Table of Contents
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PRESIDENT’S LETTER
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SAFE WATER
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PHILANTHROPIC LEGACY
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SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION
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CATHOLIC SISTERS
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YOUNG CHILDREN AFFECTED BY HIV AND AIDS
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FOSTER YOUTH
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HOMELESSNESS
Cover photo by Joop Rubens, courtesy of Kidogo
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MAJOR PROGRAMS
HUMANITARIAN PRIZE
THE CONRAD N. HILTON FOUNDATION is a family foundation established in 1944 by the man who started Hilton Hotels. We provide funds to nonprofit organizations working to improve the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable populations throughout the world. Since our inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.5 billion in grants globally through our grantmaking programs and Humanitarian Prize work.
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PRESIDENT’S LETTER | HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG
Photo courtesy of Catholic Extension
President’s Letter LIVING OUR VALUES IN THE WORLD Grounded by the principles that embody the American spirit and ethic, Conrad N. Hilton dreamed big, thought big and acted big—building a worldwide hotel empire. Today, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation seeks to exemplify the values practiced by our founder: integrity, thinking big, humility, stewardship and compassion. We incorporate these values into our philanthropic activities where we strive to fulfill Conrad Hilton’s wish to improve the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged people around the world. We are thrilled and encouraged by recent successes of our work and the work of our partners. For nearly 30 years, the Hilton Foundation has invested in efforts to end chronic homelessness in Los Angeles County, and we have worked hard to contribute to the building of a broad coalition involving government, business and civil society. Recently, two key ballot measures passed in support of ending and preventing homelessness in Los Angeles, which together will provide more than $4 billion over the next 10 years for housing and public services. Another area we have been funding for more than 20 years is the global elimination of trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. We are pleased to say we are on track with our partners and expect to reach the elimination of this terrible disease as a public health problem in our focus countries of Mali and Niger by 2020.
We could not have reached these successes by working alone. We recognize the power of aligning ourselves with community-wide and global visions that foster collaboration and a shared sense of pragmatic optimism, allowing us to leverage our collective resources to achieve impact. Another way we collaborate with partners is through our philanthropic leadership role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, an ambitious framework for global development through 2030 to end poverty, fight inequality and ensure access to public goods, such as clean water. There is immense potential in participating in action networks that seek to solve these critical needs. In addition, our program staff plays a key role that connects our partners’ work to these larger frameworks and high-level goals. We realize that achieving our vision requires diligence and thoughtful collaboration. Our strategy is to build a solid base by working with key partners in the field, while also engaging those with an entrepreneurial spirit like our founder who dare to pilot new solutions, fill gaps, advance knowledge and catalyze long-term change. We are grateful for our grantees, partners, staff and board of directors for their efforts to reduce suffering through our priorities and programs. We look forward to working with all in the pursuit of even greater impact in the months and years ahead.
Peter Laugharn President and CEO
HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG | PRESIDENT’S LETTER
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Philanthropic Legacy Conrad N. Hilton began the Foundation from his commitment to helping those in need. Barron Hilton furthered this belief with his devotion to the cause. We are honored to continue this mission.
Conrad with sons Barron, Nick and Eric
CONRAD N. HILTON
BARRON HILTON
Conrad Hilton’s life was grounded in a deep faith in God and country, an intrinsic belief in hard work and the ability to “dream big.” He founded Hilton Hotels— the largest and most profitable hotel empire of his era—and believed in the potential of his hotels to foster understanding among peoples of the world.
Barron Hilton, middle son of Conrad Hilton, played a guiding role on the Foundation’s board of directors from 1950 to 2014. Following a successful career at the helm of Hilton Hotels Corporation, he served as chairman of the Foundation from 2007 to 2012.
His concern for the disadvantaged was genuine and was expressed throughout his lifetime. Upon his death, Conrad Hilton left virtually his entire estate to the Foundation with a directive to relieve “the suffering, the distressed and the destitute,” establishing a perpetual legacy of global humanitarianism. His three sons and their descendants have carried on the Hilton philanthropic legacy.
