{"id":4402231433843,"date":"2026-01-06T10:44:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T15:44:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/?p=4402231433843"},"modified":"2026-03-10T10:41:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T14:41:04","slug":"our-talent-pipeline-is-broken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/opinion\/our-talent-pipeline-is-broken\/","title":{"rendered":"The Talent Crisis Hurting Nonprofits \u2014 and America"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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For more than three decades, I have worked with others to recruit, train, and support young people \u2014 chiefly recent college graduates \u2014 who want to address major social issues. Through Teach for America<\/a>, launched in 1989, more than 70,000 individuals have devoted two years to leading classrooms in low-income, underresourced urban and rural public schools. Through Teach for All<\/a> \u2014 a global network of independent, locally led organizations created in 2007 \u2014 another 50,000 in more than 60 countries have made similar commitments in their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Over the years, we have found that working in close proximity to social issues such as poverty, hunger, discrimination, trauma, and struggling systems can transform young professionals and their communities. Young people who step into roles facing such systemic challenges develop the identity, insights, and skills that shape their careers, according to research<\/a> on Teach for All\u2019s network. They gain a deeper understanding of inequity, come to believe even more in the potential of the communities they serve, and see their power to contribute. Also, their priorities shift: Seventy-five percent of Teach for All teachers continue to work full-time for the rest of their lives to tackle these issues as educators, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, these early professional experiences develop the collective leadership \u2014 people working toward a shared purpose across disciplines and causes \u2014 that is essential for strong communities. The opposite is also true: When young people begin their careers in skyscrapers far removed from day-to-day realities, we risk deepening social division and polarization. In my recent talk at Emerson Collective\u2019s annual Demo Day<\/a>, I underscored how early careers spent close to marginalized communities narrows the gap between those shaping decisions and those affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why the current moment is so concerning. Public service organizations are finding it harder to attract young people. Even at universities with strong traditions of civic engagement, more students are entering the corporate world. At Harvard, almost half<\/a> of last year\u2019s graduating class went into consulting, finance, and technology, up from about a third a decade ago. Fewer are choosing roles that bring them close to the realities of the world and the issues they care about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Financial pressures contribute to this shift. Rising costs and the burden of student debt make pursuing public service more challenging. Programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness offer debt relief, making public service a feasible choice. But that program has faced periodic threats of rollback or major change, heightening young people\u2019s anxiety. Even the perception that loan relief may not be dependable can tip early-career decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n

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