Senior fundraising leadership, embedded with your team on a monthly retainer. I build the program, manage the donor relationships, write the communications, and train your people to carry it forward. You get an experienced development director without the $120K salary.
You know you need fundraising help. What you're not sure about is what kind.
Your organization has a compelling mission, a strong case, and supporters who believe in what you do. But fundraising keeps falling to whoever has bandwidth this month. The board chair sends a few emails. A volunteer updates the spreadsheet. Someone writes an appeal letter that reads like a tax receipt.
You've thought about hiring a development director, but the math is hard to justify: $90,000 to $140,000 in salary and benefits for a role you're not sure how to manage, in a field where turnover averages 16 months. You've thought about hiring a consultant, but you've heard the stories: a nice binder, an impressive strategy deck, and then silence.
What you actually need is someone who shows up. Who learns your organization from the inside. Who builds the systems, writes the case for support, manages the campaigns, meets with the donors, and trains your board to carry it forward. Someone who does the work alongside you.
That's what fractional fundraising services is. And that's what I do.
How It Works
Every engagement is different, but here's the shape of a typical retainer:
Why This Is Different
The problem: The executive director took on fundraising. Or a board member volunteered. It takes over their schedule, the results are inconsistent, and nobody has the expertise to know what's actually working.
The difference: I bring 20 years of development experience and a track record of building programs from the ground up. I have systems that I've tested over two decades that bring clarity and transparency. We know exactly what to do next, and what is or isn't working. You focus on running your organization. I focus on raising money for it.
The problem: The salary is $90K to $140K for a competent mid-to-senior-level fundraiser. The average tenure is 16 months. And if you've never had a development professional on staff, you may not know how to manage one or whether the role is even scoped correctly.
The difference: On a monthly retainer, you get senior-level leadership at a fraction of the cost. And because I've built multiple programs from scratch, I don't need someone to manage me. All I ask is for availability from the executive director and the board for when I have questions (and I will have lots of those!).
The problem: The strategic plan was thorough. The binder was beautiful. But six months later, it's sitting on a shelf because nobody had the time, skill, or confidence to execute it.
The difference: I don't hand you a binder. I embed with your team and do the work alongside you. Strategy and execution are not separate steps. They happen together.
The problem: Every expert contradicts the last one. This fundraising blog says one thing, the conference speaker says another, and none of it accounts for the fact that you're a 5-person arts organization, not a hospital.
The difference: I build a strategy for your organization, your donors, your community, and your capacity. Not a template. Not a framework. A program that fits the way you actually work.
What's Included
Every engagement is tailored, but most retainers involve a combination of the following:
Retainers are structured on a monthly basis and tailored to your organization's size, complexity, and goals.
Investment
Monthly Retainer
Starts at $4,000/month
+ HST where applicable
Scope and pricing depend on organizational size, the complexity of the fundraising program, and how many active initiatives are running at once. We'll scope the right level together during our first conversation.
Retainers run on a minimum six-month commitment. This isn't about locking you in. It's because meaningful fundraising results take time to build, and short engagements rarely produce lasting change.
Not sure where you stand? A Fundraising Audit is often the best starting point. Many clients begin with an audit and transition into a retainer once they have a clear picture of where the opportunities are.
"When John came on board, we had about 50 donors and no real fundraising infrastructure. Within a year, he'd grown our donor base to over 300 and more than doubled our annual revenue. That's the kind of personal, skin-in-the-game commitment he brings to his clients."Frank Callaghan Former Board Chair, Wayside Academy
Is This Right For You?
Fractional fundraising isn't for everyone. That's not a sales tactic. Some organizations need a different kind of help. Here's how to tell.
"In five short weeks, under John's guidance, we raised over $100,000, more than double any campaign total we had run in the previous 35 years. His writing is extraordinary. I can wholeheartedly recommend John as the person an organization wants to run a campaign."Syd Birrell Founder & Artistic Director (retired), The Peterborough Singers
That's fine. Here are some other ways to start:
If you need clarity before commitment: A Fundraising Audit & Strategic Plan gives you a clear-eyed assessment of where you stand and a roadmap your team can follow. It's often the best starting point.
If you have a specific campaign to run: I design and manage campaigns from strategy through execution, including annual funds, capital campaigns, and legacy giving programs.
If your website isn't pulling its weight: I offer Website Strategy & SEO to help the people who are already looking for what you do actually find you.
If you just want to talk: Every engagement starts with a conversation. No pitch, no pressure. Let's talk about where you are and what you need.
Common Questions
Fractional fundraising services means hiring an experienced fundraising professional on a retainer basis rather than as a full-time employee. The consultant embeds with your team, manages donor relationships, oversees campaigns, and builds your fundraising program - providing senior-level expertise at a fraction of the cost of a full-time Director of Development.
Fractional fundraising services works best for nonprofits with annual revenues between $500K and $3M - organizations that have outgrown a volunteer-driven model but aren't ready to hire a full-time development director. It's especially valuable when the executive director is carrying too much of the fundraising themselves.
A traditional consultant delivers a project - a plan, a feasibility study - and moves on. Fractional fundraising services is ongoing, embedded partnership. I attend your meetings, join donor calls, write your appeals, and manage your fundraising program month after month, functioning as part of your team.
Most engagements run six to twelve months. The goal is always to leave you stronger - with systems, relationships, and a team that can carry the program forward. Some clients continue on a longer-term basis after the initial engagement.
No pitch. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about where you are, where you want to be, and what it would take to get there.
Book a Call →Every engagement begins the same way: with an honest discussion about your organization, your mission, and where you want to go. No pitch. No obligation.
Phone
Location
Kawartha Lakes, Ontario - Serving non-profits across Canada and the United States