Attempting a brief chronicle of philanthropy throughout bygone times

Attempting a brief chronicle of philanthropy throughout bygone times

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Philanthropy has long been a central part of a fair and thriving culture, however the way that it works has actually changed throughout the years.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, instantly consider a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for giving away their fortunes to causes that they care about. This is something that has actually been the case for many thousands of years, with the very first recorded instance of institutionalised philanthropy, along with the origin of the philanthropy meaning and word, happening over 2 thousand years ago in ancient Greece. During this duration, the word meant something more similar to 'caring of one's fellow human', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one might apply to the term now, however nevertheless wealthy people played a crucial charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were expected to give back to the community, assisting to put up the cash for repairs to public works like city walls or temples in addition to funding festivals and other public celebrations. Being stingy was not regarded well, and if a rich person was not seen to be a philanthropist, they could be ostracised from the society completely.

Several entities have been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich people and celebrity philanthropists might be seen as the central charitable force in the contemporary world, that is not always totally accurate, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was religious institutions like the church that would have been the main charitable hubs, both within the town and on bigger level undertakings. That changed with the coming of industry when wealthy individuals ended up being more powerful, and after that moved once again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations began to spring up that were better organised and could dedicate more attention to getting things done. This is much the same manner in which charity is structured now, whether those foundations are built by grassroots groups, wealthy individuals, or companies like SJP.

The way that charity has been funded has changed a good deal throughout the course of human history, moving between different entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has altered as various requirements have actually emerged. Now, there are a great many concerns that need to be resolved, from growing inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play an important role in that process. Wealthy individuals with bank accounts that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, but so do the companies that are the main centers of monetary generation in the 21st century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is establishing a foundation of their own or developing ESG dedications, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are beginning to do so.