Charity (benevolent practice)
Charity, as a benevolent practice, involves actions that demonstrate goodwill and love towards others, aiming to improve the well-being of individuals and society. The concept of charity has deep historical roots, dating back to ancient civilizations, where it was often linked to religious and moral obligations. Major world religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, emphasize charity as a virtue, each with unique perspectives on how it should be practiced. In contemporary contexts, charity manifests through both monetary donations and volunteer activities, such as mentoring, providing food, or visiting the elderly.
In the United States, the tradition of charity has evolved significantly since the early settlers, influenced by community needs and historical events, such as the establishment of organizations like the American Red Cross. Despite a decline in overall charitable giving in recent years, individuals still contribute significantly to various charitable causes, with donations often directed towards organizations that address domestic and international needs. This enduring practice highlights the importance of community support and the human inclination toward helping others in times of need.
Charity (benevolent practice)
Charity is a kind or generous action that shows goodwill toward or love of other members of society. Humans have practiced charity, in various forms, since ancient times. Many world religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, consider charity a virtue, though their perspectives on charity differ. The United States has a long history of charity, from early settlers' promises to bear one another's burdens to modern-day organizations that practice charity—called charitable organizations, or charities for short—by helping the poor, the sick, or others in need.
Purpose of Charity
When some people think of charity, they think of donating money or goods to a particular cause. Donating money to a charitable organization—for example, an organization that funds research to find a cure for cancer—is an act of charity. Donating gently used clothing or canned goods to an organization that helps disaster victims is also a form of charity. However, many other forms of charity exist.
In general, the ultimate goal of charity is to benefit people in some way. Any benevolent action that helps people and improves society in some way may be considered charity. For example, visiting residents at a nursing home, joining a volunteer fire department, cooking food at a soup kitchen, or mentoring children in an after-school program are all acts of charity. Each activity, in its own way, benefits a group of people within society and, therefore, benefits society in general.
Origins of Charity
Charity has existed since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians considered charity not only a way to help others but also a way to please the gods. Through charitable actions, such as feeding the hungry or clothing the poor, Egyptians could help humankind and win the favor of the gods, putting them on the path toward immortality.
The ancient Greeks equated charity with love, and they showed this love by performing actions that benefited the less fortunate. As early as 500 BCE, Greek playwright Aeschylus wrote about philanthropy, or charitable giving, in his play Prometheus Bound. Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle furthered the idea that charity was an obligation. People were morally and ethically obligated to help those who could not help themselves. The ancient Romans adopted many Greek ways of thinking, including their thoughts on charity. The Romans especially performed charity work that benefitted children.
Religious Perspectives on Charity
Many of the world's largest religions view charity as a virtue. However, members of these religions practice charity in different ways, and some place a higher value on certain forms of charitable work than on others.
As long ago as 2500 BCE, ancient Hebrews, or members of the Jewish faith, practiced charity in the form of a tax that helped destitute members of society. Jewish scripture, particularly the Hebrew Bible, includes passages that reveal a Jewish obligation to perform charitable acts. For example, Deuteronomy 15:7–8 reads, "If someone among you is needy, … you must open your hand to him and lend him enough to meet his need and enable him to obtain what he wants." Jewish acts of charity are called tzedakah, and specific types of tzedakah are more praiseworthy than others. Among the eight levels of tzedakah, the least praiseworthy is giving against one's will while the most praiseworthy is helping someone in a way that allows him or her to become independent.
Like Jews, Christians believe that charity is a virtue. To Christians, charity is the will of God. It lies at the heart of one of Jesus's greatest commandments, identified in the Gospel of Matthew (22:39) and echoed in the Gospel of Mark (12:31): "Love your neighbor as yourself." In the Christian view, charity is a form of fellowship with the less fortunate and a means of showing love for humankind and dedication to improving the lives of all.
Charity is also one of the pillars of the Islamic faith. For Muslims, charity, or zakat, is a requirement. Muslims who are financially able are obligated to share a portion of their wealth with the needy. Muslims believe that charitable donations help to cleanse their hearts of greed. In Arabic, zakat actually means "purification." Zakat is compulsory, but Muslims also practice a form of charity called sadaqah, which is voluntary giving.
Charity in the United States
Charity has existed in North America since before the arrival of the Puritans in the seventeenth century. Indigenous people often helped their fellow tribe members in times of need. Early settlers depended on one another for help as well. Without neighborly love, they would not have survived. From that sense of community, charity continued to grow.
In the eighteenth century, founding father Benjamin Franklin introduced several new forms of charity, including a volunteer fire department and a lending library. The nineteenth century saw the formation of benevolent societies, which were among the earliest of charitable organizations. These groups advocated on behalf of those in need.
During the Civil War, Clara Barton worked tirelessly to gather and distribute supplies to Union troops and tend to wounded soldiers. She later formed the American Red Cross, a chapter of the International Red Cross, in 1881. The American Red Cross still exists and continues to assist those in need, both domestically and abroad.
In the twenty-first century, charity work continued in the United States through countless charitable organizations. Following are the top ten largest charitable organizations in the United States in December 2023, according to Forbes. The largest charity, Feeding America, collected more than $4.2 billion in private donations in 2023.
- Feeding America (domestic needs)
- Good 360 (international needs)
- United Way Worldwide (domestic needs)
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (medical)
- Direct Relief (international needs)
- Salvation Army (domestic needs)
- Habitat for Humanity International (international needs)
- Goodwill Industries International (domestic needs)
- Americares (international needs)
- Samaritan's Purse (domestic needs)
The percentage of Americans donating to charity has declined during the early twenty-first century; while two-thirds of American households made donations in 2000, only about one-half donated in 2018. The share of American households that donates to individual charities varies widely based on several factors, including race. Research emerged in 2023 citing a sharp drop in charitable giving among Latinos—from 44 percent in 2008 to 26 percent in 2018. Experts pointed to the lack of economic growth for Hispanic residents in the US during the early twenty-first century as a likely explanation for the decline. However, the report also showed that while the number of recorded donations had been declining for over a decade, Latino households had, in fact, been making donations in more informal ways, such as through crowdfunding efforts, during that period.
Overall, in 2022, Americans gave $499.33 billion to charity, which represented a 3.4 percent decrease from the previous year, according to the National Philanthropic Trust. Corporate giving totaled $21.08 billion in 2022 (an increase from 2021 of 3.4 percent). It is important to note that although corporations and foundations contribute to charities, the majority of donations—64 percent, according to the National Philanthropic Trust—comes from individuals. These individuals donate to more than 1.5 million charitable organizations in existence across the United States.
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