Advertisement

Nonprofit RespectAbility Receives $1 Million Grant from Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

RespectAbility, a disability-focused nonprofit, announced a $1 million donation from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which will be leveraged through an existing 1-1 matching campaign.

The donation will help RespectAbility pursue its multifaceted goal of removing physical, programmatic and attitude barriers, which, they hope, will enable “full participation” in every aspect of society for all people with disabilities.

More from Variety

“As we look to the future to envision the full scope of what is truly possible for people with disabilities, we are deeply grateful to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for its $1 million dollar investment,” said Ollie Cantos, the chairman of RespectAbility’s board of directors.

Peter Laugharn, president and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, spoke to its mission, saying, “In 2020, the Hilton Foundation established the Equity Fund to combat bias and injustice across multiple dimensions, including for people with disabilities.” Laugharn added, “We recognize that solutions for addressing the root causes of inequalities often come from those with lived experience.”

Additionally, the Milbank Foundation has added $100,000 to the fund, as have two anonymous donors of $20,000 each.

RespectAbility’s founder-CEO Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi said, “We are deeply grateful to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for this significant game-changing donation. We hope that other philanthropists and activists will join with us to create a better future on behalf of all people with disabilities.”

Mizrahi founded the organization in 2013. Mizrahi will rotate off as CEO in the spring of 2022. The CEO search is being led by David Hinsley Cheng.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.