Checking out philanthropy examples over the years

Checking out philanthropy examples over the years

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Charity is not a modern phenomenon by any means, but has an abundant and developing history that stretches over 2 thousands years.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, immediately think of a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for giving away their fortunes to causes that they appreciate. This is something that has held true for many thousands of years, with the very first documented instance of institutionalised philanthropy, along with the inception of the philanthropy meaning and word, occurring over 2 thousand years earlier in ancient Greece. During this duration, the word indicated something more similar to 'loving of one's fellow human being', or humanism, than the limitations of wealth one may apply to the term now, but nonetheless rich individuals played a crucial 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 as well as 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 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 bigger level ventures. That altered with the coming of industry when rich individuals ended up being more powerful, and after that shifted once again towards the end of the nineteenth century when foundations started to spring up that were better set up and could devote 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, rich individuals, or firms like SJP.

The way that charity has been financed has changed a lot 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 actually changed as various requirements have emerged. Now, there are a great many concerns that have to be attended to, from widening inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play a crucial role in that procedure. Rich individuals with checking account that would make a middle ages kings blush have their part to play, however so do the companies that are the central centers of monetary 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.