Attempting a brief chronicle of philanthropy through the past

Attempting a brief chronicle of philanthropy through the past

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Philanthropy has long been a main part of a reasonable and flourishing culture, however the manner in which it works has changed throughout the years.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, immediately think about a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for giving away their fortunes to causes that they care about. This is something that has actually held true for many thousands of years, with the first chronicled example of institutionalised philanthropy, in addition to the source of the philanthropy meaning and word, occurring over 2 thousand years back in ancient Greece. During this period, the word suggested something more similar to 'loving of one's fellow man', or humanism, than the constraints of wealth one may apply to the term these days, but nonetheless wealthy individuals played a crucial charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were anticipated to give back to the society, helping to install the cash for repair work to public works like city walls or temples in addition to financing celebrations and other public celebrations. Being pinchpenny was not looked upon 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 responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich individuals and celebrity philanthropists might be seen as the main 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 larger level projects. That altered with the coming of industry when rich individuals ended up being more powerful, and then moved 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 today, whether those foundations are created by grassroots groups, wealthy people, or companies like SJP.

The manner in which charity has actually been funded 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 different requirements have actually emerged. Today, there are a great many problems that need to be dealt with, from growing inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play a crucial role in that process. Rich people with bank accounts that would make a middle ages kings blush have their part to play, however so do the companies that are the main centers of financial generation in the twenty-first century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is establishing a foundation of their own or developing ESG commitments, companies like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.