The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is a family foundation that strives to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty by providing funds to nonprofit organizations working hands-on for this goal. The Foundation was established in 1944 and has since become one of the larger philanthropic foundations in the world. The mission of the foundation came from the last will and testament of its head founder, Conrad Hilton, also the man who started Hilton Hotels. In his will, Hilton directed the organization to “relieve the suffering, the distressed, and the destitute.” To aid with this mission, Conrad named the foundation the primary beneficiary of his estate. Conrad’s son, Barron Hilton, followed suit and left 97% of his fortune to the foundation upon his death in 2019; this resulted in the assets jumping from US$2.9 billion to $6.3 billion.
Photo Credit: nrc.no
Since the birth of the foundation, more than $2.4 billion has been awarded in grants. In fact, the Hilton Foundation boasts the world’s largest annual humanitarian award. The award is $2.5 million and is “presented to a non-profit organization, and recognizes extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering.” This year, The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) was named the 2022 Recipient.
The main mission of NRC is to help and protect displaced people; they also ensure that those forced to flee have the support they need to build a new future. The NRC was seen as a great recipient for this award as there is currently a record number of people fleeing war, so their work in this space is incredibly important. Jan Egeland, Secretary General of NRC, commented “We are honored to receive this prestigious humanitarian prize at a time when we are challenged like never before in reaching, aiding and protecting people forced to flee by war and repression.” He also highlighted the staff of NRC who work diligently to help people all over the world.
In 2021, more than 10 million people throughout 35 countries were supported by NRC. This award is quite the blessing to the Norwegian Refugee Council. It will allow them to continue to help those in need and ensure that the displaced will not be forgotten.