benefactor

/ˈbɛnəfæktər/

/ˈbɛnɪfæktə/

Other forms: benefactors

Every school, museum, and struggling artist is in search for a generous benefactor, or someone to provide the financial means to keep everything running smoothly.

The Latin roots of benefactor are bene, which means "well," and facere, which means "to do" — literally, "to do well." A benefactor does well by supporting (usually financially) a person or a good cause. In the old days, a struggling artist or actor might have been supported by a wealthy benefactor. Now, many struggling artists and actors have to rely on waiting tables and other odd jobs instead.

Definitions of benefactor

1. noun

   a person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help)
   synonyms: helper

   types:

   benefactress

   a woman benefactor

   bondsman, bondswoman

   someone who signs a bond as surety for someone else

   bestower, conferrer, donor, giver, presenter

   person who makes a gift of property

   donor

   (medicine) someone who gives blood or tissue or an organ to be used in another person (the host)

   fairy godmother

   a generous benefactor

   good Samaritan

   a person who voluntarily offers help or sympathy in times of trouble

   do-gooder, humanitarian, improver

   someone devoted to the promotion of human welfare and to social reforms

   liberator

   someone who releases people from captivity or bondage

   accommodator, obliger

   someone who performs a service or does a favor

   offerer, offeror

   someone who presents something to another for acceptance or rejection

   patron, sponsor, supporter

   someone who supports or champions something

   provider

   someone who provides the means for subsistence

   deliverer, rescuer, savior, saviour

   a person who rescues you from harm or danger

   sparer

   someone who refrains from injuring or destroying

   uncle

   a source of help and advice and encouragement

   christ, messiah

   any expected deliverer

   abnegator

   one who gives up or relinquishes or renounces something

   almsgiver

   a person who gives alms

   angel, backer

   invests in a theatrical production

   blood donor

   someone who gives blood to be used for transfusions

   emancipator, manumitter

   someone who frees others from bondage

   godfather

   someone having a relation analogous to that of a male sponsor to his godchild

   godparent

   a person who sponsors someone (the godchild) at baptism

   guarantor, surety, warranter, warrantor

   one who promises to pay back a borrower's debt if in the event of a default on a loan

   Indian giver

   an offensive term for someone who asks you to return a present he has given you

   organ donor

   someone from whom an organ is taken for transplantation

   patroness, patronne

   a woman who is a patron or the wife of a patron

   altruist, philanthropist

   someone who makes charitable donations intended to increase human well-being

   settlor, trustor

   (law) a person who creates a trust by giving real or personal property in trust to a trustee for the benefit of a beneficiary; a person who gives such property is said to settle it on the trustee

   contributor, subscriber

   someone who contributes (or promises to contribute) a sum of money

   subsidiser, subsidizer

   someone who assists or supports by giving a subsidy

   tipper

   a person who leaves a tip

   pillar of strength, tower of strength

   a person who can be relied on to give a great deal of support and comfort

   type of:

   good person

   a person who is good to other people