Refugees initiative doubles its grantmaking from 2021, with $46.5 million in awarded grants to support needs facing refugees in South America and Africa.
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation announced today its year-end grantmaking exceeded $434 million in 2022 — the largest grantmaking year since it was founded in 1944. This amount includes more than $93 million in board-approved grants and program-related investments in the fourth quarter alone, both in the U.S. and internationally to support the goals of the Hilton Foundation’s program areas.
“With a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for the exceptional work of our grantee partners, we are privileged to have the opportunity to attain our largest grantmaking year since our inception nearly 80 years ago,” said Peter Laugharn, president and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. “We are thrilled to increase our investments across the globe, with a focus on supporting healthy early childhood development as well as livelihoods of people and families within the communities we serve.”
One of the Foundation’s fastest growing areas of grantmaking is supporting the needs of refugees across the globe. As of 2022, more than 100 million people have been displaced from their homes worldwide. The Refugees initiative, which was established in 2021 in response to this unprecedented global challenge, aims to partner with and improve the lives and livelihoods of refugee children and families, as well as the communities hosting them.
In 2022, the Foundation awarded $46.5 million in grants within the Refugees initiative, more than doubling its grantmaking of $19 million in its first grantmaking year 2021.
Following is an overview of the board-approved grants and Program-Related Investments (PRIs) awarded in the fourth quarter of 2022:
Catholic Sisters – Catholic Charities of Chicago was awarded $1.8 million to launch the Peace Corner Mentoring Program, which will help disadvantaged youth and their families navigate the critical period of early adolescence. Jesuit Refugee Service (A Foreign NGO) received $1.6 million to support collaboration with three congregations of Catholic sisters to benefit 2,100 refugees in Adjumani, Uganda through an integrated livelihoods program with women religious that promotes resilience and self-reliance. The Registered Trustees of Uganda Episcopal Conference was awarded $1.6 million to reduce the socio-economic vulnerability of 1,800 women and youth in Eastern and Western Uganda. The University of Fondwa USA Inc. received $1.6 million to strengthen the capacity of the Association of Indigenous Religious Orders and Secular Institutes, ten congregations of women religious, and to support sister-led economic development ministries in 20 rural communities in Haiti. Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops Registered Trustees was awarded $1.6 million to support sustainable livelihood interventions among vulnerable families and to respond to the needs and welfare of children in targeted communities in Zambia.
Early Childhood Development – East and Southern Africa – Development Media International Associates C.I.C. was awarded $3,054,000 to increase caregivers’ knowledge of nurturing care through a national social and behavior change communication campaign in Mozambique. Results for Development Institute, Inc. received $2.96 million to develop a global resource guide on how to integrate early childhood development into primary healthcare; pilot use of the guide in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique, and refine and finalize the guide based on these in-country experiences. The African Early Childhood Network Registered Trustees was awarded $1,753,000 to strengthen the institutional capacity of key constituencies in Eastern and Southern Africa, including governments and civil society organizations to enable the delivery of quality early childhood development services to all young children and families.
Early Childhood Development – United States – Los Angeles Education Partnership was awarded $3 million to implement a pilot project that increases the number of infant/toddler teachers in Los Angeles County and strengthens the capacity of licensed childcare sites to serve young children. Sojourners received $2.25 million to build the capacity of faith-based communities and leaders to educate their congregations and policymakers on the importance of supporting early childhood development. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University was awarded $2 million to translate the newest scientific findings on child development from 0-3 years old into common language that can be understood and used by decision-makers and the public to better support families with young children. Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation received $1,956,000 to strengthen the early childhood system in Northern New Mexico through expansion of home visitation, technical assistance to the Tribal Communities, and providing workforce opportunities for young parents.
Foster Youth – Think of Us was awarded $3 million to support the Center for Lived Experience, a national research center integrating insights, data, and leadership of people with lived experience to redesign the child welfare system. Anthos Home, a project of FJC, received $2 million to replicate the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool model to support youth exiting foster care in housing acquisition, lease-up and housing stability in New York City. Graham-Windham was awarded $1.83 million to pilot the Graham Fair Futures coaching model with middle school children, peer mentoring to middle school and high school youth, and to support workforce readiness for foster youth in New York City. National Center for Youth Law received $1.8 million to support the Compassionate Ed Systems and Collaborative Responses to Commercial Sexual Exploitation initiative to transform county-wide systems and improve experiences and outcomes of youth in foster care that are experiencing commercial sexual exploitation.
