Higher ed has a talent problem. The average tenure for a gift officer is less than 18 months. 51% of all fundraisers plan to leave their jobs in the next two years. (Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy) And the average direct and indirect cost of losing a fundraiser is about $127,000. The “disappearing gift officer” has a huge impact on higher ed advancement. So, how can we improve the talent retention rate in higher ed? One answer is: get better at building talent pipeline. And the way we can do this is by: 1) Intentionally building on-ramp positions for new talent. (i.e. Positions that don't require direct fundraising experience and that welcome talent from outside the industry.) 2) Establishing a "crash course" in fundraising for these new fundraisers. (Our friends at Emory established the one-year Donor Experience Academy to train new gift officers, and it's amazing.) 3) Empowering new employees with the specific skills (tech suite, institutional knowledge, key relationships) that are needed for them to take the next step in your org. 4) Making sure that "next step" is clear, ready, and waiting for them. Essentially, it's about embracing a train-hire-grow model, and intentionality and specificity are keys to building this successful talent onramp. On this episode, Kim interview Dennis Bonilla, Dean at Wiley Edge Global Academy. The Wiley Edge team follows a train-hire-grow model centered on preparing college grads with high-demand tech skillsets that modern companies need – and then placing those graduates in those companies. They embody an intentional and specific talent readiness model, and advancement can learn a lot from it. Tune in!