64: Katie Mendez on Fractional Fundraising Services and Workplace Transitions
After nearly fifteen years of fundraising for arts and education organizations, Katie Mendez launched Built to Raise in 2023, providing interim director of development and short-term fractional fundraising services specifically for small and mid-sized nonprofits. She is an artist on the side, loves to explore the world, and her favorite way to spend an afternoon is snuggling on the couch with a kid, a dog, and a cup of hot tea.
Main Quote: With my work, I'm not there to form relationships with your donors. That's not my job. My job is to help sustain the operations, make sure things aren't falling through the cracks, make sure that the team that's there is connecting and talking to the right people and asking people for their support. But it's not about me connecting with donors.
Additional Quote: Leaving well looks like making sure that when you're gone, because eventually you will leave, eventually you will transition on to something else, that the mission is greater. And I think especially in nonprofit work. It's just really centering that idea.
To connect with Katie:
To learn more about Leaving Well, visit https://www.naomihattaway.com/
To support the production of this podcast, peruse my Leaving Well Bookshop or buy me a coffee.
This podcast is produced by Sarah Hartley.
Transcript:
After nearly 15 years of fundraising for arts and education organizations, Katie Mendez launched Built to Raise in 2023, providing interim director of development and short term fractional fundraising services specifically for small and mid sized nonprofits. She's an artist on the side, loves to explore the world, and her favorite way to spend an afternoon is snuggling on the couch with a kid, a dog, and a cup of hot tea.
Katie, I'm excited to move. Our conversations that we're having about this topic into something that others can learn from. And so I'm excited to have you. I'm going to jump into the first question, which is to ask you to share a definition and a description. However, it feels best for you of what fractional fundraising is and what interim development support looks like.
Thank you. I'm so happy to be here, Naomi. I know we've had several great conversations, so it's nice to make this kind of official here. So, Fractional Fundraising is really about part time experienced fundraising support. So, it's really a cool, I don't know if it's new, but it feels like it's emerging way for consultants to come in and help midsize nonprofits with their fundraising in an economical way.
Like, and especially for me, for interim work, um, there's so many organizations that have development leaders coming in and out. It's, um, and so it's a solution to be able to come in and to. And help sustain the operations while they're going but not just that it's like help them have a fresh perspective on the work they're doing provide support, all those things.
It's, it's a very very cool model and I think fractional in general is coming to the nonprofit sector and that's very exciting and all the different ways finance, even HR, all of this. So it's a great solution. I also think when you were talking about that definition, it also feels so much like it's a beautiful way to capacity build, especially if an organization's having frequent transitions in their development department, it can, you can come in and I know we've talked about this, but you can come in as that gap fill.
They could be hiring someone, they could be in the process of it. You can also provide some onboarding support. You can do longer stints if they're trying to retool kind of what they're doing. So yeah, it's really. I think it's really impactful and it's really important and I love that it is, um, eking into the development space.
It's really needed. It's very exciting. And I think, you know, um. The short term that I haven't done as much of, but I'm excited about, and we can talk more about it, but it's like helping early career fundraisers for a short boost, you know, to have somebody come alongside them, because that also is a gap in this space is the professional development piece.
Um, and new people come into the sector and do good work and accelerate quickly because Nonprofits are trying to raise money fast, and it's not a fast process, but it's faster. He knows what they're doing and has a great plan and all of that. This isn't a question I prepped you for, but I guess what you would say to the person listening who is either an executive director or a new development person, and they're struggling with how to get ramped up.
What would your advice be if you were sitting next to them to either reassure them or kind of motivate them on because developments also. Like a lot of its relationship. And so if you're brand new in a role and you don't know the funders and you don't know the history, so I'm just curious what you would, what encouragement you would give them.
Yeah. I mean, it is such a, it's such a long game and that's so hard to hear sometimes because nonprofits need money right now, you know? And so I think, I think it's really just about investment. I think if they're, if they are not confident in what they are doing, um, or don't have, you know, have the plan.
The great thing about the consulting universe now is that I feel like nonprofits, that old model of like, we have to have everybody in house doing all the work and all of our needs is still there. But I think the opportunities for it not to be that way are here. There are so many younger experience, like they've been in the field and they've moved to consulting, but they are very niche.
They can really help elevate and whatever way you need. And in a way that's, that's not just advising. I think the old way of consulting is that you come in and you're advising a nonprofit and telling them what to do. And now there's so many out there That come in and they'll actually do the work they'll come in and they'll write the email campaign for you They'll do the printed copy and i'm not talking about big agencies We've got small shops that are doing this too.
