"Readers of a certain age will remember tedious elementary-school experiences with Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E, founded in 1983. There was just one problem: D.A.R.E. didn't work. Long-term studies have shown that the program produced no meaningful reduction in drug use and in some cases actually made kids more likely to use drugs.
"As Ken Stern documents in With Charity for All - his survey of what ails the US nonprofit sector - stories like D.A.R.E.'s are common. From one-person startups to powerhouses like the Red Cross, charities have plenty of good intentions, slick fundraisers, and promotional "happy sheets," but they often fail to solve social problems.
"Stern would like to see an investor mentality applied to the charitable sector, and he cheers organizations that take a venture capitalist's approach to analyzing and funding nonprofits. He also wants donors to insist on measurable results."
Read the book review in the WSJ.
