Philanthropy (from
Greek ) means,
etymologically, the love of humanity, in the sense of caring, nourishing, developing, and enhancing what it means to be human.. In this meaning, it involves both the benefactor in their identifying and exercising their values, and the beneficiary in their receipt and benefit from the service or goods provided. A conventional modern definition is "private initiatives, for public good, focusing on quality of life," which combines an original
humanistic tradition with a
social scientific aspect developed in the 20th century. The definition also serves to contrast philanthropy with
business endeavours, which are private initiatives for private good, e.g., focusing on material gain, and with
government endeavours, which are public initiatives for public good, e.g., focusing on provision of public services. A person who practices philanthropy is called a philanthropist.