Exploring philanthropy examples across the eras

Exploring philanthropy examples across the eras

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Philanthropy has actually long been a main part of a reasonable and prosperous culture, but the manner in which it works has changed for many years.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, instantly think about 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, along with the origin of the philanthropy meaning and word, happening over 2 thousand years ago in ancient Greece. During this duration, the word suggested something more akin to 'loving of one's fellow human being', or humanism, than the constraints of wealth one might apply to the term these days, however nonetheless wealthy individuals played an essential charity role in the culture. Rich people were expected to give back to the community, helping to set up the money for repairs to public works like city walls or temples in addition to financing celebrations and other public events. Being pinchpenny was not regarded well, and if a wealthy 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 viewed as the main charitable force in the modern-day world, that is not necessarily entirely correct, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was spiritual organizations like the church that would have been the primary charitable centers, both within the community and on larger level projects. That changed with the coming of industry when rich people ended up being more powerful, and after that moved again towards the end of the nineteenth century when foundations began to spring up that were better organised and could devote more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured these days, whether those foundations are established by grassroots groups, rich individuals, or companies like SJP.

The way that charity has been funded has changed a great deal 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 changed as different needs have emerged. These days, there are a great many issues that have to be dealt with, from growing inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play a crucial part in that procedure. Wealthy individuals with checking account that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, but so do the businesses that are the central hubs of financial generation in the twenty-first century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is setting up a foundation of their own or establishing ESG dedications, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are beginning to do so.