Across the country, veteran leaders and thinkers in the public sector and non-profit world are reaching a common and disturbing conclusion: There is a severe shortage of young, capable and dedicated leaders prepared to move into key positions as existing leaders prepare for and move into retirement. In a 2005 report, The Annie E. Casey Foundation predicted that, “As the Baby Boomers edge into their 50s and 60s, nonprofit organizations will soon be making room for a new generation of leaders. The sector as a whole, however, has only just begun to anticipate the shift of this older cohort. During the next 20-30 years…the leadership gap will likely expand into a chasm.”

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that, “Almost half of all current nonprofit executive directors in New York City anticipate retiring within the next five years, but the vast majority of organizations have no succession plans in place, nor have they taken any steps to train the next generation of leaders.” Most recently, a white paper from the Bridgespan Group reported that, “Today nonprofit organizations struggle to attract and retain the talented senior executives they need to fulfill their missions. Over the coming decade, this leadership challenge will only become more acute. Over the next decade, [non-profit] organizations will need to attract and develop some 640,000 new senior managers—the equivalent of 2.4 times the number currently employed.”

In response to the growing leadership “chasm,” OTM has established On The Verge, an effort to develop the next generation of committed, emerging leaders for the public and non-profit sectors. On The Verge offers a structured, inquiry-based model of leadership development that ultimately results in young leaders training other young leaders. To date, 84 young leaders in their twenties and early thirties have participated in OTV, composing a total of six cohorts. The impact on the lives of these individuals and the organizations they serve has been tremendous.