Um that so you get all price ranges and all of that too. So I think I think to feel encouraged that there are solutions out there for them and that they can do it, they just don't need to feel like they have to do it by themselves. Yeah. And, and I think I also want to underscore you saying they also don't have to do it right now.
And I think if I'm hearing, you know, an executive director, if you're listening, Give your development people some time and some space to, as you said, make it be the long game. And I also am curious, and maybe this is just a thing that we can leave, or if you have thoughts about it, it also made me think about having you provide almost professional development services.
So professional development is something that Nonprofit should have as a line item on their budgets. And I'm thinking about the development director or associate. I mean, if you have professional development, that could be a place where you could also use a fractional or interim, um, expert to help support you.
Yeah, definitely. I think for, if you're fully staffed, then it is kind of an extra, right? That professional development piece, the interim thing, which I love is that because you aren't paying that employee or you have a gap that my services really closely align with the monthly rate, you are already paying somebody to do the work.
And so, Rather than saving quote unquote that money, then you can just continue to use it and really elevate your program and support your staff and all of that. So it's like professional develop wrapped in, um, to that gap time where, you know, things could be really hard, but they don't, they don't have to be, cause you actually have already budgeted for the resources for support.
It's just about how you look at using those resources. I love that. And I I'm encouraging folks that are listening to be creative about how you use your resources that have already been budgeted. So many times organizations are like, Oh, we don't have anything for that. Let's look at your other line items.
Let's figure it out. Please. Yeah, definitely. How did you come to your decision to offer fractional and interim support? I left fundraising for a really large institution. I was looking into consulting. I was really. Into this idea of like, I want to go back to working for smaller nonprofits. I started in performing arts and I love, uh, the dynamic and just kind of how, how, how nimble they can be.
And so I was excited to return to that, um, and work alongside them. And during that discovery process, I was introduced to Cindy Wagman and her fractional fundraising stuff. And, um, so as I dug more, I was like, yeah, that's This is a great fit. And I, cause I love, I love the idea of it's not, again, not, not just advising.
It's about coming alongside. It's still staying in the work. And, um, for me, it was about, um, staying close to the ground, like still seeing what's going on and being in it just to stay sharp with it too. So it resonated. And one of my first gigs after I started my business was as an interim and that just, really hit right for me because, um, I loved, it was a situation where I could come in and really support the, support the staff, help them feel, feel like, okay, this is not the end of the world that we don't have a person here at year end, like we can get through and also be able to, um, have something to recruit with.
At the end of our time together, because when I go, I, you know, I do an audit and I help them create a plan and they have a whole package of like a guidebook to keep, you know, they have a better idea of what's, what they need to be doing and then the person coming in can see that and, and not start from scratch.
So it's been really rewarding. And I, you know, I worked. For essentially two organizations in my entire career, different roles within those. But, um, now I've been, I've worked with multiple and I get to work with all types. And, um, it's just really, Fun and rewarding to be able to, to work with more people and see all the good that's happening out there.
So, yeah, I agree with you. And I, I think that's the thing that one of the things we bonded over was the fact that we're both providing interim services as part of our offerings and the beauty about being able to come into an organization. We both have the skillset of being able to quickly identify where they need the most support, whether they need to be sustaining or just continuity, or whether, like you said, you need to.
Develop an audit and a plan and a what to do next. I also love that you said that oftentimes when organizations work with you, they end up with a how to hire set of almost next steps, which is really, really powerful. And I think so many organizations that if they would just take a minute to realize how impactful this could be, everyone would be happier.
I think it's really interesting because, you know, there's often such a focus on, oh, we're going to save that revenue. We're going to save that during this time. But I think organizations aren't, Really thinking about what they're losing, you know, by not having somebody in there, um, and having staff that maybe are taking on more than they can handle.
They're maybe already, already undercompensated. They're unsupported. Maybe they weren't ready to take on. Twice the workload, because you don't know how long that's going to take. I found that it's also a great way to help with staff retention, because, um, when they have support and direction and it's not coming from the ED who already has way too many things to do, that it's, it's really, it's really helpful.
Um, so I just don't, I don't think most organizations think of it in that way. They're so focused on the savings and the budget line item that they can, can add at the end that they don't think about that. Well, and I also, um, often direct this comment to board chairs or board members. I don't think you have to be a board chair for this to be applicable.
