Who is a philanthropist and what does he do, what is philanthropy + 15 most famous philanthropists in Russia and the world

Every year, every fifth Russian donates money to charities and other non-profit organizations at least once - such data is contained in the World Charity Ranking, published every year by the international Foundation for the Support and Development of Philanthropy (CAF). And many people help those in need on an ongoing basis. In this article we will talk about what philanthropy is, what it is like, what are the motives of those who support others, and also introduce the most famous philanthropists in Russia and the world.

What is philanthropy and who are philanthropists?

The word “philanthropy” literally means “philanthropy” (from the Greek “philas” - “to love” and “anthropos” - “man”). In the modern understanding, this concept means helping other people, charity, actions aimed at the benefit of other members of society.

Accordingly, a philanthropist is a person who provides support to other people free of charge. Athletes, artists, children's organizations, healthcare and educational institutions, low-income citizens, and so on. The main incentive for a philanthropist is the simple human desire to help: the less fortunate, the less successful, or simply people from those areas where big money does not circulate, but respectable masterpieces are often created or high sports results are achieved. There are other reasons, which are discussed below in the chapter “Who Becomes a Philanthropist and Why.”

Why do companies engage in philanthropic activities?

There are many pitfalls in this issue. Since companies do not always pursue that same “highly spiritual goal.” In the modern world, it has become fashionable to help others, as well as animals. Therefore, many people use philanthropic activities as a way to advertise their cause or company. In this case, it cannot be called true philanthropy.

Also, companies thus draw attention to the problem. Since without the help of these companies, fundraising or assistance would be very long and drawn out. Therefore, companies popular among people are attracted to help raise funds.

Beyond this, a company can truly embrace philanthropy as part of its corporate culture.

There are many philanthropic organizations in the modern world.

Philanthropic activity - what is it?

Philanthropic activity includes the transfer of objects, products or services to other people free of charge or on preferential terms. In this case, voluntariness and selflessness are required. There are several types of philanthropic activities:

• material support for those in need. This category includes financial assistance, gifts to specific people or groups of people (orphans, elderly people, etc.), and the provision of food, clothing, medicines;
• charity events and events. From the point of view of philanthropy, their main goal is not only to help a person, but also to attract public attention to his problems, to eliminate the source of these problems;
• assistance to disabled people (cleaning up the apartment, going for food or medicine, accompanying a disabled person to their destination along the street, etc.);
• charitable assistance to organizations. First of all, we are talking about material support for the construction of churches, public buildings, shelters, and so on, about financing exhibitions and other cultural events;
• support for the social sphere in poor and undeveloped countries or regions (assistance in the construction of schools, kindergartens, hospitals, community centers);
• assistance to victims of natural disasters, man-made disasters, and family problems. Actually, this is the area of ​​responsibility of the state, but the state machine does not always cope with it, and then caring people come to the rescue.

History of philanthropy

The word “philanthropy” was first used by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus in the 5th century BC. In the tragedy "Prometheus Bound" the term was used as a divine favor towards man. Later, the interpretation of philanthropy appeared as charity, the help of man to man. In Ancient Greece, this form of human activity included the construction of temples, public baths, public distribution of money to the poor, and public meals.

In Ancient Rome, the concept of philanthropy was intertwined with patronage of the arts and acquired the connotation of not entirely disinterested material support to glorify one’s name and achieve some political goals.

With the advent of Christianity and its commandments, philanthropy received, so to speak, a strong scientific basis. For this religion, helping one's neighbor, compassion and charity have become the cornerstones of theology. And it is logical that the centers of philanthropy have been around since the 4th-5th centuries AD. there were churches and monasteries. In 542, the first almshouse was created in Lyon. In 787, the first orphanage opened in Milan. In the monasteries, ministers distributed food to the needy and provided shelter to the homeless.

This continued until the 16th century, when church reform took place in Europe, and most monasteries ceased to be centers of charity. From this time on, philanthropy became the domain of the state or public organizations. In Europe (especially in England), private charity was initially strictly prohibited. However, this initially deprived those in need of help from rich people, so by the middle of the 18th century the ban was lifted. The first private charitable foundation was created by the English merchant Thomas Coram. Almost immediately, the Coram Foundation established an educational home for homeless children and orphans (“Foundling Hospital”).

The modern model of philanthropy, combining both public and private initiatives, was born in the 19th century in Germany. In the city of Elberfeld, a board of trustees was created, which collected information about those in need, found out what help was needed and distributed donations from citizens and the state, and also provided “in-kind” services: from employment to payment for treatment. Currently, the charity system uses the Elberfeld system. Its main goal is not so much to solve a person’s specific problem, but to improve his life in the long term.

