Connie Kravas, the vice president for university advancement at the University of Washington, has brought in 64 new fund raisers since 2002--close to doubling its staff--to help raise money for a $2-billion-plus campaign. Many college development offices have experienced similar rapid growth in recent years, with many adding fund raisers at a faster rate than ever. Fueling the growth are several converging trends. Government support is down, competition for dollars is up, and institutions without strong fund-raising operations are at risk of being left behind. This article describes the current trend of hiring fund raisers in the academe.