Philanthropy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Philanthropy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity", in the sense of "what it is to be human", the essence of our humanity. In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life"—balancing the social-scientific aspect emphasized in the twentieth century, with the long-traditional and original humanistic aspect of the word's ancient coinage.

Contents [hide] 1 Etymology and Original Meaning 2 Philanthropy in the USA 2.1 "Voluntary Associations" 2.2 Benjamin Franklin 2.3 The American Revolution 2.4 19th Century: Disintegration 2.5 Philanthropy's Contributions to American Life 3 Modern philanthropists 4 Views 4.1 Philosophy 4.2 Politics 5 Uses of the word 5.1 Conventional usage 6 Largest individual bequests 7 See also 7.1 Lists 8 References 9 External links