Fractional Leadership for Nonprofits
When you need executive-level fundraising support NOW
Leadership transitions or stalled campaigns can quickly slow progress. Donor relationships fade. Priorities drift.
Fractional leadership gives you immediate access to senior fundraising expertise, without the commitment of a full-time hire. It’s not a stopgap. It’s a smart, focused way to keep your mission moving forward during periods of change.
Fractional leadership is about building resilience, not just filling a vacancy.
— Karen S. Cochran
Why Nonprofits Need Fractional Leadership
Today’s fundraising landscape is demanding. You need someone who has been through this before.
Campaigns are complex, donors expect more, and talent is harder to retain. But adding another full-time executive isn't always the answer, especially when you need strategic leadership now, not in six months.
Fractional leadership gives you immediate access to an executive-level advancement professional who can quickly assess what's working, what's not, and move your highest-priority initiatives forward while building your team's capacity to sustain results
Through a fractional engagement, your organization can:
- Maintain continuity during transitions or restructuring.
- Refocus strategy on high-impact goals.
- Strengthen donor pipelines and stewardship systems.
- Restore trust and confidence across teams and stakeholders.
- Build lasting discipline and alignment within your fundraising program.
What Is a Fractional Chief Development Officer (CDO)?
A Fractional Chief Development Officer (CDO) provides executive fundraising leadership on a part-time or project basis, tailored to your organization's needs and timeline.
This isn't consulting. A Fractional CDO takes operational ownership alongside your team, while providing access to proven advancement expertise to guide campaigns, deepen donor relationships, and mentor internal teams.
The goal is always to leave your organization stronger than when the engagement began. Karen’s fractional engagements are designed to stabilize operations, strengthen systems, and leave organizations stronger than before.
How Fractional Engagements Work
Each engagement combines strategic clarity with hands-on leadership to ensure progress and accountability.
Step 1:
Assess and Align
Karen evaluates your development strategy, systems, and team structure to identify strengths, gaps, and quick wins.
Step 2:
Lead and Build
As your Fractional CDO, she works alongside your team to maintain donor momentum, implement sound fundraising practices, and establish clear performance measures.
Step 3:
Transition and Strengthen
Before concluding the engagement, Karen helps solidify structure and confidence so your team can sustain results long after her role ends.
The goal isn’t to replace leadership. It’s to equip your team to carry the mission forward with confidence.
— Karen S. Cochran
Can Your Organization Afford to Wait?
You know you need support. The question isn’t whether to act – it's whether to scramble through another lengthy search, or bring in proven expertise NOW.
Without consistent development leadership:
- Major donors go quiet, and eventually stop giving
- Staff works without direction, burning out faster
- Campaigns stall, damaging credibility with funders
- Board confidence erodes with each missed update
- Your next hire spends the first year making up for lost time
With a seasoned Fractional CDO in place:
- Fundraising stabilizes immediately… not in 6 months
- Donors receive consistent, strategic attention
- Your team gains clarity, confidence, and momentum
- Board members see tangible progress and stay engaged
- You hire your next leader from a position of strength
Why Choose Karen S. Cochran
Karen S. Cochran, CFRE, has raised and stewarded more than $7.5 billion in philanthropic support while leading advancement teams to surpass campaign and annual fundraising goals. Known for cultivating record-setting gifts, she brings both strategic vision and hands-on leadership to every engagement.
As founder of Philanthropy Innovators, creator of the MOST™ Philanthropy Model, and a Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder-Centered Coach, Karen brings a rare depth of experience and a track record of helping organizations build resilient, high-performing fundraising teams.
Her approach blends strategy with coaching, equipping leaders to sustain progress and deliver results long after the engagement ends.
Ready to Strengthen Your Fundraising Leadership?
Fractional leadership gives you the experienced guidance and structure to move your mission forward with clarity and confidence.
Let’s build your next chapter together.
Further Reading
Learn more about how fractional leadership is transforming nonprofit management: The Case for Fractional Leadership in Nonprofits
