Get Senior-level Support Without the Full-time Cost.
Fractional Development Directors: A New Approach for Today’s Realities
You’re ready for your next level of fundraising, but you’re stuck in a familiar bind. You need senior leadership, and a full-time director isn’t in the budget. Hiring too junior creates more work and risk, while waiting stalls momentum.
A Fractional Development Director gives you part-time, long-term senior leadership. You get a consistent strategic partner who knows your organization, earns the trust of your team and board, and builds fundraising that lasts.
Fractional Development Director: $66K a year. A full-time development director starts at $125K.
Start the year with a plan, not a scramble. Book a call by December to hold your January start date.
How Is This Different Than Consulting?
A consultant hands you a roadmap. A fractional director joins your team and carries it out with you.
And you’re never on your own. Your Think Big lead is backed by our network of designers, digital communications strategists and fundraising specialists. Need an annual report designed, help running a campaign, or a small batch of donors wealth screened through our iWave partnership? We can bring in the right people.
These additional services are scoped and priced separately, so you only pay for what you need.
What the Work Looks Like
Weeks 1–3, Discovery: We learn your organization, data and people.
Weeks 4–8, Strategy: We build your Development Plan and fundraising report card.
Months 3–9, Execution: We lead major donor strategy, campaigns, board reporting and more, alongside your team.
Months 10–12, Next Steps: We document everything and train your staff. Then we either renew our partnership or prepare your team to hand off to a full-time development director. Either way, you win.
What We Do and Don’t Do
We don’t
Attend donor meetings. We prepare you in making the ask.
Run day-to-day social media or email
Handle gift receipting or event logistics
Run emergency cash grabs
We do
Major donor strategy, research, coaching and meeting prep
Build campaigns, including email and social content
Meet regularly and advise on your CRM
Build long-term, sustainable fundraising
Frequently Asked Questions
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$5,500 per month with a 12-month commitment. We’re happy to talk through your needs, timeline and budget.
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We ask for a 12-month commitment. That gives us time to get embedded in your team, build a strategy, carry it out and see real impact. After that, we either renew our partnership or help you transition to a full-time development director. Either way, you win.
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Expect weekly check-ins plus about 21 hours of hands-on work each month.
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No. We build your major donor strategy, research your prospects and prepare you for each meeting, so you walk in ready to lead the conversation and make the ask. Depending on the client’s need we may attend up to 3 donor meetings to provide coaching which can be discussed during your discovery call.
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Hiring on your own means recruiting, vetting and managing someone yourself, and starting over if they leave. With Think Big Collective, Jessica personally vets every director, you keep continuity if your needs change, and you get a team and tools like iWave behind your director, without the big contracts.
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Collaborative, honest, and straightforward. We're here to guide the process, bring ideas to the table, and keep things moving.
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Think Big Collective has a pool of highly seasoned Fractional Directors we work with (most are listed on our consultants page, but not all). Each consultant is personally vetted by Jessica.
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Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form or schedule a call—we will start with a discovery call to learn more about your needs. Then we come back to you with a proposal and your Fractional Director match.
Looking for Something Else?
Not ready for a 12-month commitment? Start 2027 with the Fundraising Jumpstart and board training, or see all of our services below.