“We can get someone in place in a few weeks.”

Sound familiar?

If you’re in a leadership role at a not-for-profit, chances are you’ve probably either said this or heard this thought process from other senior leaders, right? And on paper, it sounds reasonable:
Dust off an old job description (2013 wasn’t that long ago, right?), post it to your website, maybe an online job board or two, shortlist a few candidates, do a couple of interviews, check references, and boom—hired.

Right?

Wrong.

Here’s the reality: that job description is outdated, probably vague, and likely missing salary expectations (yes, people still leave that part out). And that quick post on Indeed? It’s going to generate 300+ applications from folks who are just “shooting their shot.” Now you’re stuck wading through resumes, because there COULD be a good one (there wasn’t though, was there?).

Suddenly you don’t have ANY viable candidates, so after sourcing some fundraising specific sites, you’re now 2–3 weeks behind! Add in interview coordination, decision-making delays, and reference checks, and things can fall apart fast.

Maybe your top candidate accepts another job while you’re organizing your panel. Your second choice has no practical experience and some major red flags. Your third? Well, they’re great—but now you’re negotiating a $90K salary with six weeks of vacation… and you’re realizing that’s more than what you make!

Again, sound familiar?

We’re not here to tell you it’s hopeless—we’re here to tell you there’s another way: Fractional Fundraising.

So, what is fractional fundraising?

It’s not brand new, but it is innovative—and it’s gaining traction in the not-for-profit space for a reason. A fractional fundraiser (hey – like us!) comes in and supports your small to mid-sized organization with a strategy AND implementation.

We embed ourselves in your organization and act as part of your team, focused on outcomes and deliverables—not punching a clock. We meet you where you’re at, develop a tailored fundraising strategy, and actually implement it.

We’re happy to meet with your Executive Director, your Board, or whoever needs to understand how this works. The best part? We can get started right away.

For the cost of an entry-level staff member who may need training and might leave in a year, you can access director-level experience with staying power.

What’s the catch?

Well—if you want to call it that—we’re not full-time and we’re not in-house. But if your organization is already working remotely (or even hybrid), you won’t notice a difference. A shared calendar and file access is all we need. Most of our clients forget we’re not local!

As a fractional fundraiser, our sole focus is entirely on the fundraising plan we build with you and stick around long enough to make sure it works. That’s why we operate on a one-year contract—because short-term fundraising rarely yields meaningful results, and we don’t do half-baked.

TL;DR?

Hiring a full-time fundraiser may seem like the default, but it comes with risks: lost time, bad hires, budget strain, and burnout (yours and theirs). A fractional fundraiser is a smarter, faster, and more strategic option—especially for small to mid-sized not-for-profits.

We bring experience, accountability, and momentum—without the overhead.

So really, what have you got to lose?

(Other than more time.)

Written by Deanna Carruthers & Lena MacIntosh – August 2025