Strengthening Early Childhood Development outcomes in East and Southern Africa
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation board of directors approved over $31 million in grants in the third quarter of 2025. The grants span the Hilton Foundation’s initiatives and programs working in the U.S. and internationally.
The Hilton Foundation bolstered its Early Childhood Development (ECD) efforts in East and Southern Africa by extending its partnership with UNICEF in the region, strengthening the delivery of care and social protection for young children while continuing, through previously awarded grants, to provide global and regional leadership and technical guidance on ECD. The Early Childhood Development initiative seeks to ensure that children from prenatal to age three reach their full potential. The Foundation achieves this by investing in a two-generation approach that supports caregivers and strengthens health services, providers, and policies to improve child development outcomes.
The following is an overview of the board-approved grants awarded in the third quarter of 2025:
Early Childhood Development – East and Southern Africa – United States Fund for UNICEF was awarded $5,000,000 to strengthen the delivery of primary healthcare and social protection for young children in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
Early Childhood Development – United States – Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical was awarded $3,420,000 to expand the Medical-Financial Partnership care model to support children prenatal to age 3 and their caregivers at all the hospital-based pediatric primary care clinics across Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health system. The Children’s Partnership was awarded $1,600,000 to advance early childhood development in California through advocating for access to quality health care and child care spaces and leading a statewide coalition with a shared prenatal to age 3 agenda. Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative, a project of Southern California Grantmakers, was awarded $162,500 to support nonprofits serving people experiencing disadvantage in Los Angeles to achieve greater organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
Foster Youth – Alliance for Children’s Rights received $1,500,000 to support the work of the Opportunity Youth Collaborative to create employment outcomes for foster youth and opportunity youth, placement stability for foster youth, and advocacy for comprehensive supportive services. Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative, a project of Southern California Grantmakers, was awarded $262,500 to support nonprofits serving people experiencing disadvantage in Los Angeles achieve greater organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
Opportunity Youth – Invest in Louisiana received $1,800,000 to support a statewide network in opportunity youth. Alliance for Children’s Rights was awarded $900,000 to support the work of the Opportunity Youth Collaborative to create employment outcomes for foster youth and opportunity youth, placement stability for foster youth, and advocacy for comprehensive supportive services. Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative, a project of Southern California Grantmakers, received $262,500 to support nonprofits serving people experiencing disadvantage in Los Angeles achieve greater organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
Catholic Sisters – National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company received $3,500,000 to support and expand the Global Sisters Report to increase awareness about Catholic sisters and their ministries as well as facilitate communications across the global sisterhood. Centre for Research In Religious Life and Apostolate – Africa (CERRA-Africa) Registered Trustees was awarded $2,000,000 to build the Catholic sisters’ capacity to conduct research and track the impact and sustainability of their efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. Alexandria House received $1,800,000 to provide housing stability, economic empowerment, supportive services and emergency funds for women who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless. Jesuit Refugee Service (A Foreign NGO) was awarded $1,700,000 to support congregations of Catholic sisters to benefit refugees in Adjumani, Uganda through an integrated livelihoods program with women religious that promotes well-being and economic self-reliance. The Registered Trustees of the Uganda Episcopal Conference received $1,600,000 to reduce the socio-economic vulnerability of at-risk women and youth in Kasese, Kabale and Kotido dioceses in Uganda by strengthening economic self-reliance.
Homelessness – Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative, a project of Southern California Grantmakers, received $862,500 to support nonprofits serving people experiencing disadvantage in Los Angeles achieve greater organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
Refugees – Universidad de los Andes was awarded $3,000,000 to provide community-based mental health to parents and children in Colombia through the Semillas de Apego program, expand the evaluation of the program, and strengthen the sustainability of the program through government systems. Fundación Juan Felipe Gómez Escobar received $2,500,000 over three years to strengthen migrant and host community women’s technical and socioemotional skills and access to economic opportunities and social services in order to thrive in the labor markets in Cartagena and Medellín.