Established in 1944 in NV - Conrad N. Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels, established the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation as a philanthropic trust in 1944. In 1950, the foundation was legally established as a nonprofit corporation, separate from Hilton Hotels Corporation. Upon his death in 1979, Conrad Hilton left nearly his entire estate to the Hilton Foundation. His son, Barron Hilton, joined the foundation in 1950 and has served on the board chair ever since. Over the years, he has contributed many millions to the work of the foundation, and following his father's example, in 2007, Barron Hilton pledged to leave 97% of his estate to the foundation. Steven M. Hilton, son of Barron and grandson of Conrad, joined the foundation in 1983 and was named president in 1998; he is currently also Chair and C.E.O. of the foundation board. Other Hilton family members serve on the foundation board The grantmaker is a signatory to Philanthropy's Promise, an initiative of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). By signing on, the grantmaker has committed to allocating the majority of its grantmaking dollars to marginalized communities and at least 25 percent to social justice strategies, such as advocacy, community organizing, and civic engagement. Barron Hilton has committed to The Giving Pledge, and has pledged to give away at least half of his wealth to philanthropy.