Charity is not a modern-day phenomenon by any means, but has a rich and progressing history that stretches over 2 thousands years.
One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, immediately 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 been the case for lots of thousands of years, with the first documented instance of institutionalised philanthropy, in addition to the origin of the philanthropy meaning and word, happening over two thousand years back in ancient Greece. During this period, the word suggested something more similar to 'caring of one's fellow person', or humanism, than the constraints of wealth one might apply to the term now, however nevertheless rich people played an essential charity role in the culture. Rich people were expected to give back to the community, assisting to put up the money for repair work to public works like city walls or temples as well as financing celebrations and other public celebrations. Being pinchpenny was not regarded well, and if a wealthy person was not seen to be a benefactor, they could be ostracised from the community altogether.
Several entities have been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich people and celebrity philanthropists may be seen as the main charitable force in the modern-day world, that is not necessarily completely 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 primary charitable hubs, both within the community and on bigger level undertakings. That changed with the coming of industry when rich people became more powerful, and then shifted once again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations began to spring up that were much better set up and could devote more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured now, whether those foundations are established by grassroots groups, wealthy people, or firms like SJP.
The way that charity has been funded has actually altered a lot throughout the course of human history, moving between different entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has altered as various requirements have actually emerged. Today, there are a great many issues that have to be attended to, from growing inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will inevitably play an important role in that procedure. Rich people with savings account that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, but so do the companies that are the central hubs of financial generation in the twenty-first century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is establishing a foundation of their own or developing ESG dedications, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are beginning to do so.