Trying a short chronicle of philanthropy through the past

Trying a short chronicle of philanthropy through the past

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Philanthropy has long been a main part of a reasonable and thriving culture, but the way that it works has altered for many years.

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 many thousands of years, with the first chronicled instance of institutionalised philanthropy, as well as the genesis of the philanthropy meaning and word, happening over two thousand years earlier in ancient Greece. Throughout this period, the word suggested something more similar to 'loving of one's fellow man', or humanism, than the limitations of wealth one might apply to the term nowadays, but nonetheless wealthy individuals played an essential charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were anticipated to give back to the community, assisting 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 wealthy individual was not seen to be a philanthropist, they could be ostracised from the society entirely.

Many different entities have actually been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich individuals and celebrity philanthropists may be viewed as the central charitable force in the modern-day world, that is not necessarily totally 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 bigger level projects. That altered with the coming of industry when rich people became more powerful, and after that moved again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations started to spring up that were much better organised and could dedicate more attention to getting things done. This is much the same manner in which charity is structured these days, whether those foundations are created by grassroots groups, wealthy people, or companies like SJP.

The way that charity has actually been funded 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 changed as various requirements have emerged. These days, there are a great many concerns that need to be dealt with, from rising inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will inevitably play an essential part in that process. Wealthy people with bank accounts that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, however so do the firms that are the central hubs of monetary 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 beginning to do so.