MCLEAN, Va. — The Hilton Global Foundation (HGF), the global philanthropic arm of Hilton, a global leader in hospitality, announced today it has invested $5.4 million in 18 nonprofit organizations across the globe working to expand career opportunity, advance community resilience and make the world better to travel. These grants represent HGF’s largest annual investment to date supporting projects that align with Travel with Purpose, Hilton’s strategy to drive positive impact and deliver lasting value for its people, hotels, communities and guests. This year’s Hilton Global Foundation grantees are expanding pathways into hospitality careers, equipping youth with job-ready skills, addressing food insecurity and reducing waste while strengthening economic and community resilience around the world.
“Today’s announcement highlights the exponential power of partnership,” said Katherine Lugar, executive vice president, corporate affairs, Hilton and president, Hilton Global Foundation. “Together with this year’s Hilton Global Foundation grantees, we are delivering impact far beyond what any one organization could do alone. The work of these phenomenal organizations will expand access to learning and career opportunities, protect the destinations we love, and ultimately, help to build brighter futures and stronger communities.”
“Together with this year’s Hilton Global Foundation grantees, we are delivering impact far beyond what any one organization could do alone. The work of these phenomenal organizations will expand access to learning and career opportunities, protect the destinations we love, and ultimately, help to build brighter futures and stronger communities.”
Americas
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA)
United States
Big Futures, BBBSA’s national initiative, empowers individuals ages 16–25 through mentorship, career exploration and skill building. Hilton will launch a partnership with BBBSA to create a new opportunity and mentoring program that will provide greater awareness and access to career opportunities in hospitality for all.
International Youth Foundation (IYF)
Mexico
HGF’s support of IYF will fund the JuventudES 2.0 initiative in Mexico City, providing 350 youth with job-readiness training, personalized counseling and direct connections to hospitality and tourism employers – reducing poverty and social exclusion in the process.
The WASH Foundation
Orlando, Florida
Through its Fresh Start WASH & Wellness Mobile Shower Program, The WASH Foundation delivers dignity and essential hygiene services to people experiencing homelessness. HGF funding will ensure continued access to mobile showers, hygiene kits and comprehensive wellness support for all.
Hospitality Hub
Memphis, Tennessee
Hospitality Hub connects individuals experiencing homelessness with housing, employment and care. HGF’s grant will support the development of Hub North, a trauma informed campus expected to help more than 100 families annually achieve stability and independence.
“The team at the Hospitality Hub is passionate about finding permanent, stable housing solutions for every individual and family experiencing homelessness in Memphis, Tennessee. This year’s opening of Hub North, with thoughtfully designed individual cottages in a neighborhood setting, will greatly increase our ability to serve the hundreds of families we see each year. The Hospitality Hub offers trauma-informed care, professional case management, and most importantly, intentionality and humanity in all we do. Our work would not be possible without the support of our local community and regional partners like Hilton Global Foundation. Thank you.”
Empowered Network
United States
Empowered Network coordinates localized programs across the U.S. to prevent human trafficking and expand economic mobility for survivors. Hilton’s support provides opportunities for survivor financial planning, workforce development and prevention programs in communities nationwide.
DC Central Kitchen
Washington, D.C.
DC Central Kitchen transforms lives through its Culinary Job Training (CJT) program for adults experiencing homelessness, incarceration, addiction or trauma. HGF funding will support two CJT classes, providing 165 individuals with the opportunity to earn industry credentials and secure stable, living wage employment.
National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS)
Washington, D.C. & Atlanta, Georgia
NDSS works to create a world where individuals with Down syndrome thrive. With support from HGF, NDSS will pilot an employment initiative to expand hiring pathways for individuals with Down syndrome with the goal to expand nationwide.
Asia Pacific
Planet Water Foundation
Asia Pacific
Planet Water Foundation provides clean drinking water and hygiene education to impoverished communities through its AquaTower filtration systems and water health programs. Funding from HGF will support the installation of one AquaTower at a school, delivering safe water and hygiene education to students and surrounding communities.
Hands On Tokyo
Japan
Hands On Tokyo empowers individuals with disabilities through volunteerism and life skills programs. With HGF support, more than 95 individuals with developmental, intellectual, physical and visual disabilities will gain hands-on hospitality experience through food truck operations, skills training, and Career Day sessions that connect participants to employers.
Ocean Purpose Project
Singapore
Ocean Purpose Project combats ocean pollution using seaweed bioremediation, plastic to hydrogen technology and community education. HGF funding will launch the Beach Hub to Clean Seas initiative, eventually diverting 10,000 pounds of waste annually and providing more than 2,500 learning and career opportunities.
STREETS International
Vietnam
STREETS delivers a 14-month residential hospitality training program for youth in Vietnam, including those who are orphaned, trafficked or out of school. HGF funding will expand training access for participants and help STREETS upgrade their culinary training facilities, helping participants gain life skills, English language training and hands-on culinary and hospitality training.
