Attempting a brief chronicle of philanthropy throughout days of yore

Attempting a brief chronicle of philanthropy throughout days of yore

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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, instantly consider a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for distributing their fortunes to causes that they appreciate. This is something that has held true for lots of thousands of years, with the first chronicled example of institutionalised philanthropy, in addition to the origin of the philanthropy meaning and word, taking place over two thousand years ago in ancient Greece. Throughout this period, the word implied something more akin to 'caring of one's fellow person', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one may apply to the term today, however nevertheless rich individuals played an important charity role in the culture. Rich people were expected to give back to the society, helping to put up the money for repairs 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 benefactor, they could be ostracised from the community entirely.

Many different entities have actually been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich individuals and celebrity philanthropists might be seen as the main charitable force in the modern world, that is not always entirely accurate, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was religious organizations like the church that would have been the main charitable centers, both within the community and on bigger level projects. That altered with the coming of industry when rich people became more powerful, and after that shifted once again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations began to emerge that were better organised and could commit more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured nowadays, whether those foundations are developed by grassroots groups, rich individuals, or businesses like SJP.

The manner in which charity has been financed has actually changed a good deal throughout the course of human history, moving in between different entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has altered as various needs have actually emerged. Today, there are a great many problems that need to be resolved, from increasing inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will inevitably play an important part in that procedure. Wealthy individuals with savings account that would make a middle ages kings blush have their part to play, but so do the businesses 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, companies like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.