Hilton foundation approves next phase in funding Catholic sisters' development

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation announced Aug. 23 that its board of directors has approved a new five-year strategy for the Catholic Sisters Strategic Initiative that focuses on sisters' human development work and their role as spiritual and prophetic witnesses through their vocations.

"We are delighted that the board of directors has approved the next phase of our Catholic Sisters Strategic Initiative," Peter Laugharn, president and CEO of the Hilton Foundation, said in a press release. "We have been committed to improving the lives and ministries of Catholic sisters since our inception. In this next phase, we will continue to carry out the wishes of our founder by ensuring sisters can build vitality and enable critical services to reach disadvantaged and vulnerable people."

In the press release and more detailed report, the foundation outlined a vision for 2018-2022 that builds on the strategy undertaken in a first phase, which from 2013 to 2018 invested $105 million on developing "internal capacity" of congregations "to improve membership, leadership and resource outcomes," according to the release.

Grantees included the African Sisters Education Collaborative-Sister Leadership Development Initiative, which educates women religious from Africa; National Catholic Sisters Week, which annually funds events to bring together young women and Catholic sisters and, as part of the National Catholic Sisters Project, is developing a curriculum about sisters; National Catholic Reporter, which launched and operates Global Sisters Report; and several others.