Charity is not a modern-day phenomenon by any means, but has an abundant and evolving history that extends over two thousands years.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, instantly think about a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for giving away their fortunes to causes that they appreciate. This is something that has been the case for lots of thousands of years, with the first chronicled instance of institutionalised philanthropy, as well as the inception of the philanthropy meaning and word, occurring over 2 thousand years back in ancient Greece. During this duration, the word meant something more comparable to 'loving of one's fellow man', or humanism, than the limitations of wealth one might apply to the term nowadays, but nonetheless wealthy people 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 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 society entirely.

Several entities have been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy individuals and celebrity philanthropists might be seen as the main charitable force in the modern world, that is not always entirely accurate, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was religious organizations like the church that would have been the main charitable centers, both within the community and on bigger level ventures. That altered with the coming of industry when rich individuals ended up being more powerful, and then moved again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations began to emerge that were 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 built 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 changed as various needs have actually emerged. Today, there are a great many problems that have to be attended to, from growing inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play an essential part in that process. Rich individuals with checking account that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, but so do the firms that are the central centers 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 dedications, companies like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.