6: Philanthropy

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Philanthropy

1. Philanthropy is a humanitarian act, meaning feeling approval and support to members of the human race, typically when promoting human health, happiness, and fortune. For example, an philanthropic act could include teaching a homeless person how to grow food, for it eliminates the social problem that causes the person's hunger in the long term. The term philanthropy is often mistaken for the word charity despite the fact that these two terms are very different. Charity is an empathetic response that we have to people or things in need, and how we as humans in short term can help these people or things that are displaced in these disasters. This differs to philanthropy because unlike charity, philanthropy identifies the root of the issue and tries to make the world a better place by attacking that problem in order to get rid of it completely. For example, a charitable act would be to bring a homeless person a meal or start a food drive. While this dead is still beneficial and humanitarian, this act will not necessarily help the homeless person long term, unlike the philanthropic act of teaching the homeless person to grow food. This act will help the homeless person in the long term, hopefully completely solving the problem so it will no longer happen again.  

2. Andrew Carnegie, in the year 1901 at the age of 66, was known as the richest man in the world after he retired. Andrew invested so much in philanthropy and decided to spend the money the way he did because he believed in the "Gospel of Wealth", meaning that he believed that wealthy people should be obligated to give their money back to those who may need it in society. in 1902, he funded scientific research an established a fund for teachers for 10 million dollars. Carnegie also loved to read and wanted to donate money to support education. Through this support, he gave money to towns and cities in order to build over 2,000 libraries, and 125 million dollars to the foundation named Carnegie Corporation to aid colleges and other schools. Carnegie also was a strong believer of peace. Because of this, he gave away 90% of his fortune by establishing the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and funded the building of the Hague Palace of Peace. 

3. Although Andrew Carnegie and John D Rockefeller both came extremely wealthy by the 20th Century, the two men's ideas of giving were different. Carnegie believed that a wealthy man should first gain his wealth, then use his wealth to improve the lives of others. Unlike Andrew Carnegie, John D Rockefeller began to give when anti-trust forces started closing on his Standard Oil Company, making Carnegie the real humanitarian. Although despite his questionable motivation to donate, Rockefeller started creating corporations to give away excess money, created the University of Chicago, and other memorable donations that are still notable to the present day. 

4. Today, the Carnegie Foundation is an organization that offer information about philanthropy that help nonprofitable organizations find sources of support. These branches include:
  1. carnegie council for ethics on international affairs
  2. carnegie dunfermline trust
  3. carnegie endowment for international peace
  4. carnegie foundation
  5. carnegie foundation for advancement of teaching
  6. carnegie hall
  7. carnegie institution of science
  8. carnegie library of pittsburgh
  9. carnegie mellon university
  10. carnegie museums of pittspurgh
  11. carnegie trusts for the university of scotland
  12. the carnegie uk trust
  13. carnegie hero fund commission (us)
  14. carnegie hero fund commission (belgium)
  15. carnegie's belonngingsfond for heltemod
  16. foundation carnegie (france)
  17. the foundation of carnegie (italy)
  18. stitching carnegie heldenfonds
  19. carnegie heltefond for norge
  20. carnegiestiftelsen
  21. the carnegie rescuers foundation
  22. the carnegie hero fund trust
5. One of today's most involved philanthropists is Warren Buffet. He as known as "Oracle of Omaha", and is one of the most successful investors today. Warren Buffet owns and runs Berkshire Hathaway, which owns more than 60 companies. He is the son of a U.S. Congressmen, and promised to give away 99% of his fortune. In the year 2018, he donated $3.4 billion to the foundation of his friends Bill and Melinda Gates. Also, in the year 2010, Buffet and Gates launched the Giving Pledge, which asked billionaires to commit to donating half of their wealth to charitable causes.
  
6. If I were a philanthropist, I think I would try and focus my work similarly to how Warren Buffet did. I would definitely want to give up a large summary of my fortune to help organizations such as the Giving Pledge in order for us to keep this cycle of selflessness to continue. I would also like to focus my word of education for children that may not be fortunate enough to have it, similar to Andrew Carnegie.


Image result for philanthropy
Here is an image of what I associate the word philanthropy to be, which is "love of mankind". I believe this image does a great job at incapsulating how philanthropy is done through the kindness and charitable nature in people's hearts.

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