14ac, 'What has fellow worker maybe initially helping poor?', (12).
This looks like PHILANTHROPY, i.e. Phil (Fellow) - ant (worker) - h (initial of 'helping') - ropy (poor). But is there any reason why it should be PHILANTHROPE? A crafty crossword.
You have parsed it perfectly. Philanthropy also fits the "&lit" (literally) what the clue states. Philanthrope is a person, whereas philanthropy is what has someone helping the poor. That is how I see it.