Ten thousand people turn 65 today.  And again tomorrow. And again every day for the next decade. Maybe you are one of them? Maybe you are watching all that institutional knowledge leave your organization with each new retirement. Either way we know there is a gap happening between those retiring and those that remain.

We also know that turning 65 leaves plenty of years ahead for professional contribution, and the Baby Boomer generation is more educated and volunteers more than any previous generation. We also know that volunteering in a professional capacity generates about 70% repeat volunteerism over general labor.

So, how can we combine these two statistics? Have you considered developing a volunteer program that allows your institutional knowledge to be passed along without the pressure of being new to a role or juggling current responsibilities while absorbing historical information? In other words, how about an alumni program with enough structure to include teaching and mentoring opportunities so your top performers continue contributing to your organization past their employment?

What would it take to make that a reality in 2018? Ten thousand people a day, how many people are you losing this year?