Fractional CMO for Nonprofits
Has a marketing or comms channel stopped working?
When a marketing or communications plan just stops working, I'm the guy who helps you find out why and what to do about it.
Sound familiar?
Three things I hear from almost every leader who calls me.
You're paying for reports, not cash results
Vendors and contractors send you reports and deliverables. Nobody in the chain owns whether the number actually moves.
Your team needs direction, not more tasks
You have people who can execute. What's missing is someone deciding what they should be executing, and why.
You can't justify a full-time executive
A full-time executive costs $75,000 or more plus benefits. Your revenue doesn't support that yet.
Ownership, not execution
Contractors execute your plan. Directors manage your team. A fractional executive owns strategy, outcomes and revenue, and takes accountability for all three.
A fractional executive brings that same ownership to your organization part time. You get the accountability and the decisions without the six-figure salary or the twelve-month commitment.
The difference is simple. A vendor will tell you the campaign performed. I'll tell you whether your revenue grew, and what I'm changing next.
If you're looking for a nonprofit marketing consultant or a fundraising consultant, you'll find plenty who will hand you a strategy and wish you luck. I'd rather be measured on what you actually raise. That means helping build the plan — and helping run it.
How it compares
What you get
A specialist who executes a defined project. Fast, focused, priced per project.
Where it falls short
No strategy, no business context, no accountability past the deliverable.
Best for
One short-term project you've already scoped.
What you get
Someone to manage the team and run day-to-day execution, full time.
Where it falls short
Executes strategy, rarely sets it. Salary plus benefits. Usually one industry deep.
Best for
Larger organizations that already have a strategy and need it run.
What you get
Ownership of strategy, outcomes and revenue. Executive accountability. And I'll build it myself if that's what's blocking you.
Where it falls short
Not a full-time hire if you want to have someone to wear hats outside of marketing or communications. A fractional CMO stays focused on revenue outcomes.
Best for
Nonprofits and organizations ready for strategic leadership.
What you get
A specialist who executes a defined project. Fast, focused, priced per project.
Where it falls short
No strategy, no business context, no accountability past the deliverable.
Best for
One short-term project you've already scoped.
What you get
Someone to manage the team and run day-to-day execution, full time.
Where it falls short
Executes strategy, rarely sets it. Salary plus benefits. Usually one industry deep.
Best for
Larger organizations that already have a strategy and need it run.
What you get
Ownership of strategy, outcomes and revenue. Executive accountability. And I'll build it myself if that's what's blocking you.
Where it falls short
Not a full-time hire if you want to have someone to wear hats outside of marketing or communications. A fractional CMO stays focused on revenue outcomes.
Best for
Nonprofits and organizations ready for strategic leadership.
I did this as a consultant. Then I built a company to do it at scale.
I've spent two decades working for, leading and building technology for nonprofits and growing companies.
The consulting came first. It worked well enough that I built Rally Corp to do it at scale, and Rally now serves more than 1,000 nonprofits.
Before that I was President and COO of MonkDev, which grew into one of the largest web development shops in San Diego and sold to private equity at eight to ten times revenue.
I still consult, for a small number of organizations at a time. That's what this page is about.
“From $0 to 7-figure donations in just over a year with no outside grants and completely bootstrapped. James' playbooks work. The man knows his stuff.”
What that's looked like
Nonprofit fundraising results from consulting engagements.
$385,990
Regional health nonprofit
One clear strategy. One campaign. Gifts up to $50,000.
$84,630
Teach for America
From 71 dedicated donors. Passion meets precision.
$57,012
Interval House
From just 109 donors. Focus creates lift.
$48,320
Young Storytellers
From only 36 fans. Proof that engagement beats volume.
Retention work has produced a 40% jump in donor retention for one client and a 35% climb for another.
How it works
A working session, not a sales call
We spend 30 minutes talking through your revenue, your funnel, and what feels stuck.
You get clarity and next steps
You'll walk away with:
- What's actually causing the slowdown
- What to fix first
- A short list of actions you can take immediately
Then we decide what's next
If you want ongoing help, we can work together to build and run a clearer growth system.
If not, you still leave with something useful.
Questions people ask
What does a fractional executive cost?
Do you work with nonprofits?
What if I already have a marketing and development team?
How many hours a month is this?
How quickly will I see results?
Is this more costly than hiring a consultant?
Want a clearer path forward?
Let's talk. We'll spend 30 minutes on your business and figure out where growth is getting stuck and what to do about it.
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