Philanthropy has actually long been a central part of a fair and thriving culture, however the manner in which it works has actually altered for many years.
One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, immediately think about 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 been the case for many thousands of years, with the very first chronicled example of institutionalised philanthropy, along with the genesis of the philanthropy meaning and word, taking place over 2 thousand years earlier in ancient Greece. Throughout this duration, the word implied something more similar to 'loving of one's fellow man', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one might apply to the term today, however nonetheless rich people played an essential charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were expected to give back to the community, assisting to install the money for repair work to public works like city walls or temples in addition to financing festivals and other public events. Being pinchpenny 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 actually been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy individuals and celebrity philanthropists might be viewed as the main charitable force in the contemporary world, that is not necessarily entirely accurate, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was spiritual organizations like the church that would have been the main charitable hubs, both within the town and on bigger level ventures. That changed with the coming of industry when rich people became more powerful, and then moved once again towards the end of the nineteenth century when foundations began to emerge that were much better organised and could devote more attention to getting things done. This is much the same manner in which charity is structured now, whether those foundations are created by grassroots groups, wealthy individuals, or firms like SJP.
The manner in which charity has been financed has actually changed a great deal throughout the course of human history, moving in between various entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has changed as various requirements have emerged. Today, there are a great many concerns that have to be addressed, from growing inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will inevitably play an important part in that procedure. Wealthy 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 monetary 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.