Fractional Fundraising: A Game-Changer for Small Nonprofits or Just a Trend?

The nonprofit sector is facing unprecedented challenges with high staff turnover, tight budgets, and increasing pressure to raise more with less. Enter “fractional fundraising,” a new trend that’s gaining traction among fundraisers and development officers to stretch resources while not sacrificing knowledge or skills.

What is fractional fundraising? Is it a cost-saving shortcut, a temporary fix, or a strategic solution to a long-standing problem? Let’s explore what this model really offers, and whether it's right for your nonprofit.

What Is Fractional Fundraising?

Despite misconceptions, fractional doesn’t just mean “part-time.” A fractional fundraiser is a seasoned fundraising professional who works with multiple organizations on a contract basis, which often are around 10 to 20 hours per week per client. But this isn’t task-based or transactional work.

Fractional fundraisers serve as embedded team members, offering strategic planning and implementation. Think of them as your nonprofit's development director without the full-time salary and benefits package.

It’s a model borrowed from the for-private sector, like fractional CFOs or CMOs, and adapted to give small nonprofits access to high-level expertise they otherwise couldn’t afford.

Why Are Nonprofits Turning to Fractional Fundraisers?

For nonprofits stuck in a cycle of underperforming fundraising or overwhelmed executive directors wearing too many hats, fractional fundraising offers an appealing alternative.

Pros of Fractional Fundraising

1. Access to Senior-Level Talent at Lower Cost
Small nonprofits typically can’t afford a veteran fundraiser, but hiring an entry-level worker often requires additional support that existing staff can’t offer. Fractional fundraisers provide executive level skills at a manageable rate.

2. Strategic + Tactical
Fractional fundraisers don’t just create a plan and leave it to the staff to implement. They conduct audits, build systems, write grants, cultivate donors, and make their recommendations happen.

3. Faster Onboarding and Immediate Impact
Because they’re experienced professionals, fractional fundraisers can begin producing results quickly. There’s no need for months of onboarding or training.

4. Long-Term Stability
Unlike traditional consultants or interim staff, fractional fundraisers often stay with organizations for a year or more, providing continuity and relationship-building that many full-time roles struggle to maintain due to high turnover.

5. Flexible and Scalable
Fractional arrangements can be tailored to organizational needs. They can range from campaign-specific support to ongoing development leadership. As your organization grows, the role can evolve.

6. Fresh Perspective
Working across several nonprofits gives fractional fundraisers a broad view of best practices and trends. They bring that insight to every client.

Potential Cons: What are the downsides?

As with any staffing model, fractional fundraising isn’t a perfect fit for every situation.

1. Limited Availability
Since they’re juggling multiple clients, fractional fundraisers may not be instantly available during a crisis or for last-minute asks.

2. Less Cultural Integration
They may not be immersed in your day-to-day culture like a full-time team member, which can occasionally create disconnects in voice or internal alignment.

3. Less Control
Fractional fundraisers are independent contractors. They manage their time and work style. Organizations looking for highly managed roles might find this a challenge.

4. Not Ideal for Deep Major Donor Cultivation (in all cases)
Some critics argue that donor relationships, especially with major givers, require full-time, long-term presence. While many fractional fundraisers do build strong relationships, their part-time engagement may limit capacity for high-touch stewardship in larger portfolios.

Who Should Consider Fractional Fundraising?

Fractional fundraising is best suited for:

• Small to mid-sized nonprofits that can’t afford a full-time fundraiser.

• Organizations launching specific campaigns or new development initiatives.

• Executive directors and fundraising teams overwhelmed by fundraising duties.

• Nonprofits needing to build foundational systems before hiring a full-time development team.

What It’s Not

Critics sometimes argue that fractional fundraising is just a short-term fix or a budget Band-Aid. But that perspective misunderstands its purpose.

This model isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about bridging the implementation gap many small organizations face. For example, areas where strategic advice exists, but execution is missing. Fractional fundraisers step in to fill that gap with experience, consistency, and action.

Try It Before You Knock It

The debate around fractional fundraising reflects deeper truths about our sector, such as burnout, budget constraints, and broken hiring pipelines. While not a cure-all, fractional fundraising is helping many nonprofits do more than survive. They’re growing and flourishing.

So, if your organization has been stuck with an unimplemented strategic plan or burned by another short-lived hire, a fractional fundraiser might be the solution you didn’t know you needed.

Fractional fundraisers may be the bridge that helps small nonprofits have senior talent while and start building smarter, more sustainable fundraising models.

Julep + Fractional Fundraising = Success

Julep automatically comes with features that work will with fractional fundraising:

• Unlimited users + customizable permissions:
  With Julep, you aren’t limited with seats or accounts. You can also set up custom user permission for every role that you need in your organization.

• Moves Management:
  The Moves Management dashboard visually guides users through the complete giving cycle with customizable stages with a drag-and-drop interface. You can also track Tasks and Notes, upcoming deadlines, most recent contribution and communications with the donor.

• Gift Officer Tracking & Portfolio:
  From the Julep home dashboard, you can quickly access donors and records assigned to each Gift Officer. Each user can see total records assigned, how much they raised fiscal-year-to-date, open moves and tasks, upcoming and past events, items that need attention, and number of donors retained.

If you would like to try out Julep and see how it helps you stretch your budget and work with fractional fundraisers, schedule time to chat with us.