А
Letter А
Altruism
Selfless concern for the well-being of others, the opposite of egoism.
Patron's ABC
A dictionary of the language of generosity
«A word is the expression of a thought, a thought is a manifestation of divine power, and therefore a word must correspond to what it expresses. It may be indifferent, but it cannot and must not be an expression of evil.»
Б
Letter Б
Philanthropist
One who provides assistance to those in need — material, organizational, or spiritual.
В
Letter В
Contribution
Any form of participation — with money, time, skill, reputation.
Г
Letter Г
Humanist
A person who recognizes the value of the individual, their right to happiness and development.
Д
Letter Д
Donation
Gratuitous transfer of property or funds for the benefit of a person or cause.
Е
Letter Е
Unity
The rallying of people, communities, and generations in the name of a common idea that brings objective benefit to an individual or society as a whole.
Ж
Letter Ж
Donor
One who shares material, spiritual, or professional resources for an important goal.
З
Letter З
Care
The main human intonation of philanthropy.
И
Letter И
Institution
Organizations or establishments related to supporting culture, science, education, or other fields of activity.
К
Letter К
Curatorship
A modern form of patronage or philanthropic participation, implying project support, assistance in development.
Л
Letter Л
Personality
A person for whom success is measured not only by achievements, but also by the benefit they bring to people.
М
Letter М
Maecenas
Patron of arts, sciences, and enlightenment. This word dates back to the name of Gaius Cilnius Maecenas — patron of Virgil and Horace. The main difference from a «philanthropist» is that philanthropy responds to the pain of the times, while patronage responds to its spiritual and cultural demand.
Н
Letter Н
Mentorship
Transferring knowledge and experience to the younger generation — the oldest form of generosity.
О
Letter О
Responsibility
Concern not only for one's own well-being, but also for the benefit of society.
П
Letter П
Paternalism
A system of relations in labor collectives where the employer or state assumes the role of a «guardian», providing employees with additional benefits, social support, and protection.
Р
Letter Р
Advocate
A person genuinely concerned about a cause.
С
Letter С
Service
A form of selfless help to people, culture, country, future.
Т
Letter Т
Tradition
A system of values in which good becomes a life's work.
У
Letter У
Participation
Engagement in action: support, inclusion, empathy.
Ф
Letter Ф
Philanthropist
Lover of humanity; one who dedicates their own resources to help people and society. The main difference from a «maecenas» is that a philanthropist helps people and society, while a maecenas helps culture, knowledge, and the future.
Х
Letter Х
Intercessor
A person who intercedes for an important cause, helps the disadvantaged and unjustly wronged to receive support and achieve justice.
Ц
Letter Ц
Endowment
Donated capital, the income from which supports an organization.
Ч
Letter Ч
Humanity
One of the most precise meanings of philanthropy.
Щ
Letter Щ
Generosity
Willingness to share — time, resources, attention, opportunities.
Э
Letter Э
Empathy
The ability to feel another.
Ю
Letter Ю
Vale
Archaic, poetic: where people especially need support in difficult circumstances (vale of tears, vale of sorrow).
Я
Letter Я
I — the last letter of the alphabet
In the alphabet of patronage, this is almost a rule: the less a person thinks about themselves, the more room there is for help, participation, and the common good.