People often think that of charity and philanthropy as being the same thing, but in fact, they are very different. The best way to understand the difference between charity and philanthropy is through the old phrase “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” At first glance, it may seem as if the better course of action is to teach him to fish. In one sense, that is true but what it fails to take into account is that it fails to meet his immediate problem. If he is hungry and you can teach him to fish in a few hours, then all is well. If he is hungry and it will take you several days to teach him to fish, then it does him little good. On the other hand, if you feed him while you are teaching him to fish, then you have solved his problem.
In essence, charity is a handout. It doesn’t generally help anyone improve their situation or circumstances, but it does solve an immediate need. Food, clothing, and shelter (protection against the elements) are all critical for survival. If a man is hungry and you offer to help him find a job, it doesn’t solve his immediate problem. On the other hand, if he doesn’t have access to some type of means of improving his situation or status, then he is stuck constantly relying on handouts over and over.
Philanthropy, on the other hand, is a hand up. It is aimed at helping people improve their situation or circumstances. In many cases, however, well-meaning philanthropists often end up trying to help in ways that are not actually helpful to the very people they are trying to help. For instance, most businesses will not hire a person who does not have a stable address. So, getting someone a job interview that does not have a stable living situation is not really helping them.
Both charity and philanthropy are very important. One is not better than the other, nor is one more necessary than the other. The aim of charity is to meet people right where they are and get their basic needs met so they can focus on accepting philanthropic help to improve their situation long-term.