Tess Conrad, CFRE first appeared on this podcast as a fully-booked generalist fractional fundraiser. Since then, she's niched her business into planned giving - a deliberate, gradual shift sped up by an endorsement from a well-known planned giving expert who saw her as a successor.

She also lived through the scenario a lot of fractionals fear but rarely plan for: an unplanned two-month medical leave that stretched to four, followed by a long-term client relationship ending unexpectedly right after she returned. Half her income disappeared at once. An emergency fund, a subcontractor network, and a return to basic business development brought her back to fully booked within months.

Key Takeaways

• Niching into a long-sales-cycle specialty like planned giving takes patience - Tess expects to be fully booked in her niche by mid-2027, years after she started positioning for it.
• An emergency fund isn't optional once you're running a fractional business - it's what let Tess take medical leave without panicking about income.
• Line up subcontractors before you need them. Tess's network covered her client relationships during her leave and kept continuity with the organizations she serves.
• Content built around a specific niche compounds - weekly LinkedIn posts and a weekly newsletter kept Tess visible in planned giving even while she wasn't taking new clients.
• Time management systems will keep changing as your business does. Tess moved from Asana to Motion to pen and paper, adjusting each time her client mix shifted.

Guest Bio

Tess Conrad, CFRE, is the principal consultant at Full Potential Fundraising, specializing in fractional and done-for-you planned giving for nonprofits. She previously built a fully-booked generalist fractional fundraising practice before niching into legacy and planned giving work.

Resources + Links

Full Potential Fundraising

Connect with Tess

Website | LinkedIn

Fracture is for nonprofit professionals who refuse to choose between doing good work and having a good life. Hosted by Cindy Wagman, founder of the Nonprofit Fractionals Network, it's real talk on building a fractional consulting business that actually pays - and still matters.

Subscribe to Fracture | Join the OS