Hilton Awards Over $1 Million in Grants to COVID-19 Response Organizations

Hilton’s primary international philanthropic arm, the Hilton Effect Foundation, recently released its list of 2020 Hilton Effect grantees, whose locations span the entire globe. Through these grants, and combined with donations the Foundation has already made, the Foundation has now contributed over one million dollars to various community-based organizations, which are directly addressing the devastating effects of COVID-19 in myriad areas where the hotel company operates.

Founded only recently, in 2019, as part of Hilton’s one-hundredth anniversary celebration, the Foundation’s mission is to have a positive impact on the worldwide communities that Hilton serves. This year, several areas of greatest need clearly emerged as the world has struggled to withstand the fallout from COVID-19. The Foundation chose to address some of the most urgent humanitarian crises arising from the pandemic: food security, sanitation/hygiene, economic security, and clean air and water.

“A core part of the Hilton Effect Foundation’s work is to support our communities around the world through both good times and bad,” said Kate Mikesell, President of the Hilton Effect Foundation. “From the very start of the pandemic, we have been listening to community leaders about the direct and indirect challenges they are facing as a result of COVID-19.”

Asked how the Foundation’s board decided to focus its contributions into these four categories, Mikesell told TravelPulse: “First, we looked at the greatest needs brought on by COVID—and that’s obviously a very large universe—but we thought about both ‘what are the greatest needs emerging globally?’ and in the regions where Hilton has presence.”

Countless hours of discussion with Hilton’s non-profit partners and other organizations went into the narrowing down of its grants to these four areas of assistance. “Yes, there are a million different places we could have put our energy, but these four really speak to what we’ve done and where we can have the greatest impact,” Mikesell said.

In choosing its grantees, the Foundation’s board also had to consider which areas Hilton already had experience and expertise in, as the company is already in league with a roster of non-profit partners from around the world, working on a variety of initiatives for global good. While one million dollars is a big sum, when divided amongst multiple recipients, Mikesell pointed out, “We’re still talking about somewhat limited funds,” so the Foundation focused on determining where the money could be put to the greatest use and which aligned best with its broader aims.

For example, reducing food waste by 50 percent and recycling all used guest soap bars are part of Hilton’s 2030 Goals. While prioritizing organizations working in these areas, the Foundation was also committed to directly supporting minority populations, and disadvantaged and vulnerable communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

“Obviously we’re talking a lot about COVID, but we can’t forget about the environment, as well. And, that’s something that Hilton and the Foundation are both very focused-in on. So, thinking about the intersection there—a lot of the communities struggling with environmental issues are the same ones struggling with COVID-19,” Mikesell explained.

One grantee she pointed out in order to illustrate how certain grantee organizations stood out for their multi-dimensional approach to the issues was Student Conservation Association, which works on projects around the U.S., cleaning up local urban environments.

“But, it’s also about giving young students a view into what a career in conservation could look like, and giving them certifications and training and support to be able to pursue that—so that they both have a career and, inevitably, their communities get stronger,” Mikesell explained. “That’s the sort of thing, the economic opportunity through doing good, that I think is really amazing.

“Often, they’re addressing areas that you both have economic injustice, social injustice and they’re dealing with really difficult climate and environmental-related issues, and then you add COVID on top of all that,” she reflected. “So, it’s these really interesting, really thoughtful ways that our grantees are going about the work they do that’s just—it’s stunning, it’s really stunning.”

Although the hospitality industry is still suffering from the downturn caused by the pandemic, Hilton was determined in 2020 to deliver on the Foundation’s promise of helping to build a better world in which to travel in the future. “We’re really proud that, even though we’ve had to shift some of how we do it, at the end of the day, we’re still standing by the commitments that we’ve made as a company and as a foundation,” Mikesell said.

“We’re in the same boat as other companies, but…we also want these communities to recover, and recover stronger, more resilient and more inclusive than they were before. So, while we’re being cautious and really judicious in how we distribute this money so it can have the greatest good, the importance of standing by our communities is something we won’t back away from,” she asserted.

The Hilton Effect Foundation’s 23 grants have been awarded as follows:

Food Security:

—Food Forward (United States)

—Harvest Against Hunger (United States)

—Musubie (Japan)

—Scholars of Sustenance (Thailand)

—Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (South Africa)

Sanitation and Hygiene:

—Eco-Soap Bank (Africa)

—Emmanuel Foundation (Indonesia)

—Habitat for Humanity Fiji (Fiji)

—Love Beyond Walls (United States)

—Water.org (Brazil)

Economic Security:

—ACE Charity (Nigeria)

—BCAGlobal (United States)

—Springboard (United Kingdom)

—International Rescue Committee (Jordan)

—KARI Foundation (Australia)

—Lligam (Spain)

—My Block, My Hood, My City (United States)

Clean Air and Water:

—Ecamir (Russia)

—National Environmental Education Foundation (United States)

—Planet Water Foundation (India)

—Student Conservation Association (United States)

—The Nature Conservancy (Peru and China)

For more information, visit hiltoneffect.org.