In Russia, the evolution of philanthropy as a whole followed the Western path: monasteries as centers of charity, the first state almshouses under Ivan the Terrible, the development of philanthropy in the second half of the 19th century. In the USSR, the concept of “philanthropy” was practically not used within the country, but charitable foundations existed: the Peace Fund, the Children’s Fund named after. Lenin, the USSR Cultural Foundation and others, who helped residents of other countries - most often poor or subjected to natural disasters. In the 90s, domestic charitable organizations were also revived, and philanthropy again became relevant.

History of the term

In ancient times, the main form of charity was almsgiving. In simple words, those in need could receive alms and food near religious buildings. Philanthropy, even before the advent of Christianity, was interpreted as a benevolent attitude towards people - this definition was mentioned in the myths and works of ancient Greece.

Later in Europe, orphanages, almshouses and boarding houses were created for children from poor families. In Russia, charity became famous during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, and a century later philanthropists began to appear, donating funds to various causes. Popular names among Russian benefactors include Sergei and Pavel Tretyakov, Savva Morozov, and Alexei Khludov. In the USSR, charitable foundations are created to provide assistance to citizens of the country.

Who becomes a philanthropist and why?

A person’s desire to selflessly help other people arises for several reasons:

• life circumstances that prompted you to give to those in need what you yourself once needed. Often wealthy businessmen help startups, inventors of know-how, and authors of business ideas - simply because they themselves were once just as young and hungry. Established artists finance children's festivals, famous artists organize exhibitions of their novice colleagues. Those who have recovered from serious illnesses or who have lost relatives and friends from illnesses become organizers of philanthropic organizations that help the sick;
• desire to perpetuate your name. This is not a completely selfless motive, but a person does not require material rewards for his actions, so why not;
• idealistic internal motives - for example, to correct social injustice (to support the persecuted), or to help disabled people return to normal life, this also includes people who are simply sure that they need to help each other.
• the desire to correct one’s own mistakes , to “atone for sins” - this is how former figures of criminal structures, having become legalized and become rich, direct large funds to philanthropic endeavors.
• lack of heirs or reluctance to leave an inheritance - oddly enough, this is one of the most common motives for philanthropy. You can’t take capital to the grave, and if there are no relatives to whom you can (or want) to leave money, thoughts arise to spend the money on useful things for strangers.

