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.

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.