The role of social capital in transnational elite philanthropy: the example of the American Friends groups of French cultural institutions

As elites can be defined as those with power and resources, we focus on one of these resources-social capital-in a particular context: philanthropic organizations. Based on a qualitative empirical study conducted in France and in the USA on the American Friends of French cultural institutions, this article questions how the 'spectrum' of social capital can help understand transnational elite philanthropy and more specifically the relations between different groups of elites. We argue that, to mobilize and engage donors, the American Friends groups have to strike a balance between maintaining the 'entre-soi' and exclusiveness (by relying on a narrow spectrum of social capital) and reaching out to other people from different worlds, countries and groups of elites (by using a broad spectrum), especially since their transnational feature makes it more difficult for them to raise funds.