Ever since the ancient Greeks philanthropy has been key to a healthy and productive culture, and similar holds true these days.
One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, quickly consider 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 actually held true for many thousands of years, with the very first documented instance of institutionalised philanthropy, along with the genesis of the philanthropy meaning and word, happening 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 may apply to the term these days, but nonetheless wealthy individuals played an essential charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were anticipated to give back to the community, helping to install the cash for repairs to public works like city walls or temples along with financing 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 community altogether.
Various 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 correct, 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 undertakings. 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 19th century when foundations began to emerge that were better set up and could commit more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured today, whether those foundations are created by grassroots groups, wealthy individuals, or firms like SJP.
The way that charity has actually been funded has altered 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 altered as different needs have actually emerged. Today, there are a great many problems that need to be dealt with, from growing inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will inevitably play a crucial part in that process. Wealthy people with bank accounts that would make a middle ages kings blush have their part to play, however so do the companies that are the central centers of monetary generation in the twenty-first century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is setting up a foundation of their own or developing ESG dedications, companies like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are beginning to do so.