million in the first two quarters of 2023. The grants span our seven initiatives across the Hilton Foundation’s work in the U.S. and internationally. 

The following is an overview of the grants awarded in the first and second quarters of 2023:   

Catholic Sisters – Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JESAM) received $1.8 million over three years to to register the Bakhita Partnership for Education and to continue to improve access to and completion of education for girls in Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi. 

Foster Youth – New Yorkers for Children, Inc. received $3.6 million over three years to support a project to study, pilot and expand models to improve placement stability, mental health and wraparound support for transition-aged foster youth and caregivers in New York City. The Center for Fair Futures, a project of the Fund of the City of New York, was awarded $1.68 million over three years to expand implementation, TA and evaluation, and launch an innovation arm to identify gaps and pilot transition-aged youth-wellbeing projects alongside youth leaders. 

Global Early Childhood Development – East and Southern Africa – ChildFund International USA received $3 million over three years to implement an evidence and community-based parenting program for caregivers of children 0-3 years in Kenya and Mozambique. Pact Inc. was awarded $3 million over three years to integrate early childhood development into USAID’s project to support young children and families affected by HIV in Tanzania. 

Homelessness – Corporation for Supportive Housing received $5 million over three years to support a multi-faceted plan to address chronic homelessness in Los Angeles County through increasing access to and development of supportive housing, increased alignment with healthcare systems and statewide policy advocacy. United Way Inc. was awarded $8.5 million to support the homeless response system in achieving operational excellence and expanding upstream solutions to homelessness in Los Angeles County. 

Opportunity Youth – Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade – Black United Fund Inc. received $1,605,000 over three years for continued support to train, place and advance opportunity youth in South Los Angeles into middle-wage employment. Swahilipot Hub Foundation was awarded $2.55 million over four years to support a system of youth hubs, case management and career pathways services in Mombasa, Kenya. 

Refugees Addis Ababa City Government received $1.6 million over two years to strengthen the capacity of Addis Ababa to provide quality early childhood development services and livelihood opportunities for its residents, including refugees and internally displaced persons. 

Safe Water – Aquaya Institute was awarded $3 million over three years to support water quality testing in all seven districts in partnership with local laboratories and universities. 

Partnerships – Civicus World Alliance for Citizen Participation Inc. (“CIVICUS”) received $1.5 million over three years to support solutions oriented Local Leadership Labs, which will surface solutions towards the shared global goal of influencing funding flows and policy decisions to better resource local actors, co-led with Network for Empowered Aid Response (“NEAR”). NEAR was awarded $1.5 million over three years to support Local Leadership Labs, which will surface solutions and data towards the shared global goal of influencing funding flows and policy decisions to better resource local actors, co-led with CIVICUS. 
 
To learn more about our program areas and how we approach our work, please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org/program-areas. For more detailed information on our grantmaking, please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org/grants