Finance, philanthropy and the hospital : metropolitan hospitals, 1850-1898
Hospitals throughout the nineteenth century remained the one of the main channels for the Victoriansâ voluntary zeal, but from the 1850s onwards tensions emerged as charity became ill-suited to meeting all the hospitalsâ financial needs. An historiographical survey shows that metropolitan hospitals have been seen as an institution funded and administered through philanthropy, but these views are insufficient. By looking at seven hospitals in London between 1850 and 1898 a different view is suggested. Hospital governors were adept at manipulating philanthropic interests through their innovative fundraising tactics, playing on a wide range of motivations for benevolent action. Administrators used feelings from guilt to gratitude to promote support, suggesting that philanthropy and contributions cannot be constrained by any simple approach. Using the hospitalsâ financial records, charitable contributions are placed in the overall context of funding in an institution that drew its income from a wide variety of sources. Over time these sources of funding changed their relative relation to one another in a process of financial diversification. Expenditure, expansion, the financial demands of different hospitals,
Waddington, Keir
Victorian London
Finance, philanthropy and the hospital : metropolitan hospitals, 1850-1898. Hospitals throughout the nineteenth century remained the one of the main channels for the Victoriansâ voluntary zeal, but from the 1850s onwards tensions emerged as charity became ill-suited to meeting all the hospitalsâ financial needs. An historiographical survey shows that metropolitan hospitals have been seen as an institution funded and administered through philanthropy, but these views are insufficient. By looking at seven hospitals in London between 1850 and 1898 a different view is suggested. Hospital governors were adept at manipulating philanthropic interests through their innovative fundraising tactics, playing on a wide range of motivations for benevolent action. Administrators used feelings from guilt to gratitude to promote support, suggesting that philanthropy and contributions cannot be constrained by any simple approach. Using the hospitalsâ financial records, charitable contributions are placed in the overall context of funding in an institution that drew its income from a wide variety of sources. Over time these sources of funding changed their relative relation to one another in a process of financial diversification. Expenditure, expansion, the financial demands of different hospitals,
finance philanthropy hospital metropolitan hospital throughout remain one_main channel victorians voluntary onwards tension emerge charity become ill meeting hospital financial need historiographical survey show metropolitan hospital see institution fund administer philanthropy view insufficient look hospital london different view suggest hospital governor manipulate philanthropic interest innovative tactic play wide_range motivation benevolent action use feeling guilt promote support suggest philanthropy contribution constrain simple approach using hospital financial record charitable contribution place overall context funding institution draw income wide_variety source time source fund change relative relation one_another process financial diversification expenditure expansion financial demand different hospital