CF Callihan, founder of Heart Strategy Impact, tried fractional fundraising first. A promising first client went quiet for three weeks before the contract even started, and when the work finally began, CF found himself trying to cram a full-time job into a fractional container. The work paid, but it didn't give him joy - a signal he eventually learned to trust.

Instead of ongoing, retainer-style fractional work, CF now coaches nonprofit leaders and boards to build stronger relationships with their own donors. He credits messaging work with turning his business development from chasing leads to fielding inbound calls.

Key Takeaways

• Not every nonprofit consultant should be a fractional consultant - CF tried it, recognized it wasn't giving him joy, and pivoted to a coaching and strategy model instead.
• A client relationship can go quiet without being malicious - CF's first big client ghosted him for weeks before ever starting, which nearly derailed his early business development.
• Clear messaging changes what business development feels like - after working through a StoryBrand-based framework, CF went from chasing clients to getting inbound meetings from people he'd never met.
• Being able to say "that's not what I do" is a business development asset, not a liability - it builds trust and often earns a referral instead.

Guest Bio

CF Callihan is the founder of Heart Strategy Impact, a fundraising consultancy coaching small to mid-sized nonprofit leaders and boards on individual donor relationships. He is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Resources + Links

Heart Strategy Impact | Fundraising Superpower Quiz

Connect with CF

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.

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