We see several big names, be it filmmakers or politicians, in today’s world involved with philanthropic activities. Though there are several varied definitions of philanthropy, it can be understood as humanity working towards the betterment of humankind.The notion of philanthropy is not something new. Here is how the modern form of philanthropy reached its present version.

Classic philanthropy

Definition
Containing a blend of both ethics and metaphysics, the ancient Greek defined philanthropy as œlove of what it is to be human. It suggested that philanthropy was the essential nature as well as the purpose of civilization, culture, and humanity.

Notion of Freedom
Laws of Athens, as well as Socrates, were described as œdemocratic and philanthropic. Prometheus’ gifts to humanity were regarded as an example of philanthropy against the despotism of Zeus, making it associated with the ideas of democracy and freedom.

Effect of time

With the substitution of classical civilization by Christianity, philanthropy was replaced with Christian Theology and Soteriology. Roman Catholic Church monitored both at the time. The meaning and importance of philanthropy further changed with the move made by feudalism to organize law and order. During the Italian Renaissance period, humanism was taught in accord to a particular academic curriculum. It included ethics, grammar, history, rhetoric, and poetry as a means of developing effective leadership in laymen for business, governmental, and law activities.

Modern philanthropy

Definition
The modern definition of philanthropy combines the classical humanistic view with a social scientific aspect. This POV defines philanthropy as œany private initiatives that are targeted towards public good and focused on the quality of life. Modern philanthropy gave birth to the word œphilanthropist, meaning one who practices philanthropy.

Philanthropy vs. charity
Albeit closely related, charity and philanthropy are two different concepts. While charity aim at healing abrasion caused by a social problem, philanthropy attempts at addressing the root cause of the problem. Although there is a recognizable extent of overlap in both practices, not all charity is philanthropy and vice-versa.

Evolution of modern philanthropy
It was during the Age of Enlightenment when philanthropy acquired its modern form. The adoption of secular alternatives like rationalism and science developed after the 15th and 16th-century Wars of Religion in Europe further modified philanthropy. At that time, philanthropy was œgood deeds projected towards others to help in building a commonwealth community.This new idea of philanthropy was adopted by voluntary associations and affluent benefactors and resulted in the formation of charitable societies, gentleman’s clubs, and mutual associations in England and other major nations.

By the end of 18th century, several philanthropists began to assume active campaigning roles to abolish inhumane practice, such as slavery. The dawn of 19th century saw the formation of huge charitable organizations working towards improving the standard of life of the underprivileged. Henry Dunant’s Red Cross delegations gained him the first Noble Peace Prize in 1901. Among several countries, including Britain and the US, philanthropic activities became a fashionable trend among middle classes. Large sums, in the form of donations, began to be funded to schools and universities. The ideas of œfreedom of speech and œeducation for all became immensely popular during the 20th century.

Most of the business owners and executives find philanthropy as something extra that they would do only when they have time and money. They feel that the acts of giving may not fetch them such rewards that some marketing or advertising strategies bring along. However, business owners need to know that philanthropy can be highly contributing to their business. Following are some reasons why philanthropy would do more good to your business than just adding to your personal image.

Improved customer experience: Every business depends on its customers. Thus, it is important to meet their needs as well as develop a sense of trust in their minds. Philanthropy is a good way to show that you care. Involvement of a business in the acts of giving or charities helps in increasing their interaction with the community as well as the customers. If you are a hard-core business that concentrate on profits, then customers may not experience its soft side. Philanthropy is a way to show that soft side of your business to your customers. This helps in winning loyal customers who bond well with your brand.

Better rand image: Businesses that engage in philanthropic acts are perceived to be more trustworthy and giving. The acts of serving the community improve a brand’s image in the eyes of customers and stakeholders. This makes them proud to be associated with a business that thinks beyond profits and fulfills its responsibility of giving back to the community for which it operates.

Employee engagement: It is not only about customers who want more out of a business, but also about its employees who expect enriching growth with a business. Employees in today’s competitive business world want to be associated with such companies that can give them more than a paycheck. Involving your business and employees in the acts of philanthropy can make it a fulfilling experience for all. Your employees will be more productive and inspired when they feel happy after doing something that adds value to the lives of others.

Sense of purpose: Although the main purpose of a business is to earn profits, it gains a broader sense of purpose by engaging in philanthropic acts. Through your resources, you fulfill the responsibility of serving the community in a more positive way. It also leads to a creative culture and higher growth for your business.

Triggering positive feelings: While a business operates on the basis of hard facts and figures, it cannot create an appeal, if it does not trigger the emotions of its customers. If hard sales are accompanied by philanthropic acts, then it can generate positive emotions like enthusiasm and inspiration among customers too. Even a creative ad may not do what a philanthropic business can do to its authentic brand image.

