Fractional Executives - Not a Flaw

Once, bringing in a part-time or contract executive was something a nonprofit whispered about. “They must be broke.” “They can’t land real talent.” “Something’s off.”

Ditch that thinking. Fractional leadership isn’t a fallback—it’s a strategy. In today’s fractious nonprofit world, fractional is often the path through.

Look around: the staffing model is shifting. Harvard Business Review reported that LinkedIn profiles listing “fractional leader” jumped from 2,000 in 2022 to over 110,000 by early 2024. Organizations with fractional executives? They’re growing roughly 30% faster than peers. That’s not belt-tightening. That’s capacity and competence on tap at work.

I was talking with a national nonprofit leader not long ago—a guy who’s run the show at a major health organization. His team brought in a fractional CMO. Not because they couldn’t afford the full-time version. They could. But the CEO was steering through big leadership transitions and didn’t want to lock in a permanent hire too soon. They needed someone who could step in, steady the ship, and move the mission forward.

In a matter of weeks, the fractional CMO delivered more impact than the full-timers before him. Not in theory. Not in PowerPoint decks. In results.

Why does that happen? Three reasons:

No ego, no politics. A fractional leader isn’t angling for the next promotion or building a legacy. They’re hired to deliver—and clarity follows.

Experience on tap. Many have already logged decades in the big chair. They know the fires. They know the patterns. They can skip the spin-up and get straight to the work.

Top talent is choosing this model. These aren’t second-tier candidates. Many of the best in the field are going fractional because they want variety and impact across multiple missions.

And let’s be clear: fractional doesn’t always mean interim. Yes, some leaders cover transitions. But others stay for years, embedded in the work, just not on payroll full-time.

Right now, the nonprofit world is leaning on fractional CEOs, CFOs, CDOs, CMOs, and Chief Program Officers. But the fastest-growing trend? Fractional CRM administrators. A strong CRM lead—10 or 15 hours a week—can transform your donor engagement and data health without the burden of another full-time salary line.

Because here’s reality: between inflation, donor churn, and restructuring, most nonprofits are being asked to do more with less. A $200K hire might be out of reach. But bringing in senior leadership for a fraction of that—literally—is not only possible, it’s preferable.

Fractional is not a flaw. It’s a fit. Used well, it can move your mission faster than the old model ever could. And we need better answers now.

So tell me—have you seen this in action? Are you considering it? Doing it already?

And if you’re hunting for fractional talent, I know talented people who can start tomorrow. The world is FULL of talent! Let’s talk.

Photo credit: Photo by Julia Potter on Unsplash

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