The History Of Charitable Giving In The United States - Harta Bucuresti

Charity

Charitable giving is a practice that has existed for millennia. Most forms of charity are concerned with the provision of food, water, clothing, and shelter to the less fortunate. Caring for sick people, visiting those who are in jail, giving ransom money to release captives, and teaching orphans are also examples of charity work.

Charitable giving can be carried out directly or indirectly. Giving alms is an example of the former, while giving donations to a cancer research organization is an example of the latter. Today, charitable organizations do most of the philanthropic giving, often through the provision of financial aid. Charities include orphanages, food banks, religious orders dedicated to caring for the poor, hospitals, and several others. Many of these charities recruit volunteers who may not have the financial resources to directly care for the destitute and marginalized by themselves.

The United States has a long history of practicing philanthropy which many say dates back to the 16th century. Europeans that came to the United States introduced Christianity and many embraced these values. Parishes were constructed and these cared for the poor and illiterate, and the city governments that were set up during that time also opened specialized facilities, which were referred to as almshouses, to look after the dependent and the handicapped.

As the population grew in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, especially from immigration, the peoples concept of community changed. Although trade and commerce spurred numerous developments, it also inadvertently resulted to economic inequality. It also brought about epidemics like smallpox and other diseases. These changes forced 18th century Americans to rethink the Christian message of loving ones neighbor.

Concerned that these changes made Americans less charitable, Cotton Mather, a Minister based in Boston, published a widely read American classic, the Essay to Do Good where he advocated philanthropic benefaction as a way of life. Mathers teachings influenced Benjamin Franklin, who eventually established the Junto, which many consider as the earliest personal system of civic philanthropy in the USA.

In the nineteenth century, voluntary associations have become rather common, to the point that it pushed the government to define and regulate them, especially with regards to tax exemptions. In areas where tax laws favored private initiatives, charitable organizations flourished and where the laws were unfavorable them, they did not flourish. These days, the requisites and processes involved in organizing charitable institutions differ from one state to another.

To know about charities in the United States of America check this out

Charity ? country ? history ? Society ? US

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