The word Philanthropy etymologically means “love of humanity” in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, and enhancing “what it is to be human”. The most conventional modern definition is “private initiatives, for public good, focusing on quality of life”.
The word was first coined as an adjective, by Aeschylus in Prometheus Bound (line 11, 460 BC), to describe Prometheus’ character as “humanity loving” for having given to the earliest proto-humans, who had no culture, fire (symbolizing all the arts civilization) and “blind hope” (optimism). Together, they would be used to improve the human condition, to save mankind from destruction.
Top 5 Known Philanthropic efforts these days are given below. These are nominal values and have not been adjusted for inflation.
$31 billion from Warren Buffett to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (initial value of the gift)
$9 billion from Chuck Feeney to Atlantic Philanthropies
$2 billion from AzimPremji to the AzimPremji Foundation in 2010.
$1 billion from Ted Turner to the United Nations
$540 million from John D. Rockefeller to the Rockefeller Foundation and various other Rockefeller Charities, over the course of his life.
As you can see, most of the above mentioned efforts are contributions made mostly in cash and some in services as well from current and former executives of large corporations who in addition to this also have been large tax payers to their respective governments. Obviously, all the philanthropists want to give back to the society which made them fabulously rich and famous in the first place. People like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are not only helping people in America but are also funding lot of humanity beneficial projects in other parts of the world such as building better vaccines, better toilets and improving teacher feedback systems.
According to Oscar Wilde Philanthropy has become simply the refuge of people who wish to annoy their fellow creatures. The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding. We all know, that the path to hell is paved with good intentions.
Most of the non-profit organizations like USAID’s examples in Afghanistan and other parts of the world lack serious commitment and results. They are often accused of corruption and lack of interest because by nature human beings are selfish species who need return on their investment either in terms of commercial gain or constant praise. Why are the names “Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation” or “Rockefeller Foundation” exist?
In my humble opinion, since these guys had already made so much money. Money is not sexy anymore for them so now they long for social recognition and be good feelings. It is quite possible that their foundations and money might actually bring some change if these guys are really committed to these organizations like they were committed to their commercial ventures.
Altruism or selflessness is the principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of “others” toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism or selflessness is the opposite of selfishness.
The purpose of any Philanthropic effort should be improvement of human lives and not self-projection. In Islam, for example it is highly recommended that when giving charity, we should do so in a way that our left hand doesn’t know what our right hand has spent.
Frankly speaking, commercial ventures who actually make money change the world and help people more than these non-profit ventures who only exist because Governments are unable to do their jobs properly. Weren’t governments supposed to take care of poverty alleviation, health provisions and food security? Since we have not been able to fix governments so we have now our eyes on these philanthropic organizations who if had right intentions, strategy and tactics might do that job.
Companies like Philips, TATA, Procter & Gamble, Google, Skype, Facebook, and Walmart actually have improved lives of hundreds of thousands of people because they don’t give anything free but they have good quality controls and they are answerable to their shareholders. In short, they are committed to what they are doing. They want your own money for their product or service. Philanthropic efforts on the other hand only need praise and publicity for their below par performance becauseof their excuse of being non-profit organization.Doing you work properly is the biggest philanthropy possible on earth.
In my own school class, there were many students who already had leveled playing field and more resources at their disposal than others but didn’t do quite well. On some days, desperation is more valuable than affluence because it gives you a purpose to change your life. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.
If a business is making money and its product or service is improving your life, it is irrelevant whether they are doing it for money or praise. In the end, any organization or Government can only create a level playing field for you and hope that you take advantage of it. I have seen men rise without the help of NGOs or Governments because Education will not take the place of persistence. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. So do your thing with or without profits. As long as you are committed to your cause and if it is changing lives, you are doing Philanthropy. Trust me, Philanthropy with Profits will always outperform Philanthropy with Publicity.
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