Attempting a brief chronicle of philanthropy through the past

Attempting a brief chronicle of philanthropy through the past

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Charity is not a contemporary phenomenon by any means, but has a rich and evolving history that extends 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 distributing their fortunes to causes that they appreciate. This is something that has actually been the case for lots of thousands of years, with the very first recorded instance of institutionalised philanthropy, along with the inception of the philanthropy meaning and word, occurring over two thousand years earlier in ancient Greece. Throughout this period, the word meant something more comparable to 'caring of one's fellow person', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one may apply to the term these days, however nonetheless wealthy people played an essential charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were anticipated to give back to the community, helping to set up the cash for repair work to public works like city walls or temples as well as funding festivals and other public events. Being pinchpenny was not regarded well, and if a wealthy individual was not seen to be a benefactor, they could be ostracised from the community completely.

Many different entities have actually been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich people and celebrity philanthropists might be viewed as the main charitable force in the contemporary world, that is not necessarily totally correct, 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 bigger level projects. 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 19th century when foundations started to spring up that were much better organised and could dedicate 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 individuals, or businesses like SJP.

The manner in which charity has been financed has actually changed a lot 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 actually changed as different requirements have actually emerged. Now, there are a great many concerns that have to be dealt with, from growing inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play an important role in that procedure. Rich individuals with savings account that would make a middle ages 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, companies like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.