Foster Youth Initiative Deepens Support for Young People Transitioning out of Foster Care
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation board of directors approved over $72 million in grants, including Program-Related Investments, in the fourth quarter of 2024, bringing the year-end grantmaking payout total to nearly $300 million.
In the fourth quarter, nearly $25 million was granted through the Hilton Foundation’s Foster Youth initiative, advancing strategic investments in supportive services for transition-age foster youth (TAY) — young people aged 14-26 who have experience within the foster care system. These funds will support organizations helping youth transition into safe and stable housing, access higher education and pursue meaningful career pathways. The Foster Youth initiative aims to close disparities in education, employment, health and well-being, providing access to targeted services and supportive networks to guide TAY foster youth on their journey.
Following is an overview of the board-approved grants and Program-Related Investments (PRIs) awarded in the fourth quarter of 2024:
Catholic Sisters – Fondazione The Anna Trust: Catholic Sisters Elder Care Fund ETS received $15 million to launch a foundation that advances the care of elderly Catholic sisters worldwide through grantmaking, field-building, advocacy and resource mobilization. Catholic Relief Services was awarded $5.4 million to strengthen the capacity of Women Religious in Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Ghana in Sustainable Comprehensive Responses for Children and their Families in Early Childhood Development. Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development received $2.5 million to support sisters’ education and to build and strengthen strategic partnerships between Catholic sisters and Episcopal Commissions and Diocesan offices.
Early Childhood Development – East and Southern Africa – The Aga Khan University, Kenya received $3 million to enable knowledge generation and community-based research that informs policy and practice in support of young children in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands of Kenya and Tanzania. The World Bank was awarded $2 million to leverage investments in quality childcare to improve outcomes for women, young children, families, businesses and economies. Africa Population Health & Research Center Inc. received $1.8 million to deliver a functioning early childhood development data system at the local level that decisionmakers can use to achieve better outcomes for young children and their families.
Early Childhood Development – United States – National Women’s Law Center was awarded $2.7 million to support increased access to quality childcare and ensure pregnant and parenting students and their children can learn and thrive. First Nations Development Institute received $1,825,000 to provide financial and technical support to organizations serving caregivers, young children, and providers in New Mexico. Imagine Los Angeles Inc. was awarded $250,000 to support employment and economic mobility through the Social Benefits Navigator to fuel financial independence and lasting exits from poverty.
Foster Youth – Anthos Home Inc. received $3 million to scale the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool model to support youth exiting foster care in housing acquisition, lease-up, and housing stability in New York City. Children’s Law Center of California was awarded $2.4 million to expand the Crossover Advocacy and Resource Effort program that provides legal advocacy and supportive services for foster youth including crossover youth, survivors of CSEC, and young parents in foster care. Coalition for Responsible Community Development received $1.1 million to increase college readiness and persistence of youth aging out of foster care and to strengthen career pathways infrastructure capacity for opportunity youth in South Los Angeles. Imagine Los Angeles Inc. was awarded $300,000 to support employment and economic mobility through the Social Benefits Navigator to fuel financial independence and lasting exits from poverty.
Homelessness – The Center in Hollywood received $3 million to support addressing homelessness and social isolation to connect unhoused people to permanent housing. Regents of the University of California at Berkeley was awarded $1.9 million to support the Terner Center for Housing Innovation to support research related to housing development and homelessness solutions. L.A. Family Housing Corporation received $1.75 million to support a deeper regional coordination homelessness solutions strategy in the San Fernando Valley and increase housing outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. Corporation for Supportive Housing was awarded $750,000 to support the implementation of a program-related investment to finance the development of affordable and permanent supportive housing, creating housing opportunities for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Los Angeles. Imagine Los Angeles Inc. received $500,000 to support employment and economic mobility through the Social Benefits Navigator to fuel financial independence and lasting exits from poverty.
Opportunity Youth – Greater New Orleans Association was awarded $1,555,000 to provide capacity building and nonprofit leadership development for opportunity youth-serving organizations and to support an employer engagement group in New Orleans. Coalition for Responsible Community Development received $800,000 to increase college readiness and persistence of youth aging out of foster care and to strengthen career pathways infrastructure capacity for opportunity youth in South Los Angeles. Imagine Los Angeles Inc. was awarded $505,000 to support employment and economic mobility through the Social Benefits Navigator to fuel financial independence and lasting exits from poverty.
Safe Water – Safe Water Network received $4.3 million to improve the reliability and sustainability of rural piped water systems in Ghana by expanding the provision of safely managed water to new households, digitizing operational aspects of service delivery, and disseminating learnings to the water sector. Whave Solutions Limited was awarded $2,804,000 to demonstrate the viability of new technologies for affordable 24/7 rural water service delivery and provide technical assistance to help strengthen governance of rural water service delivery in Uganda. WaterAid America, Inc. received $2.52 million to work with and advocate for stakeholders in Ethiopia and the United States, including through research, analysis, and information dissemination, to center water security within climate resilience and adaptation approaches and policies.
Refugees – Innovations for Poverty Action was awarded $5.5 million to support local and refugee-led organizations and policymakers to use and generate evidence to improve two-generation policies and programs to better serve refugees and host communities in Colombia and Uganda.
Program-Related Investments
Homelessness – Corporation for Supportive Housing was approved for a loan of $2 million to capitalize a charitable lending program under which loans shall be provided to finance the development of affordable and permanent supportive housing, creating housing opportunities for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.
Other Grants
Aviation – Luftfahrt ohne Grenzen received $1.5 million to expand humanitarian efforts using aviation, focusing on both ongoing crises and sudden-onset disasters, while strengthening internal capacity for sustained impact and operational efficiency.
Disaster Relief and Recovery – Resilient Cities Catalyst Inc. was awarded $1.5 million to support the California Resilience Implementation Accelerator in implementing high-impact resilience-building projects that benefit marginalized and climate-vulnerable communities statewide.
To learn more about our program areas and philanthropic approach, please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org/work/our-initiatives. For more detailed information on grantmaking, please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org/grants.