Fractional Fundraising: Why Small Nonprofits Are Choosing It Over Full-Time Hires

Updated December 22, 2025

Fractional fundraising is becoming the go-to solution for small nonprofits because it solves three problems that full-time hires and traditional consultants can't: you get senior-level expertise without the $75K+ salary, hands-on implementation without the supervision burden, and the elimination of turnover risk. For small nonprofits, it's the difference between sustainable fundraising growth and another strategic plan collecting dust on a shelf.

Let's be real - you've probably been told you need to "invest in development staff." But what they don't mention is that the average nonprofit fundraiser stays just 16 months, recruitment costs could vary between $15K-$25K, and junior hires need constant supervision you don't have time to provide.

There's a smarter way.

Why the Traditional Hiring Model Is Broken for Small Nonprofits

You’ve probably experienced this cycle:

The Junior Hire Trap:

• You finally get budget approval to hire a Development Coordinator

• You recruit, interview, onboard (3+ months before they're productive)

• You spend 5-10 hours weekly supervising, training, correcting

• They're just getting good… and then they leave for a bigger org

• You're back to square one, $20K+ poorer, with donor relationships disrupted

The Consultant Disappointment:

• You hire a consultant to create a fundraising strategy

• They deliver a beautiful 47-page plan (that cost you money)

• They leave, assuming you have capacity to implement

• The plan sits on your shelf because you're drowning in operational demands

• Six months later, nothing has changed except your bank balance

The DIY Burnout:

• You write grants at 11 PM after your kids go to bed

• You send donor thank-yous in your car between meetings

• Fundraising gets deprioritized because operational fires scream louder

• Revenue plateaus or declines

• You wonder if you're failing your mission

Sound familiar? You're not alone. And it's not your fault - the system is designed for organizations with big budgets, not small nonprofits doing transformative work on limited resources.

What Makes Fractional Fundraising Different (And Smarter)

Fractional fundraising fixes the broken model by combining what works and eliminating what doesn't:

✅ Senior-Level Expertise at Junior-Level Cost

✅ Hands-On Implementation, Not Just Advice

Here's an example of what a fractional fundraiser can achieve with you in a month:

Week 1-2:

• 15-20 personalized donor thank-you calls/emails sent

• Gift processing oversight and data cleanup

• Lapsed donor re-engagement campaign deployed

Week 3:

• 2-3 grant proposals researched, written, submitted

• Year-end appeal drafted and designed

• Strategy session with ED (not supervision—collaboration)

Week 4:

• Donor meeting research and prep

• Metrics reporting and strategy adjustment

• Next month planning

Real example: In Q4 2025, our fractional fundraiser helped a client (whose mission promotes gender equality) secure $TBD in new grants while raising an additional $TBD through their year-end campaign. The ED said: "I forgot what it felt like to NOT worry about fundraising every weekend."

✅ No Supervision Burden

Unlike junior hires who need:

• Training on your donor database

• Approval on every email before it goes out

• Help crafting their first grant proposals

• Weekly 1:1s to keep them on track

Fractional fundraisers:

• Hit the ground running (we've done this A LOT)

• Bring proven systems and templates

• Make decisions independently within agreed strategy

• Report TO you, not rely ON you
  
  

✅ Agency Continuity = Zero Turnover Risk

The nightmare scenario with staff: They leave right before your biggest campaign.

With the agency model:

• You're partnering with Sound Fundraising Strategies (the organization), not just one person

• If your primary contact transitions, another team member steps in seamlessly (no burden of onboarding!)

• All donor communications, grant deadlines, and strategy are documented in shared systems

• Institutional knowledge stays with YOU
  
  

The Real Cost Breakdown (No Hidden Fees)

Let's talk actual numbers, because transparency matters.

Full-Time Development Coordinator Estimates:

• Salary: $55,000 +

• Benefits (25-30%): $16,500

• Office space/equipment: $3,000

• Recruitment costs: $5,000

• Training time (ED's hours): $8,000 (opportunity cost)

TOTAL YEAR 1: $87,500

Risk: They leave in 16 months on average

Traditional Consultant Estimates:

• Strategy development: $15K

• Implementation: $0 (you're on your own)

TOTAL: $15,000

Gap: Beautiful plan, no execution

Fractional Fundraising :

• Monthly retainer: $4,000+ (based on scope)

• Annual investment: $48K-$60K

• What's included: Strategy + Planning + Implementation + Ongoing optimization

• Hidden costs: None. No benefits, no office space, no supervision time, no recruitment.

The Real Cost Comparison (Why Fractional Makes Financial Sense)

Let's cut to the chase with actual numbers:

The hidden costs everyone forgets:

• Full-time hire: Add $15K-$25K for recruitment, training, supervision time, and turnover risk

• Consultant: Add your own time (unpaid nights/weekends) trying to implement their plan

• Fractional: No hidden costs. What you see is what you pay.

Bottom line: You get senior-level expertise and hands-on implementation at roughly half the cost of a full-time hire, without the supervision burden or turnover risk.

Why 12-Month Partnerships (Not Lock-In Contracts)

You might be thinking: "Why such a long commitment? What if it doesn't work?"

Here's the truth about fundraising that nobody wants to say out loud:

Fundraising is a flywheel, not a light switch. Here’s an example:

• Months 1-3: Foundation building (systems, donor segmentation, messaging, pipeline development)

• Months 4-6: Initial momentum (first campaigns, grant submissions, donor moves)

• Months 7-9: Growth acceleration (donors respond, grants awarded, strategy adjustment, campaign refinement)

• Months 10-12: Sustainable momentum (flywheel spinning, systems humming, retention improves)

If you stop at month 6, you've paid for the setup but won't see the full ROI.

Our 12-month structure protects YOUR investment, without locking you in. We're confident on our ability to deliver results over time based on expertise, not trapping you in a contract.

Payment structure: Monthly retainer, not upfront annual fee. You pay as you go.

Why Small Nonprofits Are Making the Switch

The nonprofit sector is shifting. Smart EDs are realizing:

The old model: Hire cheap, supervise constantly, lose them in 16 months, repeat.

The new model: Partner with fractional experts who implement, deliver results, and stick around.

Ready to Stop Doing Fundraising Alone?

If you're an Executive Director who's tired of writing grants at midnight, wondering why your donor retention keeps dropping, and secretly worrying that you're failing your mission because you can't figure out fundraising—you're not failing. The system is.

Book a free 30-minute discovery call to explore whether fractional fundraising is right for your organization.

On the call, we'll:
✓ Discuss your current fundraising challenges and capacity gaps
✓ Explore whether fractional support aligns with your budget and goals
✓ Answer all your questions about how the model actually works
✓ Provide immediate value even if we're not the right fit right now

No pressure. No pitch. Just an honest conversation about whether we can help you build the sustainable fundraising your mission deserves.