Finding Tomorrow’s Nonprofit Leaders Today
For years, we have talked about a “talent pipeline” in the nonprofit sector as if it were something automatic — as though smart, capable people will simply find their way into mission-driven work because the cause is worthy. The problem is that assumption is no longer true. And frankly, it may never have been.
A recent opinion piece in The Chronicle of Philanthropy titled “Our Talent Pipeline Is Broken” lays out a reality many nonprofit leaders already feel every day: we are struggling to attract and retain the next generation of leaders. Graduates who once might have gone into public service or nonprofit roles are choosing consulting, finance, and tech instead — not because they lack values, but because those sectors offer clearer pathways, better compensation, and visible investment in people.
The article points to several structural challenges. Student debt is real. Entry-level nonprofit salaries often are not. Campus recruiting heavily favors corporate employers. And even when young professionals do enter our field, too many organizations lack the bandwidth to provide mentorship, professional development, and a sense that there is a future worth building toward.
None of this should surprise us.
Dan Pallotta has been making this case for years — in his books, his widely viewed TED Talk, and the documentary UnCharitable. His argument is simple and uncomfortable: by starving nonprofits of resources and holding them to unrealistic standards around overhead and pay, we undermine the very outcomes we claim to care about. Talent is not free. Leadership is not cheap.
And pretending otherwise has consequences.
What the Chronicle article reinforces is that this is no longer an abstract debate. It is a pipeline problem with real downstream effects. If we do not invest in early-career professionals today, we will not have seasoned, capable leaders tomorrow. And leadership gaps are far more expensive than competitive salaries ever were.
Investing in leadership means several things. It means paying people enough to live without constant financial anxiety. It means creating clear growth opportunities and pathways for advancement. It means providing strong strategic guidance, coaching, and professional development — not just for senior executives, but for emerging leaders as well. And it means being honest with boards and donors that people are not a “cost center”; they are the engine.
I am certainly not an idealist when it comes to organizational realities. But I am convinced of this: nonprofits that want to be sustainable, effective, and relevant ten years from now must make deliberate investments in leadership now — both present and future. Mission alone will not carry us forward. People will.
