Philanthropy has actually long been a main part of a reasonable and thriving culture, but the manner in which it works has changed for many years.
One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, instantly consider a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for handing out their fortunes to causes that they care about. This is something that has actually been the case for lots of thousands of years, with the first chronicled instance of institutionalised philanthropy, along with the source of the philanthropy meaning and word, taking place over two thousand years earlier in ancient Greece. During this duration, the word implied something more comparable to 'loving of one's fellow human', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one may apply to the term these days, however nevertheless rich people played an essential charity role in the culture. Rich people were expected to give back to the society, helping to set up the cash for repairs to public works like city walls or temples along with financing celebrations and other public celebrations. Being pinchpenny was not regarded well, and if a wealthy person was not seen to be a benefactor, they could be ostracised from the community entirely.
Many different entities have been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich individuals and celebrity philanthropists might be viewed as the central charitable force in the contemporary world, that is not always entirely correct, 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 centers, both within the community and on larger level projects. That altered with the coming of commercial enterprise when wealthy individuals ended up being more powerful, and after that shifted again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations began to spring up that were better set up and could commit more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured these days, whether those foundations are created by grassroots groups, wealthy individuals, or businesses like SJP.
The manner in which charity has actually been funded has altered a lot throughout the course of human history, moving between different entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has altered as various needs have emerged. These days, there are a great many concerns that need to be addressed, from increasing inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play a crucial role in that process. Wealthy people with savings account that would make a middle ages kings blush have their part to play, however so do the companies that are the central hubs of financial generation in the 21st century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is establishing a foundation of their own or developing ESG dedications, companies like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.