The way philanthropy work has actually functioned over the last two thousand years

The way philanthropy work has actually functioned over the last two thousand years

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Charity is not a contemporary phenomenon by any means, but has a rich and progressing history that extends over two thousands years.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, instantly think of 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 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 ago in ancient Greece. During this duration, the word indicated something more akin to 'caring of one's fellow human being', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one may apply to the term now, but nonetheless wealthy people 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 along with 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 altogether.

Several entities have been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy people 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 hubs, both within the town and on larger level undertakings. That changed 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 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 manner in which charity has actually been funded has altered a great deal 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 needs have emerged. Nowadays, there are a great many issues that need to be resolved, 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 financial generation in the 21st century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is establishing a foundation of their own or establishing ESG dedications, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are beginning to do so.