Keep reading to find the manner ins which 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, instantly consider a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for distributing their fortunes to causes that they care about. This is something that has held true for lots of thousands of years, with the first recorded example of institutionalised philanthropy, as well as the origin of the philanthropy meaning and word, taking place over two thousand years ago in ancient Greece. Throughout this period, the word meant something more comparable to 'caring of one's fellow person', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one may apply to the term now, however nevertheless rich people played an important charity role in the culture. Rich people were expected to give back to the society, helping to set up the cash for repair work to public works like city walls or temples as well as funding festivals and other public events. Being stingy was not regarded well, and if a rich person was not seen to be a philanthropist, they could be ostracised from the society altogether.
Several entities have been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy people and celebrity philanthropists may be seen as the central charitable force in the contemporary world, that is not necessarily totally true, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was spiritual institutions like the church that would have been the primary charitable hubs, both within the town and on bigger level ventures. That altered with the coming of industry when rich individuals became more powerful, and after that shifted once again towards the end of the nineteenth century when foundations started to spring up that were better set up and could dedicate more attention to getting things done. This is much the same manner in which charity is structured today, whether those foundations are created by grassroots groups, wealthy individuals, or firms like SJP.
The way that charity has actually been financed has altered a lot throughout the course of human history, moving between various entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has actually changed as various requirements have emerged. Now, there are a great many concerns that need to be addressed, from rising inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will inevitably play an essential part in that process. Wealthy people with savings account that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, but so do the firms that are the main hubs of financial generation in the 21st century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is establishing a foundation of their own or establishing ESG commitments, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.