Philanthropy has long been a central part of a fair and flourishing culture, but the manner in which it works has altered throughout the years.
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 care about. This is something that has actually held true 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 suggested something more akin to 'caring of one's fellow human', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one might apply to the term nowadays, but nevertheless rich people played a crucial charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were anticipated to give back to the society, helping to put up the cash for repair work to public works like city walls or temples along with financing festivals and other public events. Being pinchpenny was not looked upon well, and if a wealthy person was not seen to be a benefactor, they could be ostracised from the society altogether.
Many different entities have been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich individuals and celebrity philanthropists may be seen as the main charitable force in the modern-day world, that is not always entirely true, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was religious organizations like the church that would have been the primary charitable centers, both within the town and on larger level projects. That changed with the coming of commercial enterprise when rich people ended up being more powerful, and after that shifted again towards the end of the nineteenth century when foundations began to emerge that were much better set up and could commit more attention to getting things done. This is much the same manner in which charity is structured today, whether those foundations are set up by grassroots groups, wealthy people, or businesses like SJP.
The manner in which charity has actually been financed has actually altered a great 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 changed as different needs have emerged. Now, there are a great many problems that need to be attended to, from growing inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play a crucial part in that procedure. Rich people with savings account that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, however so do the companies that are the central 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.