Charity is not a modern phenomenon by any means, but has an abundant and developing history that stretches over 2 thousands years.
One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, immediately think of a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for distributing their fortunes to causes that they appreciate. This is something that has been the case for lots of thousands of years, with the very first recorded instance of institutionalised philanthropy, along with the genesis of the philanthropy meaning and word, happening over two thousand years earlier in ancient Greece. Throughout this period, the word meant something more comparable to 'loving of one's fellow person', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one may apply to the term now, but nonetheless wealthy individuals played a crucial charity role in the culture. Rich people were expected to give back to the society, helping to put up the money for repairs to public works like city walls or temples as well as funding festivals and other public events. Being pinchpenny was not looked upon well, and if a rich person was not seen to be a philanthropist, they could be ostracised from the society altogether.
Several entities have been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy people and celebrity philanthropists may be viewed as the central charitable force in the modern world, that is not always entirely accurate, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was religious organizations like the church that would have been the primary charitable hubs, both within the town and on larger level undertakings. That changed with the coming of commercial enterprise when wealthy individuals ended up being more powerful, and then moved again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations began to emerge that were much better organised and could dedicate more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured now, whether those foundations are established by grassroots groups, rich people, or businesses like SJP.
The manner in which charity has been financed has actually changed a good deal throughout the course of human history, moving in between different entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has actually changed as different requirements have actually emerged. These days, there are a great many concerns that have to be attended to, from widening inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will undoubtedly play an important role in that procedure. Rich people with bank accounts that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, however so do the companies that are the central centers of monetary generation in the 21st century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is setting up a foundation of their own or developing ESG dedications, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are beginning to do so.