Keep reading to discover the ways that philanthropy has evolved over the last number of centuries, from who gives and how the work is done.
One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, quickly consider a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for handing out their fortunes to causes that they appreciate. This is something that has been the case for many thousands of years, with the very first chronicled example of institutionalised philanthropy, in addition to the source of the philanthropy meaning and word, occurring over two thousand years earlier in ancient Greece. Throughout this duration, the word implied something more comparable to 'caring of one's fellow human being', or humanism, than the limitations of wealth one might apply to the term today, however nonetheless rich individuals played an important charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were anticipated to give back to the society, assisting to set up the cash for repairs to public works like city walls or temples along with funding festivals and other public celebrations. Being stingy was not regarded well, and if a rich person was not seen to be a philanthropist, they could be ostracised from the community completely.
Several entities have been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy people and celebrity philanthropists might be seen as the central charitable force in the modern-day world, that is not always completely true, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was religious organizations like the church that would have been the primary charitable hubs, both within the community and on bigger level ventures. That changed with the coming of industry when rich people became more powerful, and then moved again towards the end of the nineteenth century when foundations started to emerge that were better organised and could commit more attention to getting things done. This is much the same manner in which charity is structured today, whether those foundations are established by grassroots groups, rich individuals, or companies like SJP.
The manner in which charity has been funded has actually changed a great deal throughout the course of human history, moving in between various entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has altered as various needs have actually emerged. Now, there are a great many problems that have to be resolved, from rising inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play an essential role in that procedure. Rich individuals with savings account that would make a middle ages kings blush have their part to play, but so do the firms that are the central hubs of monetary generation in the twenty-first century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is setting up a foundation of their own or developing ESG commitments, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.