Philanthropy is doing some good to the society or world out of your love for humanity. It refers to contributing to the welfare of the less privileged in financial or non-financial terms. Philanthropy is a giving practice that an individual as well as an organization or business can initiate. However, at an individual level, it is a significant aspect of life that is fulfilling for those who are resourceful and fortunate enough to extend help to others.

Source of ultimate happiness: Philanthropy or giving through some kind of charity is made a practice by many individuals, as it offers them immense happiness to help those who cannot help themselves. Whether you feed hungry children or educate adults, the philanthropic acts activate your brain’s reward center. Research has proved that the acts of giving trigger the happiness hormone called dopamine in the brain. This neurotransmitter can actually make you feel good when you help others. No doubt, the number of charities across the country has been increasing constantly.

Fulfillment of responsibility: It is every individual’s responsibility to give back to the society and support its growth and development. By doing philanthropic deeds, you receive the satisfaction of fulfilling your responsibility towards the society. Whether you gift money, expertise or time to someone, you will feel contended by doing it.

Touching lives: You not only feel happy when you donate money to the needy, but also feel good when you touch the lives of others in numerous ways. When you interact with the underprivileged, you listen to their stories to know their needs and thus, gain a new perspective. You find bliss when you feel that you could change the situation for someone due to your efforts.

Promoting connectedness: Doing philanthropic acts or charities lets you inspire several others who are capable of being philanthropists. Through giving, you are not only supporting lives,but are also motivating others to contribute to the community and develop a sense of global connectedness in the society.

Strengthening identity: The acts of giving let you explore your own self. Whether you contribute to a social cause through crowdfunding or spend time in training handicapped people, you understand yourself better and strengthen your own identity. Philanthropic acts also improve your social image and benefit you financially or non-financially through newer associations that you form because of your philanthropist’s image.

Social experience: Apart from all the benefits you derive from philanthropic acts, you gather social experiences by supporting specific communities and organizations. You meet, interact, and associate with like-minded people and social entrepreneurs. This allows you to be giving at a collective level, which can be much more impactful in comparison to individual donations and individual efforts you put in.

Aimed at benefiting the public, data philanthropy involves the collaborative effort of private sector companies by the means of haring data. Ranging from humanitarian to academic use, there are several uses of data philanthropy in the modern world.The philanthropy in œdata philanthropy advocates the fact that data sharing is a positive act, as well as that shared data, is good for the public.

Challenges

Internet privacy: The biggest challenge faced by data philanthropy is safeguarding the Internet privacy of the user(s), whose data is used for philanthropic purposes. In order to provide anonymity to the user whose data is being accessed, several mathematical techniques like differential privacy and space-time boxes have been introduced.Non-profit organizations are working rigorously to develop better means of safeguarding Internet privacy while making use of the data.

Convincing corporations to hare data: Several companies believe that sharing their data might come at the cost of losing their competitiveness. Big data organizations rely on their data to better understand the customer behavior and remodel their products to target specific user needs. Hence, making this data public might put them at a disadvantage in the market.

Applications

Humanitarian aid: Big data has the potential to provide info on forthcoming disasters, thus helping relief organizations to act sooner and locate displaced individuals. To access the availability of basic services like water and electricity, calling patterns of mobile phone users are useful. The same can be used to deduce the socio-economic standings of the public. Several humanitarian corporations around the planet make use of digital services, such as human sensor systems to detect and resolve imminent problems within communities.

Impoverished areas: Even in the modern world, over 2.5bn people live below the poverty line. This situation can be improved by data philanthropy. Statistics point out a widespread use of mobile phones even within the impoverished communities. In addition to mobile data, more data about the underprivileged can be collected by means of social media and governmental statistics. Collecting this data into one big database can assist national and international NGOs in targeting the specific needs of the underprivileged.

Academia: Without data philanthropy, researchers encounter various problems in accessing data required for carrying out specific research. With big data organizations like Facebook and Twitter allowing data grants to researchers, new knowledge can be produced. This new knowledge can be further put into work for the betterment of public and achieving new milestones.

Human rights: The biggest role of data philanthropy is assisting human rights. It allows providing evidence required for truth commissions and war crimes to make final verdicts. Data accumulated on abuse activities can be analyzed scientifically to increase awareness and develop the required means of action. Non-profit organizations compile data with the help of Human Rights monitors in war zones to uncover all the inconsistencies in the total number of war causalities. This helps in bringing the subject to the limelight and exerts pressure on the involved organizations or governments to take justified actions.