Mission Statement

The Conrad N. Hilton Fund for Sisters honors the desire of Conrad Hilton to support the work of Roman Catholic sisters around the world.  In his last will and testament, Conrad Hilton characterized the sisters as “protectors and defenders” of children, and encouraged generosity to their schools, hospitals and places of worship.  We reflect this legacy in our continued commitment to support the apostolic works of sisters in their direct service to the vulnerable and disadvantaged within the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Legacy of Conrad N. Hilton

A visionary businessman responsible for building the largest hotel real estate empire           of his time and the first American international hotel company,  Conrad N. Hilton was          also a visionary philanthropist committed to world peace and economic stability. In 1986 the  Conrad N. Hilton Foundation established the  Conrad N. Hilton Fund for Sisters  (HFS) specifically to support the apostolic work of Roman Catholic women religious in accordance with his Last Will and Testament:

“Be ever watchful for the opportunity to shelter little children with the umbrella of your charity; be generous to their schools, their hospitals and their places of worship. Give aid to their protectors and defenders, the Sisters, who devote their love and life’s work for the good of mankind, for they appeal especially to me of being deserving of help from the Foundation.”     

For more than 30 years, HFS has awarded over $133 million to Sisters’ projects throughout the world. This has been possible thanks to the generosity of Conrad N. Hilton, the hotel pioneer who gave the bulk of his personal fortune to the foundation that bears his name. In his last will and testament, Hilton stated:

“There is a natural law, a Divine law, which obliges you and me to relieve the suffering, the distressed and the destitute. Charity is a supreme virtue, and the great channel through which the mercy of God is passed on to mankind.”

Hilton singled out Sisters, who devote their love and life’s work for the good of humankind, as especially deserving of the foundation’s help and support. Being impressed by their focus on mission and their unusual ability to stretch the dollar to its maximum, he favored their commitment over “organized, professional charities with high-salaried executives and a heavy ratio of expense.”