Mission:  To convey the breadth and possibilities of philanthropy by highlighting key moments and events illuminating the evolution of charitable giving around the world.

Background: Notwithstanding the recent emergence of Web-based publications and content focused on the history of philanthropy and how it relates to contemporary philanthropic trends and practices, there hasn't been a single consolidated source dedicated to the story of modern philanthropy, from its roots in the ancient world to the present, until now. Seeing there was a gap that needed to be filled, the National Philanthropic Trust launched HistoryofGiving.org in April as a one-of-a-kind digital resource dedicated to charting the different forms philanthropy has taken over the past five hundred years. Eileen Heisman, president of the trust, came up with the idea as she assembled materials for a course on philanthropy she had been tapped to teach at the University of Pennsylvania. Nearly a decade later, "A History of Modern Philanthropy," as the most recent product of Heisman's efforts is called, depicts philanthropy as a global practice that goes back centuries — and hasn't been limited to Western Europe or the United States.

The site explores charitable giving as it has changed and evolved over five different time periods — 1500-1750 ("New Meaning in a Changing World"), 1750-1890 ("Upheaval & Reform"), 1890-1930 ("Lasting Change"), 1930-1980 ("Redefining Philanthropy"), and 1980-present ("Global Outlook of Giving") — and highlights two hundred moments in that history with more than seventy rare media assets, including documents, audio, and video depicting acts of generosity and kindness from different regions of world. There's a 1918 recording of the World War I song "The Rose of No Man's Land" dedicated to Red Cross nurses; a 1857 photo of Swami Dayananda Saraswati, who founded the Hindu social-reform movement Arya Samaj; and the previously unknown history of Haseki Sultan Imaret, a Jerusalem-based charity established in the sixteenth century that regularly fed as many as five hundred people twice a day. In addition to inspiring all who visit, NPT hopes the site will be used — and augmented — by researchers, students, and nonprofits to learn more about, and raise awareness of, the history of human kindness.

Outstanding Web Features: The site employs a simple but flexible user interface, allowing visitors to scroll chronologically using a timeline; jumping to different time periods; or filtering entries by region (Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East) or type/cause (beliefs and practices, infrastructure and institutions, arts and culture, civil and human rights, and poverty relief and welfare). Visitors to the site also will find a variety of media accompanying many of the entries, including images of original documents, photos, illustrations, sound files, and video. Associated events within each time period are accompanied by a corresponding year date, the world population for that period, and a significant historical event that occurred in the year in question.

(Photo: Three young beneficiaries of Hull House services, Chicago History Museum)