Keep reading to discover the manner ins which philanthropy has evolved over the last number of centuries, from who gives and how the work is done.

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 care about. This is something that has actually held true for many thousands of years, with the very first recorded example of institutionalised philanthropy, in addition to the genesis of the philanthropy meaning and word, happening over two thousand years earlier in ancient Greece. During this duration, the word implied something more akin to 'caring of one's fellow man', or humanism, than the limitations of wealth one might apply to the term nowadays, but nonetheless wealthy individuals played an essential charity role in the culture. Wealthy 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 as well as funding festivals 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 altogether.

Several entities have been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy people and celebrity philanthropists may be viewed as the central charitable force in the modern-day world, that is not necessarily totally true, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was spiritual institutions like the church that would have been the primary charitable hubs, both within the town and on larger level ventures. That changed with the coming of commercial enterprise when wealthy people became more powerful, and after that shifted once again towards the end of the nineteenth century when foundations started to spring up that were much better set up and could dedicate more attention to getting things done. This is much the same manner in which charity is structured these days, whether those foundations are established by grassroots groups, wealthy people, or businesses like SJP.

The manner in which charity has been financed has altered a great deal throughout the course of human history, moving in between different entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has actually altered as different requirements have emerged. Now, there are a great many issues that need to be addressed, from rising inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will inevitably play a crucial role in that procedure. Wealthy people with bank accounts that would make a middle ages kings blush have their part to play, but so do the businesses that are the main hubs of monetary generation in the twenty-first century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is establishing a foundation of their own or developing ESG commitments, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are beginning to do so.