If you are a board member and the organization that you sit on the board for does not have conversations regularly about the benefit of fractional or interim, the board has By all means, bring it up with your executive director, talk to the executive director about whether that's something that the board needs to get behind or support.
Um, if you're an ED and you're worried about a board, start talking to them about it now before you get ready to, to launch your next budget and just say, we were exploring what this could look like for organization. So I just want to encourage you as you're listening to start building in the normalization and socializing what interim support can look like.
It also is really beautiful when we think about succession planning. Not to just look at the ED and CEO level, but your director levels, how beautiful to have a Director of Development's succession plan include your services, Katie. Like, that would be That would be amazing. Oh my gosh, if organizations could take it to that level.
I'm sure I know. Not that many that are already planning at the ED level, but to get down to these other really important Yeah. Like, that would be, whoo! It'd be amazing. Well, and I just, I was on site last week with some clients and we did succession planning and I asked the EDs to bring their director level team members in so that we could talk about it then.
And even just that was like light bulbs for them to realize like, Oh, we, there are people out there like you, Katie, who can provide those services at the development level. We don't talk about that enough with fundraising and development. So I'm so glad that you and your work exist. Yeah, thank you. You too, yours too.
What is a big misconception that you often hear from non profits? And it might be that it's around pricing. It could be that the need, you know, even exists at all. It could be about length and tenure. Just curious what you hear back from clients about your work. I think initially I'm, I, and I'm learning more and more as I talk to more folks about what the misconceptions are.
Um, but I think, of course, a big one is, well, it's just not needed. You know, that, that's, that's a huge one. We're going to find someone quickly. So they don't want to consider it, right? And I see you laughing at me, um, because isn't that? Famous last word. That people maybe that aren't as familiar with fundraising think that it's going to be more of a disruption to have somebody come in.
And I think it's an interesting misconception because really with my work, I'm not there to form relationships with your donors. That's not my job. My job is to help sustain the operations, make sure things aren't falling through the cracks, make sure that The team that's there is connecting and talking to the right people and asking people for their support and knowing how to do it while I'm there, but it's not about me connecting with donors.
So there's no, I think, I think that's a hard part for people to understand when they, when they think about fundraising because they know it is about relationships. And so it's really me coming in to help support the current staff that's there to build relationships with the donors and partners. It's not about me doing that.
Um, and I think that helps. people understand the model a little bit better. It also makes me think about, um, you know, a lot of my work is maybe a founding executive director transitioning to their successor. And a lot of things that come up are the transfer of knowledge or the transfer of relationship.
And one of the things that I'm always asking people to consider is Don't bring just your development person or just your ED, have the program staff involved or have them be on email so that there is a little bit of that relationship and it's bringing it to mind again as you're talking about the fact that you are so good at what you do and it doesn't need to involve relationships with the donors because there's so much else in that stack of work.
Um, yeah, I'm glad you brought that up. What do you wish, if you could wave a magic wand, besides having your company's name in the succession plan for directors of development, Um, what do you wish or what would you do if you had a magic wand around the value and capacity expansion that you can offer? Oh my gosh, magic wand.
I don't know, I think it just comes back to that early conversation about that there are resources, you know, I think I just want, I would love for organizations to, to know, um, that there, that there are, there are people out there who want to come alongside, you know, yeah, I think that's, I think that's the biggest thing.
I just know nonprofit leadership and staff, there's, if you're, if you're on LinkedIn or in these, you know, offline discussions, like there's just. So much happening in the non profit space and people aren't feeling supported enough. And so I think this idea of having someone come alongside in those moments of transition to help staff Feel supported and give direction.
And, you know, I've seen too, like I've, I've, I've helped staff that they know what needs to be done. They've been around a long time, but they need someone to even just to, to affirm them, right. And then their knowledge of things. And that's a huge value because confidence, um, I think confidence can be a challenge too, in some of our nonprofits about, you know, am I doing the right thing?
Am I not? And I think depending on the environment too, sometimes. It's, it's, their confidence is, is higher than in others. Um, I don't know how that sounded, Naomi. I'm just trying to figure that one out. Well, and I think what came up for me as you were talking is I, I think that it's very, it's not normal for nonprofits to talk about having worked with someone like you or I.
So you're not going to really hear, you know, a lot of, uh, small businesses get to have, um, testimonials or, my gosh, it was so great when we worked with Katie because we had all these things happen. But in our world. I think there's a little bit of shame that they need the help or that they haven't been able to hire that they have high turnover.
