Exploring philanthropy examples over the aeons

Exploring philanthropy examples over the aeons

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Charity is not a modern-day phenomenon by any means, but has a rich and evolving history that stretches over 2 thousands years.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, quickly think about a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for handing out 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, taking place over two thousand years ago in ancient Greece. Throughout this period, the word meant something more comparable to 'loving of one's fellow man', or humanism, than the constraints of wealth one might apply to the term today, however nevertheless rich people played an important charity role in the culture. Rich people were anticipated to give back to the community, assisting to put up the money for repairs to public works like city walls or temples along with financing celebrations 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 entirely.

Many different entities have actually been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich individuals and celebrity philanthropists might be seen as the main charitable force in the modern world, that is not always entirely correct, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was spiritual organizations like the church that would have been the primary charitable hubs, both within the town and on larger level undertakings. That changed with the coming of commercial enterprise when wealthy people became more powerful, and after that moved again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations began to emerge that were better set up and could devote more attention to getting things done. This is much the same manner in which charity is structured nowadays, whether those foundations are set up by grassroots groups, rich individuals, or firms like SJP.

The way that 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 emerged. These days, 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 savings account that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, but so do the firms that are the main hubs of financial generation in the 21st century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is setting up a foundation of their own or establishing ESG commitments, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.