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PHILANTHROPIC LEGACY | HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG
Over the years, Barron Hilton has contributed a great deal of his wealth to the work of the Foundation, and has furthered the legacy of altruism started by Conrad Hilton. Like his father, Barron Hilton has committed his personal fortune to the Foundation. His leadership and generous financial contributions will enable the Foundation to significantly increase its impact.
OUR APPROACH Rooted in the life interests and vision of Conrad N. Hilton, the Foundation pursues approaches that touch a diversity of people, places and needs by developing long-term projects and partnerships. • We invest in six strategic initiatives that involve funding multiple partners, generating new knowledge and collaborating with other funders: Catholic Sisters, Foster Youth, Homelessness, Safe Water, Substance Use Prevention and Young Children Affected by HIV and AIDS. • The Foundation also supports organizations through five major programs: Avoidable Blindness, Catholic Education, Disaster Relief and Recovery, Hospitality and Multiple Sclerosis.
“ Love one another, for that is the whole law; so our fellow men deserve to be loved and encouraged—never to be abandoned to wander alone in poverty and darkness.” Conrad N. Hilton [ 1887-1979 ]
HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG | PHILANTHROPIC LEGACY
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STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
] CATHOLIC SISTERS ] Building a global sisterhood to advance human development
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INITIATIVES | HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG
Catholic sisters contribute to human development through their spiritual witness and service to those in need. More than 700,000 sisters around the world educate our children, care for the vulnerable, stand with the oppressed, promote peace and advocate for justice. Like our founder, we recognize sisters as resourceful, efficient and powerful agents of social change, and we support programs that build their capacity to engage as leaders in the global partnership for human development. Two Catholic sisters embrace at a novice house in Uganda. Photo courtesy of Donald E. Miller, Center for Religion and Civic Culture at University of Southern California
HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG | INITIATIVES
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Foster youth between the ages of 15 and 21 are particularly vulnerable, as they transition into adulthood and age out of the foster care system. Typically, they have few supportive adults in their lives and limited access to college and career options. Despite these barriers, they are resilient and can successfully make the transition if given the opportunity. We work with partners to increase foster youth self-sufficiency, strengthen and align the systems that influence foster youth outcomes, and develop and disseminate knowledge for the field. Erika, a former foster youth, transitioned through more than 10 foster homes before arriving at Children’s Village where she found the emotional support she needed to begin her journey as a mother. Photo by Filip Wolack
STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
] FOSTER YOUTH ] Achieving healthy and productive lives for transition age youth in foster care
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INITIATIVES | HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG
HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG | INITIATIVES
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People experiencing chronic homelessness are among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society, often requiring a disproportionate and costly amount of public health and safety services. A wide body of research shows that permanent supportive housing is the best, most cost-effective solution. In partnership with the public, philanthropic, nonprofit and private sector stakeholders at work on this urgent issue, we aim to eliminate chronic homelessness in Los Angeles County. Dorothy Edwards was homeless in Pasadena for eight years before being placed in permanent supportive housing by Foundation grantee Housing Works. Photo by Michael Brannigan
STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
] HOMELESSNESS ] Ending chronic homelessness
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INITIATIVES | HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG
HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG | INITIATIVES
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STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
] SAFE WATER ] Accelerating the coverage of reliable access to safe and affordable water services
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INITIATIVES | HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG
Ensuring access to sustainable high-quality water services that meet communities’ true needs requires a new approach and outlook on implementation. We partner with organizations to advance proven and promising solutions and models, strengthen water governance and in-country systems, and build and disseminate credible and actionable evidence. By doing so, we seek to accelerate the coverage of reliable access to safe and affordable water for households, health facilities and schools in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Uganda. A mother drinks water outside a community health center in the village of Diatoula, Mali. Photo by Tara Todras-Whitehill, courtesy of WaterAid
HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG | INITIATIVES
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STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
] SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION ] Preventing youth substance use through access to early intervention