Homelessness – United Way Inc. received $6.5 million to develop and deploy a series of market level workforce solutions that expand recruitment, increase retention, and improve operational capacity within the homeless service sector in Los Angeles County. Brilliant Corners was awarded $3.77 million to support a partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the Department of Public Health to pilot and refine an expanded service model for clients with substance use needs in supportive housing. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities received $2,825,000 to support research, analysis, strategic communication and advocacy related to implementing housing access for people experiencing homelessness. National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty was awarded $1.75 million to strengthen the national effort to end youth homelessness by providing legal analysis, education and litigation to unhoused youth, as well as organizations and coalitions working to end youth homelessness.
Opportunity Youth – Beloved Community received $2.5 million to support the Equity at Work Hospitality project, an employer engagement effort to recruit and retain young workers in the hospitality sector.
Refugees – Sesame Workshop was awarded $6 million to support inclusion and belonging for refugee and migrant-hosting communities by nurturing early learning environments. Save the Children Federation, Inc. received $3 million to support improving the lives and livelihoods of refugee children, families, and host communities through an integrated program focused on early childhood development and livelihoods in Ethiopia’s Gambella region. Acumen Fund Inc. was awarded $2 million to support investments and provide technical assistance to refugee owner and/or refugee serving businesses in Uganda and Ethiopia. Fundación de las Américas para el Desarrollo-Partners of the Americas received $2 million to support a franchise model for childcare spaces that will create a community of support, continuous learning, and entrepreneurship in Ecuador. Fundación Juan Felipe Gomez Escobar was awarded $1.6 million to support a comprehensive socio-economic inclusion and development model for migrant women in Cartagena and Medellin, Colombia.
Safe Water – PATH received $3.5 million for continued support for scaling STREAM chlorine generator technology in healthcare facilities in Ghana, Uganda, and Ethiopia, and the development of sustainability strategies and proof points for inclusion in government budgets in Uganda and Ghana.
Equity Fund – Alianza Nacional de Campesinas Inc. was awarded $1.5 million for general operating support. National Domestic Workers Alliance Inc. received $1.5 million for general operating support. PICO California was awarded $1.5 million for general operating support. Local Media Foundation received $1 million to support charitable activities for Word In Black. Services and Advocacy for Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Elders Inc. was awarded $1 million for general operating support to SAGE.
Partnerships- United Nations Development Programme received $1 million for continued support of the Connecting Business Initiative, to undertake research, advocacy, and capacity building activities to promote localization by strengthening the participation of local businesses in disaster response and recovery.
Other Grants – Africa Public Health Foundation was awarded $2 million for continued support of the Africa CDC COVID-19 equitable vaccine roll-out. BudgIT Foundation for Promotion of Information Technology in Nigeria received $1 million for continued support of the COVID Transparency and Accountability Project to engage citizens in resource tracking, improve vaccine equity, and increase awareness of the need for vaccines on the continent. Financing Alliance for Health was awarded $750,000 to support Africa Frontline First’s COVID-19 interventions, leveraging $800 million from the Global Fund to support the priorities of local community health workers.
Hilton Humanitarian Prize – Atlas Service Corps, Inc. received $1,332,000 to support the Prize Laureate Virtual Leadership Institute for individuals currently working at Prize Laureate organizations and to implement a Prize Scholar Alumni gathering.
Program Related Investments for Disaster Relief, Homelessness and Opportunity Youth – Care Access Real Estate Investment Trust was approved for a loan of $3 million with an option to extend another three years to capitalize a real estate investment vehicle financing early childcare facilities in New Mexico and other regions in the U.S., improving access to early childhood development services for low-income children. FRB Catalyst Facility, LLC, operated by Blue Forest was provided a $3 million program-related investment loan over 10 years to finance fire suppression pilot projects to decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the Western U.S. Nonprofit Finance Fund received a $3 million loan over seven years to capitalize the Accelerating Permanent Supportive Housing Fund, financing nonprofit developers creating housing opportunities for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Los Angeles. LTSC Community Development Corporation received a $2 million loan over 10 years to finance the development of 710 units of affordable housing, including 289 units of permanent supportive housing, creating housing opportunities for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Los Angeles. JFFLabs, Inc. was provided a $2 million loan over seven years to capitalize the Employment Technology Fund, investing in early-stage technology companies helping opportunity youth in Los Angeles and New Orleans find and prepare for jobs.
To learn more about our program areas and how we approach our work, please visit hiltonfoundation.org/program-areas. For more detailed information on our grantmaking, please visit hiltonfoundation.org/grants.