Excerpt characterizing the Philanthropist

Prince Andrey shrugged his shoulders and winced, as music lovers wince when they hear a false note. Both women released each other; then again, as if afraid of being late, they grabbed each other by the hands, began to kiss and tear off their hands, and then again began to kiss each other on the face, and completely unexpectedly for Prince Andrei, both began to cry and began to kiss again. M lle Bourienne also began to cry. Prince Andrei was obviously embarrassed; but it seemed so natural to the two women that they were crying; it seemed that they did not even imagine that this meeting could take place otherwise. - Ah! here!…Ah! Marieie!... – both women suddenly spoke and laughed. – J'ai reve cette nuit... – Vous ne nous attendez donc pas?... Ah! Marieie,vous avez maigri... - Et vous avez repris... [Ah, darling!... Ah, Marie!... - And I saw it in a dream. - So you weren’t expecting us?... Oh, Marie, you’ve lost so much weight. “And you’ve grown so fat...] “J’ai tout de suite reconnu madame la princesse,” [I immediately recognized the princess],” m lle Burien inserted. “Et moi qui ne me doutais pas!...” exclaimed Princess Marya. - Ah! Andre, je ne vous voyais pas. [But I didn’t suspect!... Oh, Andre, I didn’t even see you.] Prince Andrei kissed his sister hand in hand and told her that she was the same pleurienicheuse, [crybaby] as she always was. Princess Marya turned to her brother, and through her tears, the loving, warm and gentle gaze of her large, beautiful, radiant eyes at that moment rested on the face of Prince Andrei. The princess spoke incessantly. Every now and then a short upper lip with a mustache would fly down for a moment, touch, where necessary, the ruddy lower lip, and again a smile would be revealed, shining with teeth and eyes. The princess told an incident that happened to them on Spasskaya Hill, which threatened her with danger in her position, and immediately after that she said that she had left all her dresses in St. Petersburg and would wear God knows what here, and that Andrei had completely changed, and that Kitty Odyntsova married an old man, and that there is a groom for Princess Marya pour tout de bon, [quite serious,] but we’ll talk about that later. Princess Marya still silently looked at her brother, and in her beautiful eyes there was both love and sadness. It was clear that she had now established her own train of thought, independent of her daughter-in-law’s speeches. In the middle of her story about the last holiday in St. Petersburg, she turned to her brother: “And you are definitely going to war, Andre?” – oia said, sighing. Lise shuddered too. “Even tomorrow,” answered the brother. – II m'abandonne ici,et Du sait pourquoi, quand il aur pu avoir de l'avancement... [He leaves me here, and God knows why, while he could get a promotion...] Princess Marya did not listen to the end and, continuing the thread of her thoughts, turned to her daughter-in-law, pointing at her belly with gentle eyes: “Probably?” - she said. The princess's face changed. She sighed. “Yes, I guess,” she said. - Ah! This is very scary... Lisa's sponge dropped. She brought her face closer to her sister-in-law's and suddenly began to cry again. “She needs to rest,” said Prince Andrei, wincing. – Isn’t it true, Lisa? Take her to your place, and I’ll go to the priest. What is he, still the same? - Same, same; “I don’t know about your eyes,” the princess answered joyfully. - And the same hours, and walks along the alleys? Machine? - Prince Andrei asked with a barely noticeable smile, showing that despite all his love and respect for his father, he understood his weaknesses. “The same clock and machine, also mathematics and my geometry lessons,” Princess Marya answered joyfully, as if her geometry lessons were one of the most joyful experiences of her life. When the twenty minutes that were needed for the old prince to get up had passed, Tikhon came to call the young prince to his father. The old man made an exception to his lifestyle in honor of his son’s arrival: he ordered him to be allowed into his half while dressing before dinner. The prince walked in the old fashion, in a caftan and powder. And while Prince Andrei (not with that grumpy expression and manners that he assumed in the living rooms, but with that animated face that he had when he talked with Pierre) entered his father, the old man was sitting in the dressing room on a wide, morocco upholstered chair, in a powder room, leaving his head in Tikhon’s hands. - A! Warrior! Do you want to conquer Bonaparte? - said the old man and shook his powdered head, as much as the braided braid in Tikhon’s hands allowed. “At least take good care of him, otherwise he’ll soon write us down as his subjects.” - Great! - And he stuck out his cheek. The old man was in good spirits after a pre-dinner nap. (He said that after lunch there is a silver dream, and before lunch there is a golden dream.) He joyfully glanced sideways at his son from under his thick, overhanging eyebrows. Prince Andrei came up and kissed his father in the place he indicated. He did not answer his father’s favorite topic of conversation - making fun of the current military people, and especially Bonaparte. “Yes, I came to you, father, and with my pregnant wife,” said Prince Andrei, watching with animated and respectful eyes the movement of every feature of his father’s face. – How is your health? “Unhealthy, brother, there are only fools and libertines, but you know me: busy from morning to evening, abstinent, and well, healthy.”

What is the difference between a philanthropist and a misanthrope?

These are words with opposite meanings. If a philanthropist builds his activities based on the desire to help other people, then the misanthrope is emphatically individualistic and fundamentally refuses to respond to all requests for help. Misanthropes try not to take part in social endeavors and, if possible, minimize communication with the majority of their own kind.

Both misanthropy and philanthropy are concepts with conditional boundaries. It is difficult to distinguish between a person who sincerely shares his money with those in need and someone who wants to gain popularity from his generosity. In the same way, a person who openly declares hatred towards others may simply be increasing his own worth.

An extreme form of misanthropy is social Darwinism (the idea that “the survival of the fittest”), which denies philanthropy.

Traits of a Philanthropist

Thus, a philanthropist is a special behavior, character, values ​​and worldview. Therefore, it is important to consider what character traits a classic example of a philanthropist possesses:

1. Empathy. Such people do not have hatred, they are attentive to others, try to help and support;
2. Unselfishness;
3. Virtue, or otherwise kindness;
4. Perseverance and determination;
5. Confidence in yourself and in your actions;
6. High sense of justice;
7. High ambitions;
8. Compassion.

A person engaged in philanthropy can be identified by his character traits

How does a philanthropist differ from an altruist?

Altruism is an extreme degree of philanthropy, the willingness to give the last to those in need, even to the detriment of oneself. An altruist can do work for another person, give all his available money to charity, and so on. All altruists are philanthropists, but not all philanthropists are altruists. If you send 100 rubles via SMS once a month for the treatment of a seriously ill child, you are a philanthropist, but not an altruist. If you transfer your entire pension to an artist you know, while you yourself live on bread and water in anticipation of beautiful paintings, you are both a philanthropist and an altruist.

