Charles Dickens said, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”

He was speaking of philanthropy – that long and complicated word that is as difficult for some to say as it is to spell.

Merriam-Webster defines philanthropy this way: Philanthropy is the practice of giving money and time to help make life better for other people.

For some of us, philanthropy is a family tradition. For others, it is an obligation. And yet for a very few, it is an inborn need to give back to their community. It exists somewhere in their DNA.

Although practiced widely here in the United States, philanthropy is not a universal concept.

So where did the concept initially come from?

According to the National Philanthropic Trust, the formal concept of philanthropy may have originated when Plato died in 347 B.C. and left his farm to his nephew. In his will, Plato gave instructions to give the proceeds of the farm to the educational academy he founded.

But the concept of acting for the common good has its very roots in survival. As we all know, early Americans banded together to form towns, cities and finally states. This “crowd sourcing” forced people to commit selfless acts and form strong coalitions in an effort to create a better way of life.

As America grew, so did the wealthy.

Andrew Carnegie was one of the richest men in America in the early 20th century. He believed the wealthy had “won” the competition of the fittest. But he also believed that with that wealth came an obligation to help others – to improve the civilized world. Therefore, he donated more than $350 million (considered billions in today’s dollars) to build libraries, concert halls and organizations that would provide the tools necessary for the common man to compete equally, and therefore improve his lot.

Andrew Carnegie is quoted to have said, “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.”

Others, like John D. Rockefeller Sr., followed his example, but it wasn’t until Congress finally passed legislation in 1921, giving a tax break to individual donors, that the modern concept of philanthropy really took off.

Today, as the need for charity continues to increase, philanthropy has become an entire industry. There are thousands of nonprofit service providers across the country, working to support the arts, healthcare, education, children and families, the homeless, disabled, seniors and more.  There is no shortage of ways an individual can give back to his/her community.

So, is there a reward for those of us who step up and do good deeds for our fellow man?

In the now classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey’s daughter says, “Look, daddy, teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.”

Wings you say?

Probably not here on earth. But I like to believe that somewhere in the universe there is a meter that registers good deeds. If so, I imagine it dings every time someone holds out their hand to someone less fortunate, gives one hour of their time to build a museum, tutors one student struggling in math, or reaches into their pocket to hand a dollar to a homeless person on the street corner.

So where are you on the Good-Deed-O-Meter?

As we enter this season of giving and receiving, consider committing a random act of kindness. Just one. Maybe two.

You may not earn your wings just yet. But who knows?

The higher number of “dings” you’ve rung up on the Good-Deed-O-Meter when you step up to those pearly gates, the more likely you’ll be to swoop right past the gatekeeper, rather than having to stop to see if you’re even on the list.

Just sayin’.