Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation grant, 2023-2025

Grappling with interculturality continues to emerge as a need among our members.  Thanks to a generous three-year grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Catholic Sisters Initiative, the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) is pleased to announce it will implement two key projects from the NRVC’s 2019-2023 strategic plan to advance our understanding of interculturality and anti-racism. 

The first objective is to support a series of intercultural workshops that elevate the culturally mindful skills of NRVC organizational leaders by embracing intercultural humility and anti-racism as a lifelong pursuit. Members of the National Board, Member Area Coordinators, staff, and key partners will work with consultants and subject matter experts over two years to learn (and unlearn) more about their understanding of interculturality, specifically 1) cultural values, 2) perceptions of power, 3) cultural wealth, and 4) communication dynamics. This project will use the NRVC Curriculum, 2014 NRVC/CARA Study of Incorporating Cultural Diversity into Religious Life Study, the NRVC Incorporating Cultural Diversity Committee, and the NRVC African American Vocation Committee, to provide insights to recommend consultants and workshop content.

The second objective is to share intercultural learning with the wider NRVC membership and stakeholders. By providing further education and additional resources on belonging, dignity, and justice, the 2020 NRVC Statement on condemning racism and commitment to intercultural competence will continue to move from a statement to action steps to address microaggressions and unconscious bias in conversations, meetings, decision making, and the selection of future organizational leaders. Because workshop attendance does not immediately change mindsets, this project will also utilize the Intercultural Development Inventory to evaluate progress in learning and adapting appropriate behaviors to move further on the continuum. 

Thanks to the generosity of this Conrad N. Hilton grant, the NRVC can embark on an ambitious project involving 40 organizational leaders working together. They will share their learnings on cultural differences and commonalities to add to the body of knowledge in religious life which cultivates intercultural humility and anti-racism as a lifelong pursuit. These NRVC leaders will publish articles in the HORIZON Journal, VISION Magazine, create event handouts and checklists for the NRVC Member Guidebook, and/or record short videos. This project will conclude in 2025 with six intercultural workshops in NRVC Member Areas.

For more information about the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Catholic Sisters Initiative grant, please email Sister Deborah Borneman, SS.C.M. at debbiesscm@nrvc.net.

Media Coverage

Hilton grant will assist vocation conference's intercultural efforts, Global Sisters Report, written by Chris Herlinger, January 23, 2023.

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation grant, 2020-2022

The National Religious Vocation Conference is grateful to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for a $200,000 grant which created sustainable solutions to build the future of NRVC in its leadership, mission, and vision. The NRVC Board and staff integrated the team leadership model with standards of accountability in its Articles of Incorporation, Constitution, Bylaws, Operations Manual, Board Handbook, Member Area Coordinator Manual, and Member Guidebook. 

In addition, through grant funding, 136 Catholic sisters participated in the 2020 Convocation and virtual Summer Institutes in 2021 and 2022 to enrich ongoing formation and lifelong education. As a result, over 50 Abundant Hope videos were recorded by newer entrants on how they experience intercultural and intergenerational vowed life. Through the Conrad N. Hilton grant, the NRVC extended invitations to the following partner organizations: Association of Latin American Missionary Sisters, Giving Voice, National Black Sisters Conference, the National Conference of Vicars for Religious, NAVFD, and Vocations Ireland.

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation grant, 2014-2016

The National Religious Vocation Conference is grateful to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for a $2 million dollar grant to continue to build the organization’s capacity and sustainability. This generous grant provided  NRVC with additional personnel, the ability to create an effective development program, resources for the Year of Consecrated Life, and other important vocation-promotion services from 2014-2016). Details are here.  

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