And so to bring someone like us in what I feel, and it might not be true, but I feel like there's some discomfort about talking about the fact that they need our services. And so then we're also not normalizing it, nonprofit to nonprofit, that this service exists. And so I think that's a big like magic wand for me is that we would get to a point where.
It's as common as hiring an accountant for your non profit because your treasurer doesn't know everything on your board. That's super normalized, and so I would love for eventually it to be more normalized, but it's Yeah, that's a really interesting point because um, there is that feeling of like resort this like demand to be resourceful and use every last penny wisely or you know, but I think you're right that that organizations just almost pride themselves on making do with little and That's, we just need to stop rewarding, rewarding staff for burning self, burning themselves to the ground because they're, they're working themselves so hard and putting so much pressure on themselves to do all these things.
And so I think you're right about that. It's like just normalizing that. Hey, it takes a whole ecosystem of people to help make these, these organizations run properly and smoothly. And, um, yeah, so I love that. When I also think about, I'm going back to when you were talking about the audit and the plan and the, the next steps that you offer.
I think that's also something that really I want people to pay attention to because there also is, I think, a misnomer around consultants, uh, coming in and, uh, Kind of messing things up and then bouncing and then the staff kind of going like We don't really know how that was helpful, and I think that's something different that I, I know to be true around fractional support and interim support is, we do come in, help assess what needs to be done, help with the work, not just advising like you said, and then we literally leave you with this beautiful plan, That oftentimes has amazing staff buy in because we're right there with them understanding what needs to be done.
Could you talk a little bit maybe as we start to kind of transition our conversation, what does it look like when you are, like what are you looking for when you're doing an assessment of an organization? Maybe help dispel some of the fear that someone might have if they think that they're going to have some, like we think of audit and that's kind of scary.
Talk a little bit about your process and what an organization experiences with your assessment. Yeah, maybe I should stop using the word audit. Audit does sound kind of scary, but So no, I come in and I really want to see you know, what? Because fundraising is so based on relationships, I'm looking to see like, what do those look like?
How are people, like, how are they being communicated with? What is, I definitely am looking at retention rate and what's happening around who's being solicited, solicited when, how, all of those things. A big thing I've noticed is, is focus on with those relationships, like are, are staff using a caseload in a way that works So that looks very different for every organization, but helping them think about if they're not doing that, what does that look like?
And who would be in those caseloads? Because to me, that's a real practical application for after I leave. Okay, we've identified these folks that you need to be focusing your attention on, not just for them. The new director of development or current staff, but also for the executive director or ceo Who are they thinking about and who is top of mind?
And so I found that that's been a really helpful thing and most small organizations Don't do that and i've I learned that in a very large shop that you have to have those but in small shops It's not as common, but Wow, such a such a helpful tool when you only have so much capacity. It's just centered around this idea of how are we spending our time?
Are we using it in the best possible way? Um, I also look at events and evaluate, okay, how much time is being spent on those? What's the net out of that? Um, and what, you know, what's the follow up? I mean, what's happening if someone doesn't come to those events? Are they being, is that relationship being cultivated?
How are you thanking your donors? That's a big thing that I That there's usually a gap, um, in systems and just consistency in doing that. So it's really just all the mechanics of what's happening in a development shop and, and are they running as they should? And, um, and how can I help identify like. Wins to help move those things forward and, and create some structure around that so that it feels like it's integrated into their operations.
So by the time I leave, things are, things are flowing, you know, and, and some of those ways. Well, I think, thank you for sharing that. And I think one of the things that came up for me early on, and when we were starting to talk was about the fact that you go in and you're not necessarily prescribing the same thing.
Right. To every client, you're really absorbing what is it that they're currently using and doing, and then you work from that. And I think that's another, um, almost myth to bust is that, um, interim and fractional experts come in to work with the system you have. We're not coming in and completely disrupting everything.
Um, it's really meant to have your staff be supported through it and then have something that's meaningful as you go. Yeah, and matches capacity because that's the thing too. It really depends on who do you have on staff that's going to be able to implement this and how full do we actually make that calendar.
Yes. So, um, because we want it to, you know, we want you to be successful. And, you know, I think that's, that's the big thing is, is we want it to be a win at the end. What three words or phrase would you use to describe your own relationship to change and transition? Transition. Okay, this is this is fun. I love that you prepped me with this because I had to think about this one So my three words are pause Because I am, I notoriously, like once I'm in, I'm in, but sometimes it takes me a while to like come to that decision.
