In this chapter, I explore the historical, cultural, and future significance of the philanthropic imperative for international healthcare funding. The philanthropic imperative states that we have a duty to reduce sickness and suffering and promote or restore, as generously as possible, the health of our follow human beings. I show that the philanthropic imperative interfaces the redemptive, utilitarian, prudential, and charitable motives. If adopted internationally, it has the potential to appeal to the consciences of wealthier Northern countries to provide on a more generous scale medical and nutritional resources to the sick and suffering in the typically poorer South. This is a matter of our humane collective duty to others, consistent with the teachings of Immanuel Kant, Thich Nhat Hanh and Peter Singer, among others. At bottom, the philanthropic imperative invites us to ponder: How ought we proceed to effectively and sustainably relieve the suffering of others? Why ought we give away valuable medical resources to the hurting in foreign lands that our own citizens may need at some future date? Confronting formidable objections from futility, scarcity, and corruption, I indicate how the philanthropic imperative transcends and overrides these objections. Finally, the philanthropic imperative is shown to complement the environmental and public health goals of the Earth Charter.