Driven by a keen sense of public relations and a desire to help Moscow's less fortunate, Western businesses are embarking this holiday season on their most ambitious set of holiday charity drives yet.


"You are starting to see a situation where companies feel that they are becoming and want to become a part of the local community," said Peter Sharow, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. "This is a phenomenon that is growing and will continue to grow in the future."


One campaign, Toys for Tots, has set a target of $1 million in its drive to raise money to buy Christmas presents for 150,000 Moscow children. Other efforts include a semi-formal holiday party sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce, a hamburger charity drive by McDonald's and a benefit blues concert underwritten by Phillip Morris.


The number of the holiday events has boomed this year because the foreign business community is coming of age, said organizers.


"This would not have been possible before. The Western companies have matured," said Paul Tatum, the president and chief executive officer of the Americom Business Center, which initiated this year's Toys for Tots program. "There are many firms that are doing quite well right now and they can afford to be a little charitable with their funds."


By Tuesday, Western businesses had pledged some $275,550 to the toy drive, said Tiffany Nance, a spokeswoman for the charity. The parent company of Kosmos cable television, for example, contributed some $50,000 in money, computers and free cable services. And, by covering the campaign's administrative and overhead costs, Americom estimates it will give about $75,000.


Before Russian Christmas on Jan. 7, Tatum hopes to enlist the support of Russian firms. "We are counting on the foreign community to challenge the Russian business community. And, with support of people like Mrs. Kozyrev and with direct personal contacts we are going to be saying 'Why don't you match us?'" he said, referring to the wife of Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev.


Amy Rapp, a leader of the one-year-old Moscow Cares, said Russian firms were likely to follow suit for the same reasons as their Western counterparts.


"I think the Russians will want to get involved both for the humanitarian aspects and because it makes their firm look more respectable," said Rapp, who called the increased profile of Western firms in charity work a natural part of the evolution of the foreign community. "I think in the past it was journalists, clergy and students ... In the past the big businesses weren't here and they didn't need the good PR you get from it."


Sharow, too, considered this year's big increase in charitable activity a natural outgrowth that is likely to continue.


"You have to go through several stages. First you get your office up and running. Then you get your business functioning. And maybe third or fourth on the list you start doing charity.


"It is good business because, particularly if you are in something that is consumer oriented, you want to be perceived by the consumer as a company that is helping to do something for the community," Sharow said.