Keep reading to find the manner ins which philanthropy has actually developed over the last couple of centuries, from who gives and how the work is done.
One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, immediately consider a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for handing out their fortunes to causes that they appreciate. This is something that has held true for many thousands of years, with the very 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 period, the word suggested something more akin to 'caring of one's fellow man', or humanism, than the constraints of wealth one might apply to the term now, but nevertheless rich people played an essential charity role in the culture. Rich people were expected to give back to the society, assisting to put up the money for repair work to public works like city walls or temples as well as funding festivals 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.
Various entities have actually been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy people and celebrity philanthropists might be seen 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 organizations like the church that would have been the main charitable centers, both within the town and on larger level projects. That altered with the coming of commercial enterprise when rich individuals became more powerful, and then moved once again towards the end of the nineteenth century when foundations began to emerge that were much better set up and could devote more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured nowadays, whether those foundations are established by grassroots groups, wealthy people, or firms like SJP.
The way that charity has been funded has altered a lot 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 changed as various requirements have actually emerged. Today, there are a great many issues that have to be dealt with, from growing inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will inevitably play an important role in that procedure. Rich people with savings account that would make a middle ages kings blush have their part to play, but so do the companies 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 commitments, companies like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are beginning to do so.