Notes

1. Chudinov A. N.
   Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. - M., 1910.
2. dbs.sfedu.ru/www/umr.umr_download?p_umr_id=5402
3. dnevnik.bigmir.net/article/1031780/#
4. [www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/10/14/rome.teresa.ap/index.html “Full house for Mother Teresa ceremony]
5. ↑ 12
   [referat.kulichki.net/files/page.php?id=35583 Biography of Tretyakov]
6. ↑ 123
   [www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2006/12/5/3185278/ Bill Gates will spend all his billions on charity. Economic Truth]
7. [www2.fhw.gr/olympics/ancient/gr/302b.html ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΙ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ|ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΙ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ] (Greek)

What is systemic philanthropy

Systemic philanthropy is supporting charitable organizations and philanthropic initiatives on a regular basis. First of all, within the framework of developed programs and projects, strategies and other systematizing documents.

In the West, systemic philanthropy has been developing for several centuries, so the 350-370 billion dollars that Americans, for example, give to charity annually, do not surprise anyone in this country. The first “swallows” of planned and formalized philanthropy were the foundations of the largest businessmen of the late 19th century - Rockefeller, Huntington, Peabody, Stanford and, of course, Carnegie.

There are three main areas in systemic philanthropy:

1. Transfer of earned/accumulated/collected values ​​to charitable purposes. Let us remember the famous Faberge eggs, which were bought by the oligarch Viktor Vekselberg - they later became the basis of the exhibition of the public museum in St. Petersburg. Or Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who donated most of their fortunes to charity as part of the Giving Pledge.
2. The establishment of educational institutions, public libraries and other educational institutions , which are financed by philanthropists. This also includes individual educational programs, the implementation of which is accompanied by the investment of sponsors’ funds in the educational institution. This is how almost all the largest private universities arose - Stanford, Harvard, and so on.
3. The financing of charitable trusts , where the trustees collectively decided how to spend the money collected, and the management looked for ways to implement the decisions in the most efficient way. In the history of trust philanthropy there are both narrowly focused funds (for example, the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission, which was engaged in the fight against diseases in the USA with the billionaire’s money). There are also foundations intended for a broad area of ​​philanthropy (for example, the Russell Sage Foundation, founded by his widow and aimed at combating poverty in the broadest sense of the concept).

Modern understanding of philanthropists

Previously, everyone who was involved in any kind of charity and helped low-income groups of the population was called philanthropists. At the same time, it was possible not only to donate money, but also to build buildings, help with advice or get a job.

Nowadays, philanthropists are businessmen, entrepreneurs and caring people who support people in difficult situations. And also those who, due to health reasons or circumstances, cannot provide for themselves.

Generally speaking, almost every 5th person in our country can be a philanthropist. 20% of all people, according to official statistics, periodically donate money to those in need. We see this both in support funds and on federal TV, when the whole country collects funds for victims of natural disasters.

But in a narrower sense, the term "philanthropist" refers to wealthy businessmen. They simply have much more resources. And because of this, they can build hospitals, make large donations and even determine the development of such important industries as medicine and ecology throughout the world.

Large businessmen even have their own funds, which receive money directly from the income of the owners. These can be either funds to support certain segments of the population, or ordinary companies that deal with things that are important to society. Most often these are medicine (centers for the treatment of various diseases) and ecology (the creation and promotion of alternative energy sources and the fight against environmental pollution).

Patron and philanthropist: what's the difference?

Philanthropist and philanthropist are similar concepts at first glance, but there is a big difference between them. Philanthropists help those who really need support - low-income families, sick people. Or they fight important global problems like environmental pollution.

Philanthropists simply invest money in charity and try to help those who really need it.

A philanthropist is rather a sponsor for accomplished people in certain fields who cannot reach their potential due to lack of money. Patrons can invest money in the development of sports, science or culture, or donate part of the income to museums, scientific laboratories or sports sections.

Essentially, a philanthropist is a sponsor for those who do not have enough money to realize their own potential.

Who is a venture philanthropist?

There is one important area in the global investment environment - venture philanthropy. This is the direction of the principles of venture investment for financing socially significant projects. It looks like this:

1. A company that wants to do charity work has little money. You need to register, open up, attract people and get money.
2. People who want to do charity invest in this company. Each of them receives shares and privileges. And also the ability to decide where to send funds.
3. The company receives money and begins its activities.
4. Venture philanthropists control certain processes and, if they consider it necessary, intervene in the company’s activities and suggest which sectors are worth attention and which are not.

Companies that are organized in this way primarily deal with global issues. Fighting poverty in specific countries and throughout the world as a whole, preserving the environment, maintaining the population of certain animal species. They provide assistance to sick people, create hospitals, hospices, and also help in the social sphere, such as employment of certain categories of citizens.

