Charity is not a modern phenomenon by any means, but has an abundant and progressing history that stretches over two thousands years.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, immediately 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 many thousands of years, with the very first chronicled example of institutionalised philanthropy, as well as the source of the philanthropy meaning and word, happening over 2 thousand years back in ancient Greece. Throughout this duration, the word suggested something more akin to 'loving of one's fellow person', or humanism, than the limitations of wealth one may apply to the term now, however nonetheless rich people played an important charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were expected to give back to the community, helping to set up the money for repair work to public works like city walls or temples along with funding celebrations and other public events. Being pinchpenny was not regarded well, and if a wealthy person was not seen to be a philanthropist, they could be ostracised from the community altogether.

Many different entities have been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy individuals and celebrity philanthropists may be seen as the central charitable force in the modern world, that is not necessarily entirely true, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was religious institutions like the church that would have been the main charitable hubs, both within the community and on larger level projects. That changed with the coming of industry when wealthy individuals became more powerful, and then moved once again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations started to emerge that were much better set up and could dedicate more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured these days, whether those foundations are set up by grassroots groups, wealthy individuals, or companies like SJP.

The way that charity has been funded has actually altered 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 changed as different requirements have actually emerged. Nowadays, there are a great many problems that need to be dealt with, from increasing inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will inevitably play an important part in that procedure. Wealthy individuals with bank accounts that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, however so do the firms that are the main hubs of financial generation in the 21st century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is establishing a foundation of their own or developing ESG commitments, companies like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.