Is Your Nonprofit Stretched Too Thin?
Unlocking Capacity: A Creative Way to Get the Support You Need
Nonprofits are built on heart—driven by mission, not margin. Being driven by purpose is what makes them so powerful. Yet, despite their huge impact in our communities, many operate under intense resource constraints. Interview nearly any nonprofit and the story is the same: trying to do more with less. Organizations run lean with small teams juggling multiple roles, often with limited time, tools, or support to fully realize their vision.
While we haven’t met an organization whose unclear of it’s mission, we’ve met plenty where the path to sustainable operations and strong donor relationships is murky. In the midst of these daily operations, strategic donor engagement and internal development unintentionally fall to the bottom of the list. This tension between mission and capacity is more than inconvenient—it’s a systemic challenge.
That’s where outside support becomes not only helpful but essential. Whether it’s targeted coaching or hiring a part-time team member, outside support isn’t a luxury—it’s a strategic investment. Such an investment can unlock growth, sustainability, and deepen donor relationships.
Common Gaps Nonprofits Experience
Even the most mission-aligned teams hit roadblocks. The following gaps are common across organizations of all sizes and stages:
a. Staffing & Capacity Challenges
The nonprofit workforce is in crisis. According to the Center for Effective Philanthropy, 95% of nonprofit leaders cite burnout as a top concern, and nearly 75% report difficulty filling vacancies. The National Council of Nonprofits adds that 79% of organizations struggle to offer competitive salaries, making retention and recruitment even harder.
Many small to medium, even large, nonprofits operate with limited headcount, and staff are often stretched thin. Roles blur together—a Development Director may also be managing programs, marketing, or even IT. As a result, essential areas like donor stewardship or strategic planning get sidelined. Hiring full-time staff may not be feasible, especially for specialized roles.
Lean teams often stretch themselves too thin, leading to skill gaps, delayed initiatives, and staff turnover that disrupts momentum.
b. Inconsistent Donor Engagement
Fundraising is often cyclical—heavy during campaigns or year-end, quiet in between. Donors may only hear from the organization when it’s time to ask for money, weakening long-term relationships and planting seeds of doubt with lack of communication. The Fundraising Effectiveness Project reports a 4.6% drop in donor retention in 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline. Smaller donors—who make up over 50% of the donor base—are disengaging at alarming rates, with participation down 8.8%. Without a consistent stewardship strategy, nonprofits risk turning their donor relationships into transactional exchanges and losing their most loyal partners.
c. Lack of Strategic Clarity
Even if your mission is crystal clear (and it usually is), the roadmap to sustainable growth isn’t always obvious. Many nonprofits excel at program delivery but struggle with strategic alignment. The 2025 State of Nonprofits report found that leaders are increasingly concerned about unclear goals, fragmented operations, and difficulty adapting to external pressures. This lack of clarity can lead to reactive decision-making and missed opportunities. Without a clear roadmap, even your high-impact work can lose traction.
d. Need for Outside Perspective
Internal teams are often too close to the day-to-day to see gaps in their systems, culture, or communication. A fresh lens—especially from someone with cross-sector experience—can provide honest insight, facilitate organizational alignment and help create new paths forward that internal conversations may overlook. Whether it’s refining a fundraising strategy or rethinking board engagement, outside expertise helps nonprofits move the needle from reactive to proactive.
The Value of a Donor Relationship Manager
A part-time Donor Relationship Manager (DRM) is an embedded, strategic partner who focuses on donor engagement and stewardship. Think of it as having a development director for 5-10 hours a week—without the full-time salary.
What They Provide:
Systematic donor touch points
Personalized stewardship plans
Data-informed engagement strategies
Major gift cultivation and pipeline development
Benefits:
Cost-effective: Access senior-level talent without a full-time hire
Flexible: Scale support based on campaign cycles or leadership transitions
Consistent: Maintain donor momentum even when internal teams are stretched
A part-time DRM offers faster onboarding, long-term stability, and strategic execution. They’re not consultants; they’re embedded partners who drive results.
In a sector where every dollar and hour counts, part-time donor development professionals offer nonprofits a way to grow smarter, not just bigger, within their budget limitations. If your nonprofit is struggling to juggle all the things and you see the value of caring for your donors as partners in your mission, a part-time professional might be the next right hire for you.
Interested in talking with us about how we handle part-time donor development work?