Diplomacy / Washington D.C. Local Charities and Embassies Party and Partner with Purpose by Gail Scott As the spring social season continues full steam ahead in May with major events such as the annual Opera Ball and Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS) Gala, one segment of the local community has not only become a regular face on the scene, but an indispensable player on the fundraising circuit. That’s because in the nation’s capital, foreign embassies are more closely linked to cultural and charitable organizations than they are in any other city in the world. Even before some ambassadors and their spouses actually step foot in Washington, they are receiving dozens of requests to contribute to silent auctions, host dinner parties, or serve as honorary diplomatic chairs for galas and benefits. In some cases, their predecessors have already committed them to one of the major balls of the social season. This expectation of helping local, national and international nonprofits make money is a new phenomenon for some top diplomats, but as many quickly learn, lending their support to these organizations can be a “key” to the city — contributing to a worthwhile cause while spreading goodwill for their country and, perhaps, even sparking business opportunities. Ambassador Gilles Noghès of Monaco and his American-born wife Ellen think that America’s tradition of charitable giving, volunteerism and public service is a perfect match for today’s public diplomacy. “Washington has a unique way of including the diplomatic corps in the community at large and extending this philosophy of giving,” the ambassador said. “It is a win-win situation, providing us with a multitude of opportunities for community outreach, meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships, and, importantly, enduring friendships for our nations and ourselves.” Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki agrees that helping Washington’s cultural and charitable groups can definitely benefit all partners. “A great part of being an ambassador in Washington, D.C., is that you and your spouse can involve yourselves in philanthropy,” he told The Washington Diplomat. “It’s a great learning experience for us about the American spirit — to work for others when you can. I hope this spirit will spread throughout the world…. We have enjoyed meeting people, including youngsters, who carry torches for future generations.” Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan, who like Fujisaki previously served in Washington earlier in his career, echoed that sentiment: “Diplomats need to give back to the community that hosts us. We need to underscore that we share a common sense of purpose and be co-responsible and co-stakeholders with the causes, issues and challenges Washingtonians face.” And a major challenge recently has been the depressed economic climate, which has made it all the more difficult for charities and nonprofits — not to mention cash-strapped embassies — to raise much-needed funds. “The problem is the economy and that embassies today have less money yet more demands on them,” said Esther Coopersmith, a former U.S. representative to the United Nations and longtime Washington insider. “We don’t have corporations [to sponsor events] like New York. Charities are dependent on the embassies, but the charities are a way for ambassadors to make more friends.” “America is big,” added this pre-eminent hostess. “At the U.N., you only need to know your 192 ambassadors. In Washington, you need to make friends with 300 million people and all branches of the government. Working with cultural groups and charities puts you in touch with some of the most active Washingtonians and helps you learn about Americans and their generosity.” Indeed, helping with local fundraising efforts is a facet of diplomatic life that’s largely unique to the area. “We had nothing like this in Thailand,” said Eva Hafström, wife of the Swedish ambassador, speaking of a previous posting. “You have so many charities here and we try to open the house as much as we can. With our big backyard, everyone thinks of us, but we have to always say, ‘What’s in it for the Swedish taxpayer?’ “The first year you’re here you want to say ‘yes’ to everything; the second year, you choose and the third year, you pick even more carefully,” she added. “Before we even arrived, our social secretary told us that we were already signed up to host a dinner for the Meridian Ball and the Arts for the Aging Tennis Tournament. You sort of inherit certain organizations.” The Spanish Embassy’s well-known social secretary, Diane Flamini, agrees that certain groups become favorites for certain embassies. “Mainly for us, it’s WPAS because they bring over a lot of Spanish musicians and we host them, Meridian because of their international center, and the opera because of Plácido,” she said, referring to Washington National Opera General Director Plácido Domingo. Interestingly though, after working with six different ambassadors over the last 20 years, Flamini reported a decline in fundraising requests — unlike many other embassies. “Perhaps they know our status and that I will have to say no,” she told The Diplomat candidly. “Twenty years ago we said yes to all sorts of things because we wanted to be recognized. Now, our current policy is only to host what directly benefits Spain. Like many others, our embassy has been told to tighten our belts so we only host what is directly related to our country.” This means that even if an organization asks “to borrow” or rent Spain’s official residence, “we say no because it is the private home of the ambassador and his family,” Flamini explained. “What we do now is cultural or commercial. We would have a wine promotion or do something for the Spanish ballet.” Indeed, behind the scenes, charity has its limits — as good intentions sometimes collide with economic feasibility. In fact, many contacted for this story said the entire subject was “too touchy” to comment on. One diplomatic wife who did not want to be identified revealed, “The real chatter among the embassies is that the charitable demand is enormous — there are so many competing interests out there — it can be overwhelming.” Diplomats and staffers alike fear that openly discussing their embassies’ budgetary constraints might create a negative economic impression of their countries. “What people don’t understand is that, except for a few, embassies don’t have huge entertainment budgets. It may be the ambassador and his or her spouse who will be paying for your dinner,” one diplomatic wife flatly said. “Of course it is easier for embassies that have their own chef and a bigger staff, but there are always more requests than you can ever accept.” Unfortunately as a result, it is often the smaller embassy with a meager budget that gets left out of participating in the social swirl of Washington charities — which can often generate important contacts for their homeland. For many, it’s simply a matter of choosing the right partners for your embassy and your country. Next Page

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