Such companies are more like joint stock companies that do not prioritize money. Everyone who invests in this “business” gets a share in the company and subsequently adds more and more money. So there are similar projects that deal with things that are truly important for the whole world.

The most famous philanthropists of the world and Russia

Many major businessmen, public figures, athletes, and show business stars have spent and continue to spend huge amounts of money on charity. Among the most famous philanthropists of the past is the famous Mother Teresa, who helped the disadvantaged for 45 years and was beatified after her death. Or businessman John Rockefeller, who was by no means a saint, but throughout his life he donated a tenth of his income to the needs of the church. Princess Diana, who passed away so tragically, was involved in creating and equipping hospitals for seriously ill children, including those infected with HIV. Michael Jackson, despite the scandals that accompanied him, invested heavily in charities.

Top 10 modern philanthropists of the world

At the end of 2022, Forbes magazine summed up the results of the largest philanthropists (in all areas - from helping the poor to financing innovative educational programs). These included:

• Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com, $2 billion donated to charity);
• Michael Bloomberg (Bloomberg news agency, $767 million);
• Pierre Omidyar (eBay, $392 million);
• Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone Group, $390 million);
• Stephen Ballmer (former Microsoft CEO, $295 million);
• Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft, $261 million);
• Mark Zuckerber (Facebook, $213 million);
• John Arnold (Centaurus Energy, $204 million);
• Jay Alix (the largest corporate bankruptcy expert in the United States, $200 million);
• Edward Bass (Bass Enterprises, $160 million).

Top 5 modern philanthropists in the Russian Federation

According to the same Forbes, the top five largest philanthropists in Russia at the end of 2022 include the following figures:

• Gennady and Elena Timchenko (through their own charitable foundation, they finance programs for the development of sports, culture, support foster families, etc.);
• Vladimir Potanin (support for educational programs, financing of cultural and sports projects);
• Alisher Usmanov (support for initiatives in the field of culture, art and sports);
• Mikhail Prokhorov (support for cultural initiatives);
• Mikhail Gutseriev (support for long-term projects in the fields of culture, education, sports, healthcare).

Reader Questions

I often see calls on TV to collect money via SMS for sick children. How involved are people in such philanthropy? What does philanthropy look like in Russia compared to global indicators?

At the end of 2022 (there are no more recent data yet), Russia ranks 110th in the World Philanthropy Index (WGI) among 146 countries. On the one hand, the result is so-so, on the other hand, within a year the Russian Federation has risen by 14 places at once. As the Gallup World Poll showed, 21% of Russians donate money to projects of non-profit organizations. 11% of residents of the Russian Federation participate in the volunteer movement (one-time or on an ongoing basis). During the month preceding the survey, 44% helped strangers either financially or with their labor.

The leaders of the rating are Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, where the volunteer movement is very widely developed, and monetary donations are elevated to the category of systematic ones. The United States ranked fourth, with Americans donating more than $400 billion in 2022.

What is venture philanthropy?

The term appeared by analogy with venture investments - high-risk investments in innovative businesses. In the case of philanthropy, this is long-term support for social initiatives that at first glance may not seem obvious.

For example, providing guarantees to non-profit organizations (NPOs) that take out loans from banks. Venture philanthropy is usually implemented in the form of funds that finance one or another social activity or invest labor resources, technology, or training NPO participants.

The difference between venture philanthropy and traditional philanthropy is that the benefactor not only provides assistance, but also monitors the results of its use and can adjust the activities of the charitable or social organization under its care.

A classic example is the British fund Venturesome, which organizes long-term cooperation with various public organizations operating at the municipal level. When the village of Hutton Rudby needed to renovate its dilapidated village club and launched a fundraising campaign, it was discovered that approximately £50,000 would not be raised in the time allotted by the builders. Then the Venturesome fund provided guarantees to the bank for the missing amount - for the period until the money was collected from the residents (without such a guarantee, not a single bank was ready to give a loan to a public organization of residents). After some time, the residents paid off the loan.

In Russia, several private foundations are engaged in this kind of charity - for example, the Rybakov Foundation, a philanthropic organization created by Ekaterina and Igor Rybakov (the latter is one of the hundred richest entrepreneurs in the Russian Federation according to Forbes magazine. The organization supports innovative educational programs. For example, a competition is held among schools in which communities of parents, teachers, students and specialists have been created, involved in solving the problems of the educational institution.The winner receives funding proportional to the funds collected by the community (up to one and a half million rubles) for the development of cooperation between participants in the educational process.