Charities plan to stick with Mar-a-Lago Club
Complaints aside, many groups say Trump site adds prestige, aids sales.
In a high-profile clash between philanthropy and politics in Palm Beach, money looks to be winning. And consequently, so are Mar-a-Lago and its owner, President Donald Trump.
The Mar-a-Lago Club long has been an oasis for charities and their patrons during Palm Beach’s winter charity season. Ticketed guests sipped champagne by the pool, strolled garden paths and reveled in the pageantry of the estate’s grand ballrooms and Old World charm.
But this past season, Mar-a-Lago’s tropical pathways turned from soothing to slippery, as charities learned that politics and philanthropy are poor bedfellows.
Earlier this year, some donors unhappy with the policies of Mar- a-Lago owner-turned-president, Trump, demanded charities hold their events at non-Trump properties next season. A few charities, hoping to minimize backlash, agreed to look for “neutral” venues.
But in interviews with numerous charities, donors, event planners and venues, it now seems that most, if not all, charities will stay put at Trump properties for the 2017-18 winter season. This is the case even if Trump’s policies appear to contradict the very causes for which the charities seek to raise money.
F u n d r a i s e r o r g a n i z e r s s ay event venues during winter are in such demand that galas must be booked a year in advance. At this point, most charities already have secured their sites for next year’s season.
Moreover, there is not a wide menu of alternative sites. There are only two Palm Beach venues that can hold 500 or more guests