Revolution of Heart

Shore posits that welfare programs, private charities and nonprofit agencies fail to solve social problems because many compete for the same limited funds, operate inefficiently and/or use little creativity. He proposes alliances with businesses willing to dedicate part of their profits to solutions. As examples, he cites Working Assets and the enterprises of Paul Newman, Joseph Kennedy, Ben & Jerry's and his own Share Our Strength (SOS). These are driven by people of social vision who, while creating jobs and wealth, at the same time provide new funding sources for social programs. Sometimes a nonprofit, such as SOS--concerned primarily with hunger--enters into a partnership with an existing company, the one providing products or skills, the other devising marketing vehicles for them, and together creating new resources for social projects. A former aide to Senator Gary Hart, Shore offers timely analyses of the failures of nonprofits and government programs, and his examples of successful coalitions with business are inspiring. Yet critics will have many ``yes--buts'' in response to his argument, which, though silken and persuasive, seems long on idealism and short on wide application, depending as it does on a ``revolution of the heart.'' (Nov.)