Ways in which philanthropy work has operated over the last 2 millennia

Ways in which philanthropy work has operated over the last 2 millennia

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Keep reading to discover the ways that philanthropy has progressed over the last number of centuries, from who gives and how the work is done.

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 appreciate. This is something that has held true for lots of thousands of years, with the first recorded example of institutionalised philanthropy, in addition to the source of the philanthropy meaning and word, occurring over 2 thousand years back in ancient Greece. Throughout this duration, the word meant something more comparable to 'loving of one's fellow human', or humanism, than the constraints of wealth one might apply to the term today, however nevertheless wealthy people played an essential charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were anticipated to give back to the community, assisting to set up the money for repairs to public works like city walls or temples along with financing celebrations and other public celebrations. Being pinchpenny was not looked upon well, and if a rich 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 rich individuals and celebrity philanthropists might be seen as the main charitable force in the modern world, that is not always entirely accurate, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was religious organizations like the church that would have been the main charitable hubs, both within the town and on larger level undertakings. That changed with the coming of commercial enterprise when wealthy people became more powerful, and after that shifted 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 now, whether those foundations are developed by grassroots groups, rich people, or businesses like SJP.

The manner in which charity has actually been funded has actually altered a good deal throughout the course of human history, moving in between various entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has changed as various needs have emerged. Now, there are a great many issues that have to be attended to, from widening inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play an important role in that procedure. Wealthy individuals with savings account that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, but so do the businesses 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, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.