The way philanthropy work has actually functioned over the last 2 millennia

The way philanthropy work has actually functioned over the last 2 millennia

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From the ancient Greeks philanthropy has actually been key to a healthy and productive culture, and similar is true these days.

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 care about. This is something that has held true for lots of thousands of years, with the first chronicled example of institutionalised philanthropy, as well as the genesis of the philanthropy meaning and word, happening over two thousand years ago in ancient Greece. Throughout this period, the word suggested something more similar to 'loving of one's fellow man', or humanism, than the constraints of wealth one might apply to the term nowadays, however nevertheless rich individuals played a crucial charity role in the culture. Rich people were expected to give back to the society, helping to install the money for repairs to public works like city walls or temples along with financing 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 responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy people and celebrity philanthropists might be viewed as the central 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 centers, both within the community and on larger level undertakings. That changed with the coming of commercial enterprise when wealthy people ended up being more powerful, and then moved again towards the end of the nineteenth century when foundations started to spring up that were much better set up 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 built by grassroots groups, wealthy people, or companies like SJP.

The manner in which charity has actually been funded has actually altered a great 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 altered as various needs have emerged. Nowadays, 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. Rich individuals with checking account that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, but so do the businesses that are the main 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 commitments, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.