But once I've decided I am in, and I was thinking about even with starting my own business, like it was like, it took me a while to figure out, okay, do I, do I want to do this? I did my research, talk to some people. And then it was like, as soon as I. Entered transparently entered in my credit card information to join a cohort, to start my business with Cindy.
I was like, okay, that's it. My business started May 4th, 2023. Here we go. You know. So change. And I think as I was thinking about this to my style with that, and I've had to adapt over the years because I do, once I've decided, and I, I can go pretty focused, like all in, then that's not how everybody works.
So it's like trying to just, I always have to remind myself, you know, that, that it just takes people time during the transition for these, for changes. But if it was just me, just a me decision, then that's how, that's my phrase. I love it. I love it. Is there anything about your work, your process, anything about interim slash fractional that you'd like to share that we haven't covered before my last question?
I guess I think I would just encourage people to explore this, you know, I, I know there's, there's this feeling like when you talk to somebody about maybe hiring them for their work, this feeling of, oh, I have to be ready to make a decision, or I think I want to just take that away to say, I, you know, I have a link on my LinkedIn profile where people can book a discovery call that of course you can send me a dm or whatever I'm happy to chat I'm like I think just taking away that pressure of like if I book time to explore this opportunity for my organization Then then it's real serious.
Like it doesn't have to be it really can be exploratory and I would love I would love for organizations to feel like they can do that, um, without pressure. And for me, there's, I'm, I'm not a hard sell. I actually even met with somebody yesterday. We met and I told them, I don't think we're the right fit.
So I am very candid about like, what's, what, what I'm a good fit for and where I'm not. And if I'm not, then I know a lot of people like Naomi that might be the right fit. I love that. And I think I would plus one it and then say also another encouragement is if you have worked with interim or fractional support, tell your colleagues, tell the other non profit leaders that you're in rooms with.
If you're on a board, tell other board members because that is another way to take that pressure off. Um, so I'm glad you said that. Okay, my last question for you, Katie, is what does leaving well mean to you? Yeah, I love this question. You know, I was thinking about this and the idea about how Leaving Well really starts at the beginning of your work, right?
Like that it's actually, it's not just the end, it's like the whole process of your time. Because I see this with specific examples in fundraising, but you were talking earlier about, you know, like bringing people in so there's more people involved in the relationship and all of that like leaving well is is making sure that donors have a great relationship with the organization and not just you as an individual and I think in fundraising for some folks it's it's hard it's hard because it becomes more about that one on one relationship and not about the organization and I think That's really what leaving well looks like is making sure that when you're gone because eventually you will leave and though that's hard to stomach sometimes of your own will or not, I guess, but like, eventually you will transition on to something else and the mission is greater.
And I think especially in nonprofit work. It's just really centering that it's about the organization that we We love and the mission that we love and making sure that once we're gone that you know we took good notes that we use the CRM and and entered things correctly so that the next person comes in can find things that we put things on the shared drive in an organized way so folks can get the information that they need and that also that you're bringing people into these relationships with partners and donors and it's not just about you that it's That it's across the organization.
I'm thinking like up and side by side, especially program staff, um, full development teams, you know, that there's everybody should be able to interact. with donors. It's a real benefit for the org and for the donor because it's more, it becomes more deep, too, for the donor if they're able to know more people there.
And that's what leads to larger gifts, longer investments, state gifts, all that kind of stuff. That could be a whole nother episode around The intention between, I mean, you just mentioned estate gifts and think about, I mean, that's a beautiful example of leaving. Well, also, uh, and I just think about the depth and the richness of having your support means that the staff then who are the experts in the mission.
We don't need to be the experts. You and I, but the staff is the expert in the mission, and that allows them to take that load off to go those layers deeper. Um, to get deeper in their campaigns and their relationships. So, yeah, I love that. Thank you so much for this conversation. We will have the links, uh, to find you and navigate your website and book that discovery call, um, in our show notes.
Thank you, Katie. Yeah, thank you, Naomi. This was, this was so fun. Such a pleasure. Thank you. If you've not yet taken the Workplace Transition Archetype Quiz to discover your natural relationship to change and transition, you can do that at naomihattaway.com/quiz. To learn more about leaving well and how you can implement and embed the framework and culture in your own life and workplace, visit NaomiHattaway.com. It's time for each of us to look ourselves in the mirror and finally admit we are playing a powerful role in the system. We can either exist outside of our power or choose to decide to shift culture and to create transformation. Until next time, I'm your host, Naomi Hattaway, and you've been listening to Leaving Well, a navigation guide for workplace transitions.