Scaling for Impact: How One Organization is Using Fractional Staffing to Grow from Neighborhood Program Provider to Transformational Community Resource

Case Study: Making A Change Group (MACG)

The U.S. is home to hundreds of thousands of neighborhood nonprofits – small but mighty efforts that make our communities better. Whether founder led and volunteer driven, or mid-sized and eager to grow, organizations often struggle to scale their operations to adequately address the needs they were created to serve. Fractional staffing can support nonprofits of all sizes as they provide a bridge to bigger and more impactful work.

The Challenge: Preserving History in a Changing Landscape

Making a Change Group (MACG) was born 20 years ago out of founder and executive director Cory Long’s frustration with growing gun violence in his Chester, Pennsylvania community. MACG was founded to empower communities through prevention, intervention and transformation services for those who have been impacted by violence and adversity. By investing in the community and emphasizing prevention efforts, Cory and MACG are building stronger, thriving neighborhoods.

For most of those years, Cory approached MACG as a part-time effort, but in 2019 he decided it was time to devote himself full-time to growing the organization. Through his other business interests, he was already aware of the benefits of fractional staffing.

“I knew that fractional could work really well in a for-profit business on a tight budget,” he says. “I wanted to apply the same approach to MACG.”

Cory’s early experiences with virtual assistants at MACG were less than optimum, however. “I realized that I needed an administrative professional who understood the unique nature of nonprofit organizations,” he says. “My research to find fractional team members who had nonprofit experience led me to More Than Giving.”

He consulted with More Than Giving’s CEO Vicki Burkhart. “At the time, we weren’t quite ready for a virtual team member,” he says, “but I appreciated her deep expertise and strategic perspective on managing and growing nonprofits.”

A capacity building grant prompted Cory and his board to reconsider how fractional team building might help them form a stronger infrastructure to support the growth of the organization. “Our community connections were strong,” he says. “What I really needed was executive support so that I could pursue a bigger vision for MACG.”

How It Began

They began with a 90-day assessment and planning engagement with More Than Giving.

“When I arrived at MACG, they were holding programs in limited spaces and operating out of a small rented room in an industrial building,” says Stephanie Steinbart, the More Than Giving senior team member assigned to MACG. “They had handful of staff working at maximum capacity, and limited nonprofit experience. There just wasn’t enough of an infrastructure to support growth.”

“I had been relying on one contracted fractional support person who was trying to cover too many areas – operations, grant writing and management, administrative support and more.” Cory adds. “It wasn’t working. At the same time, I was taking courses and learning about nonprofit management. I knew where I wanted to go but I needed better advice and a fresh set of eyes. More Than Giving brought the knowledge and experience I was looking for.”

Working with Cory and David Rudd, MACG’s board chair, Stephanie discovered an organization that had been operating in much the same way for two decades. Several board members had been there since MACG was founded and still believed – deeply – in the organization’s mission. Still, they were interested in recruiting new members who share their passion for MACG’s work, and who could bring new capabilities to the table. In addition, Cory needed an objective thought partner to help shape and articulate what an expanded MACG might look like.

“We wanted to work toward long-term, sustainable scaling,” Stephanie continues. “How was money coming in and how we could build on that? We had 90 days to look at both operations and fundraising in a strategic way.”

The First 90 Days

A 90-day contract offered an affordable way to test the fractional staffing approach. “We didn’t have six months to accommodate the kind of learning curve that comes with a new staff member,” David points out. “Stephanie came in ready to hit the ground running.”

Stephanie tackled board management and infrastructure first. “There were limited board cultivation and growth policies or practices in place,” she says. “We began by creating space for new board members and setting expectations. We also held the organization’s first board retreat.”

It was also clear that Cory needed more support when it came to strategic financial management. “It helped that I had experience as an executive director,” Stephanie says. “We were able to have a frank discussion about the best way to deploy his talents. We quickly came to the conclusion that it was smarter to expand the existing accounting team and have me help oversee finances so that he could focus on what he does best – inspiring others with the MACG story.”

While Stephanie was shoring up the board and operations, a second More Than Giving team member was evaluating MACG’s fundraising program. 

“For most of its 20 years, MACG ran on small gifts from local churches and civic organizations and a few community grants,” says Cindy Pelton, a new board member – and a former major gifts officer. “There were no systems – no one to manage incoming gifts or stewardship, let alone gift cultivation. If MACG was going to scale, they would need a program of planned and consistent fundraising.”

At the end of the first 90 days with a fractional team, MACG was energized and ready to implement Stephanie’s recommendations.

“Stephanie established so much credibility in that first 90 days that we had complete confidence in her ability to take us forward,” David says.

Maximizing the Flexibility of Fractional

MACG kept Stephanie on for an extended contract. At the one-year mark, MACG’s board was refreshed – and more diverse. An infusion of new board members raised the bar for time, talent and treasure commitment requirements and set the stage for establishing a new committee structure and assignments. Operations were under control, and the organization had a road map in the form of a mini strategic plan as well as a fundraising plan.

They also brought in a Nonprofit Virtual Assistant (NPVA®) to begin laying the groundwork for the fundraising plan, including setting up a CRM and entering 20 years of data. Stephanie used this time to prepare the board and staff for the transition to professional-level fundraising.

“With More Than Giving, you are getting the best nonprofit professionals in the country,” Cory says. “Our NPVA® has a lot of knowledge about fundraising. She knows what the process should look like so she knows what we should be getting out of our CRM. She helped us set up systems that support giving.”

MACG Today

Barely a year after their initial 90-day experience with More Than Giving, MACG has grown exponentially. They purchased their own property and are getting ready to hire their 22nd employee. “In just over a year, MACG went from operating out of a one-room rented office to a community hub running full, 5-day-a-week programming in their own space,” Stephanie notes.

Last summer the organization hired a local, on-site development director. “MACG needed someone local who could meet with donors one-to-one,” Stephanie explains. “But by this time the organization, and Cory, were ready.”

In just 24 months, MACG’s annual revenue more than doubled from $585,000 to over $1.2 million. They just finished their first year-end campaign, complete with metrics, cultivation data, and professional fundraising techniques. They are closing in on a $2 million goal.”

“We even have a dashboard comparing year-end giving,” Cindy adds.

Stephanie is now turning her attention to establishing programming benchmarks. “I don’t directly supervise MACG’s staff,” Stephanie says. “I manage projects that will move the organization forward, and I ensure accountability to reach these projects’ goals.”

Importantly, the fractional team has helped Cory transition fully into an executive leadership role. “I needed to get out of the operational weeds,” he says. “More Than Giving provided me with a bridge to go from managing MACG to leading it.”

Why Fractional Worked

With a reliable infrastructure in place, Cory can lean into his gift for community outreach. In fact, he is becoming a role model for other local leaders. The University of Pennsylvania recently invited him to talk about MACG to their board of trustees.

“Fractional staffing is making it possible for an organization like MACG, that has a great mission but a modest budget, to bring in the specific skills we needed when we needed them,” Cindy says.

David agrees. “We tried hiring unicorns and it didn’t work. We could never have found one individual who could bring all of the expertise we got using a fractional approach. We will go fractional for as long as we can.”