“Hilton Global Foundation’s generous grant for STREETS allows us to continue to expand our impactful hospitality training for out-of-school and out-of-work youth living in poverty. With Hilton’s support, we can now also serve youth with learning disabilities. All these young people will go on to lives of self-sufficiency and dignity as they graduate from STREETS and begin their careers in the global hospitality industry.”
Tourism & Hospitality Skills Council (THSC)
India
THSC delivers industry-aligned training that prepares first-time job seekers and others for careers in hospitality and services across India. With HGF support, THSC will train 1,080 young people through certified programs and provide job placement assistance to help graduates potentially secure stable employment and establish long-term career pathways in hospitality.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Asia Pacific and Latin America
WWF’s Circular Food Future Global Initiative advances food waste reduction and food security across key hospitality markets. HGF’s support will deepen WWF’s work in Southeast Asia and Latin America to strengthen prevention practices, reduce landfill waste and promote sustainable food systems.
Europe, Middle East & Africa
The Felix Project
United Kingdom
The Felix Project rescues and redistributes surplus food from organizations across the United Kingdom while providing culinary apprenticeships to young people facing barriers to employment. Funding will expand its Commis Chef Apprenticeship Program, enabling the delivery of more than 400,000 meals to those in need and preventing over 200 tons of food waste.
Fondation Marocaine de l’Éducation pour l’Emploi
Morocco
Fundacion Marocaine is a leading youth employment NGO that bridges the gap between education and labor needs in Morocco. With HGF funding, Fondation Marocaine will launch the TALENT initiative in Morocco, equipping 4,600 young people with digital, soft, and hospitality skills. The program will place more than 330 graduates in jobs, support 40 entrepreneurs, engage 100 youth in environmental action, and generate income and community benefits for over 20,000 people.
Mukuru Promotion Centre (MPC)
Kenya
Mukuru Promotion Centre supports children, youth and families in Nairobi’s Mukuru communities through education, health and empowerment programs. With HGF support, MPC will expand vocational training to equip more youth with job-ready skills and create pathways to sustainable employment and community stability.
PizzAut
Italy
With HGF funding, PizzAut will expand its food truck initiative and renovate supported housing in Italy, creating sustainable employment and promoting independent living for 30 individuals with autism. The project fosters autonomy, challenges stereotypes and raises public awareness about autism while reducing reliance on institutional care.
“Our collaboration with Hilton in Italy is one that comes from the heart and embraces every dimension, built on a deep shared commitment to values such as inclusion and respect for diversity. Thanks to the generous support of the Hilton Global Foundation, we continue to turn these principles into concrete actions: we train and hire autistic people, foster hospitality that truly welcomes, and support initiatives that create value, dignity, and new job opportunities. It is a shared journey that builds the future, together.”
Türkiye Down Syndrome Association (TDSD)
Türkiye
TDSD promotes independence for individuals with Down syndrome through training, advocacy and employment programs to help them lead independent, fulfilling lives. Through HGF’s support, TDSD will expand its Supported Career Program to provide hospitality training and job placement for individuals with disabilities.
For more information on the Hilton Global Foundation and its global impact, the Hilton Global Foundation’s 2024 Impact Report can be found at hiltonglobalfoundation.hilton.com/impact
Q&A
The Hilton Global Foundation (HGF) is Hilton’s global philanthropic arm, investing in organizations that expand opportunity, strengthen community resilience, and make the world better to travel. The Hilton Global Foundation’s $5.4M committed this year supports programs aligned with Hilton’s Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals.
HGF is committing $5.4 million to 18 nonprofit organizations across the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This represents the Foundation’s largest annual grant portfolio to date.
The grants provided by the Hilton Global Foundation:
– Expand pathways into hospitality careers
– Equip individuals, including youth, with job-ready skills
– Reduce food insecurity and food waste
– Support individuals experiencing homelessness or systemic barriers to employment
– Advance opportunity for people with disabilities, opening doors to self-sufficiency
– Strengthen destination stewardship and community resilience
The $5.4 million provided by the Hilton Global Foundation in February of 2026 is expected to:
– Create more than 170,000 learning and career opportunities
– Provide more than 400,000 meals to community members in need
– Prevent nearly 350,000 pounds of carbon emissions from food waste, equivalent to charging nearly 20 million smartphones
Hilton team members are central to Travel with Purpose and Hilton’s positive social impact, contributing nearly 1.5 million volunteer hours last year alone. The Hilton Global Foundation extends that spirit of service by scaling impact globally through long-term partnerships and grant making.
Many grantees provide hospitality-specific training, apprenticeships, mentoring, and job-ready skills, connecting participants directly to employment opportunities within the hospitality industry.
About Hilton Global Foundation
The Hilton Global Foundation is Hilton’s primary philanthropic arm, supporting the company’s Travel with Purpose strategy to drive positive impact and deliver lasting value to the people, hotels and communities where we all live, work and stay. Through grants and partnerships, the Foundation invests in programs that advance destination stewardship, foster career development and strengthen community resilience. Since 2019, it has contributed more than $25 million to organizations around the world and positively impacted millions of lives. Learn more at hiltonglobalfoundation.hilton.com.
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