WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

At one time or another, most charities are victims of donor fatigue, when neither marketing nor the appeals of celebrity fund-raisers can stir donors to give. But for charities whose work involves social issues such as drug or alcohol abuse, donor fatigue can be a permanent ailment. This article by Ian Driscoll was published in the Financial Times 26 August 2008. Substance abuse is viewed as a failing of the self - and an ugly one at that. Images of shadow-eyed, drug-taking suburban teens suggest hopelessness rather than helplessness. The stigma of abuse - for both sufferers and their saviours - can be unyielding. "In some ways, it's harder to raise money for kids with drug and alcohol issues than it is to raise money for fish," says Donna Wiench, development director at Daybreak Youth Services, a Washington state drug and... [read full story]