Charity is not a modern-day phenomenon by any means, but has an abundant and developing history that stretches over two thousands years.
One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, instantly consider a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for distributing their fortunes to causes that they appreciate. This is something that has been the case for lots of thousands of years, with the very first documented instance of institutionalised philanthropy, as well as the genesis of the philanthropy meaning and word, taking place over 2 thousand years ago in ancient Greece. During this duration, the word indicated something more similar to 'loving of one's fellow human', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one may apply to the term now, but nevertheless rich people played an essential charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were expected to give back to the society, helping to set up the money for repair work to public works like city walls or temples in addition to financing celebrations and other public events. Being stingy was not regarded well, and if a rich person was not seen to be a philanthropist, they could be ostracised from the society entirely.
Many different entities have actually been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy individuals and celebrity philanthropists might be viewed as the central charitable force in the modern-day world, that is not always completely 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 larger level projects. That altered with the coming of industry when wealthy people ended up being more powerful, and then moved once again towards the end of the nineteenth century when foundations began to spring up that were better organised and could dedicate more attention to getting things done. This is much the same manner in which charity is structured now, whether those foundations are developed by grassroots groups, rich people, or businesses like SJP.
The way that charity has been funded has actually changed a lot 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 different requirements have emerged. Nowadays, there are a great many problems that have to be dealt with, from widening inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will undoubtedly 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, but so do the companies that are the main hubs 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 commitments, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.