Philanthropy's Greek roots reveal something about its current meaning in modern culture. The Greek root -anthrop- has the basic meaning of human (see the examples of misanthrope, anthropomorphic, anthropology) and the root -philo- or -phil- has the basic meaning of having a strong affinity or love for (see the examples of philharmonic, philosophy, philanderer) Together, the roots form the word philanthropy, with the basic meaning of strong affinity or love for human. The American Heritage Dictionary provides three definitions to the word philanthropy, demonstrating the degree of influence of the Greek roots. The primary definition is (1) the effort/inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations; the secondary definition is (2) love of humankind in general; and the tertiary definition is (3) something, such as an activity or institution, intended to promote human welfare.Institutions of Philanthropy examines the meaning of philanthropy in light of different businesses and corporations.
Institutions of Philanthropy explores how one person's desire to practice the primary definition of philanthropy leads to the establishment and workings of the tertiary definition, as by founding an institution with the goal of promoting human welfare. By examining several different foundations, all with different goals, this site hopes to demonstrate the importance of philanthropic institutions on the quality of life within the global society as well as the values of each family or individual that made the idea of a philanthropic institution a reality.
Some pages on Institutions of Philanthropy will discuss two different foundations, to provide readers with a general overview of featured foundations or organizations. The philanthropic institutions named here have contributed to society in the areas of human health and education, children's causes, culture, and others. Also included is a page providing information about academic and research resources and a feature article about the history of philanthropy in the United States.
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