Checking out philanthropy examples over the centuries

Checking out philanthropy examples over the centuries

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Since the ancient Greeks philanthropy has actually been central to a healthy and efficient culture, and much the same is true nowadays.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, instantly think about 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 chronicled instance of institutionalised philanthropy, as well as the source of the philanthropy meaning and word, taking place over two thousand years back in ancient Greece. During this period, the word meant something more similar to 'caring of one's fellow person', or humanism, than the constraints of wealth one might apply to the term now, however nevertheless rich people played an important 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 in addition to funding festivals and other public celebrations. Being pinchpenny was not looked upon well, and if a wealthy individual was not seen to be a philanthropist, they could be ostracised from the community entirely.

Many different entities have been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich individuals and celebrity philanthropists might be viewed as the central charitable force in the contemporary world, that is not always entirely true, 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 hubs, both within the town and on bigger level projects. That changed with the coming of commercial enterprise when rich people became more powerful, and then moved once again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations began to spring up 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 now, whether those foundations are built by grassroots groups, wealthy individuals, or businesses like SJP.

The manner in which charity has actually been financed has changed 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 actually altered as various requirements have emerged. These days, there are a great many problems that need to be attended to, from growing inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will inevitably play an essential role in that procedure. Rich people with savings account that would make a middle ages kings blush have their part to play, however 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.