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INITIATIVES | HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG
Youth and young adults are particularly at risk for developing substance use disorders, which carry the potential for life-altering consequences. The likelihood of developing a substance use disorder is greatest for those who begin alcohol or other drug use in early adolescence. Prevention and early intervention can help limit experimentation and reduce risky behavior before serious social and health problems develop. Our partners advance innovative screening and early intervention approaches to prevent and reduce youth substance use and promote health and wellbeing. A psychologist engages with a youth at a community health center in New Hampshire. Photo by Cheryl Senter, courtesy of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG | INITIATIVES
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STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
YOUNG CHILDREN AFFECTED BY HIV AND AIDS Improving early childhood development outcomes for young children affected by HIV and AIDS
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INITIATIVES | HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG
There is increasing recognition regarding the importance of investing in early childhood development given that the first five years of life set the stage for the years to come. This is particularly true for children living in communities where there is a high prevalence of HIV and AIDS. We invest in partners that advance program approaches to improve caregiving and early learning, strengthen civil society and government systems and networks, and build and disseminate evidence to improve practice and policy. These three approaches are applied in an integrated way within five countries in East and Southern Africa: Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. A young child from an informal settlement of Nairobi, Kenya, attends a daycare center supported by Kidogo, a social enterprise that provides high-quality, affordable early childhood care and education for low-income families. Photo by Joop Rubens, courtesy of Kidogo
HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG | INITIATIVES
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] MAJOR PROGRAMS ] The Foundation is guided by Conrad N. Hilton’s mandate to alleviate human suffering around the world without regard to race, religion or country.
AVOIDABLE BLINDNESS Preventing avoidable sight loss from cataract and blinding trachoma Our support focuses on the elimination of trachoma and increasing access to cataract surgery to improve quality of life for vulnerable populations in developing countries.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION Revitalizing Catholic schools serving low-income families We seek to improve the operational vitality of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Nationally, we work with partners to leverage available public funds to ensure that low-income families have access to Catholic education.
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MAJOR PROGRAMS | HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG
DISASTER RELIEF AND RECOVERY Supporting disaster preparedness, relief and long-term recovery We respond to disasters in keeping with internationally accepted standards and best practices, with an eye toward supporting longer-term recovery interventions and building resilient communities.
HOSPITALITY Building career pathways for youth in the hospitality sector In recognition of the contributions of the Hilton family to the hotel industry, we partner with organizations promoting excellence in the hospitality sector and helping opportunity youth in New Orleans to build careers in hotel and restaurant management.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS Seeking a cure and improving quality of life for those who live with multiple sclerosis For over five decades, we have awarded grants to researchers and healthcare practitioners hoping to discover the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic and often disabling disease of the central nervous system.
HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG | MAJOR PROGRAMS
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HILTON HUMANITARIAN PRIZE | HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG
Honoring extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering At $2 million, the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize is the world’s largest humanitarian award. Established in 1996 as a tribute to Conrad N. Hilton’s lifetime of personal philanthropy, the annual award is presented to a nonprofit organization that is improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations. The Prize is intended to recognize and expand the organization’s extraordinary contributions and to highlight the global need for greater humanitarian aid. Nominations are received from around the world, and final selection is made by a prestigious, international jury. A boy helps Samuel Nicol, who lost his sight due to river blindness, walk through the village of Gbonjeima, Sierra Leone. 2016 Prize recipient The Task Force for Global Health is working with partners to end river blindness by 2025. Photo by Olivier Asselin, courtesy of the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases
HILTONFOUNDATION.ORG | HILTON HUMANITARIAN PRIZE
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For up-to-date grant information, please refer to our website: hiltonfoundation.org/grants
SUSTAINABLE SITE Our campus aims to establish and nurture a regional precedent for environmental stewardship, and is designed to exceed the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum certification.
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