Charity (practice)

Charity is the voluntary act of providing assistance to people in need. It is a humanitarian practice that is not motivated by self-interest. People practice charity by donating money, goods, or their personal time. This help can be given directly to an individual or through a charitable trust. When charity is performed as a religious duty, it is often called almsgiving or alms. This term comes from the goal of providing recipients with the means to survive.

Charity can take many different forms depending on the goal. Most charitable actions focus on providing basic necessities. These include food, water, clothing, healthcare, and shelter. Other actions are also considered charitable, such as visiting the imprisoned or the homebound. Some people use charity to support social movements or to educate orphans. Even funding medical research, like cancer research, falls under this category. These donations benefit people indirectly by helping to solve larger problems.

There are different models for how charity is organized and delivered. In the past, many organizations used a "charitable model." In this system, donors give money to large conglomerates. These large groups then distribute the funds to specific recipients. Examples of this include the Make a Wish Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund. Today, many people use online websites like JustGiving to make donations. Some newer methods use a peer-to-peer approach. This is a more direct way to move money from a donor to a recipient.

Direct funding is a major part of modern charitable processes. Organizations like Global Giving fund community development projects in developing countries. Kiva provides funding for loans through microfinance organizations. Zidisha allows people to fund individual microfinance borrowers directly. Many large institutions also handle the majority of charitable giving. These include hospitals, food banks, and orphanages. These institutions allow people to help even if they cannot provide care themselves. They provide the funding and support for those doing the direct work.

History shows that the meaning of charity has changed over time. The word originated in late Old English to mean "Christian love for one's fellows." It is etymologically linked to the Latin word "caritas." In older versions of the Bible, such as the King James Version, the word "charity" was used. Modern English Bibles now usually translate these instances as "love." In medieval Europe, a "charitable revolution" occurred during the 12th and 13th centuries. During this time, rich patrons founded many hospitals and leprosaria for the sick.

Research has found interesting patterns in how different groups give. In the United States, religious individuals are more likely to give to charitable organizations. A study showed that American Muslims often donate due to religious obligation. American Christians often prioritize youth and family services. Muslims and Jews have been shown to contribute more to civil rights protection organizations. Interestingly, income levels affect giving in different ways. The poorest fifth of Americans donated 4.3% of their income. The wealthiest fifth of Americans donated only 2.1% of their income. While the wealthy give more in total dollars, the poor give a higher proportion of what they earn.

Philosophers and scholars often debate the effectiveness of charity. Some critics argue that charity is not enough to fix the causes of poverty. Oscar Wilde suggested that charity can sometimes be an inadequate way to fix social problems. Friedrich Engels argued that charitable giving can sometimes mask unpleasant suffering. The theologian Reinhold Niebuhr suggested that charity can sometimes act as a substitute for true justice. This leads to a debate between needs-based and rights-based approaches. A needs-based approach provides what people require without expecting a response. A rights-based approach involves active participation and changes to laws or systems.