Your chief development officer just walked out the door. Revenue is at risk. Your team is panicking. And you have 6-9 months before a permanent hire can start.
You need full-time interim leadership—right now.
We've stabilized development departments during the highest-stakes transitions. 100% team retention. Zero revenue disruption. +10% income growth during crisis.
We can start within days.
When a CDO leaves suddenly, three things happen almost immediately:
The data backs this up. 50% of development directors expect to leave within 2 years, and 46% of CDO vacancies last 6+ months with 53% of searches producing insufficient candidates. Losing a senior development leader costs up to 9x annual salary in lost revenue and replacement costs.
You don't have 6-9 months to find out if your search works. You need to stabilize the crisis now.
An interim CDO is not a consultant. It's not a fractional leader. It's a full-time, in-the-seat development executive who owns everything your permanent CDO would own—except the long-term strategy, which stays with your leadership team.
Your interim CDO runs the department day-to-day. They lead your team, set priorities, manage vendors, coach staff, and make donor decisions. They are your chief development officer, fully responsible, fully available.
They calm your donors by showing up to major gift visits immediately. They stabilize your team by setting clear expectations, protecting jobs, and demonstrating competent leadership. They protect revenue by managing the most vulnerable accounts personally and preventing donor attrition.
The best way to lose your development staff is to leave them leaderless. An interim CDO establishes trust, clarity, and purpose within the first week. In our last engagement, we maintained 100% team retention during a crisis transition—while 10% growth in December revenue actually exceeded forecast.
While your team is stable and confident, revenue doesn't decline. We've managed development budgets of $50M+ and multiple development teams across 17 locations. We know where revenue comes from, how to protect it, and how to grow it during transition.
Your interim CDO gathers the documentation your search will need, interviews your donors and major prospects, and coaches your organization through the permanent hire process. When your new CDO arrives, they get a complete handoff—not a mess.
At the end of the engagement, we deliver full documentation, train your permanent CDO on relationships and systems, and stay available for 30 days of post-departure support. Your new hire walks in knowing where everything is and why it matters.
It's easy to confuse these three approaches. Here's what each one is—and when you should choose it.
| Approach | Time Commitment | Decision Authority | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional CDO | 10-20 hrs/week | Strategic guidance; your team executes | Stable teams needing strategic direction |
| Interim CDO | 40+ hrs/week, in-seat | Full operational control | Leadership exits, crisis stabilization, revenue protection |
| Executive Search Firm | Project-based (6-9 mo) | Candidate sourcing and screening | Finding your next permanent CDO |
Interim CDO and executive search work together. You hire a search firm to find your permanent CDO. You hire interim leadership to run the department while the search happens. They're not in competition—they're sequential.
Interim executive leadership ranges from $25,000 to $45,000 per month, depending on organization size, scope of responsibilities, and length of engagement. Most interim CDO assignments run 3 to 9 months.
For context: full-time CDO salaries range from $145,000 to $200,000 annually. Our interim rates cover full operational leadership at a fraction of permanent hire costs, plus the benefit of crisis experience and zero severance obligations.
Open to creative scoping. If the engagement is shorter, if we can publicize a case study, or if there's a portfolio value fit, we work with pricing. The goal is to say yes to the right client at the right time.
If interim CDO leadership isn't the right fit, we offer several related solutions:
Most organizations in crisis need interim leadership first, then work into longer-term strategic engagements as the emergency stabilizes. We'll scope what's right for you during your diagnostic call.
Within days. We structure interim CDO engagements for crisis speed. Typically onboarding is complete within 3-5 days of agreement, which includes full system access, team introductions, donor list review, and initial stakeholder meetings. You're not waiting months for someone to ramp. You're running full operations immediately.
Interim CDO leadership ranges from $25,000 to $45,000 per month, depending on scope, organization size, and engagement length. Most engagements run 3-9 months. Pricing reflects full-time, in-the-seat leadership—not fractional consultation. For large multi-entity operations or particularly complex situations, pricing may extend beyond this range.
No. The interim CDO manages day-to-day operations while your search firm works uninterrupted. We actually accelerate searches by stabilizing the organization, reducing candidate hesitation about joining a chaotic environment, and producing complete handoff documentation so your new CDO can hit the ground running. A candidate considering your nonprofit is far more likely to say yes if they know the department is stable and well-led during transition.
Fractional CDO leadership is part-time (10-20 hours/week) and works alongside your team, providing strategic guidance while your staff executes. Interim CDO leadership is full-time, in-the-seat, and handles the complete operational scope of the role—team management, vendor decisions, donor relationships, revenue accountability. Choose fractional for strategic guidance; choose interim for crisis stabilization and operational continuity. They're different tools for different problems.
We deliver complete transition documentation covering all donor relationships, pipeline status, vendor contracts, team structure, and strategic priorities. We train your permanent CDO (or acting director) on our systems and relationships. We remain available for 30 days post-departure if questions arise during the transition. The goal is a seamless handoff with zero operational loss—your new CDO walks in knowing where everything is and why it matters.
Yes. Our interim CDO work includes full team leadership, hiring decisions, performance management, coaching, vendor oversight, and strategic planning. We've managed development budgets of $50M+ and led teams of 400+ across 17 locations. In our last crisis stabilization, we maintained 100% team retention and grew December revenue by 10% during a leadership transition. Your team needs leadership that's credible, steady, and experienced. That's what you get.
We've stabilized departments during the highest-stakes transitions. We know what works. And we can start within days.
Book a diagnostic call. We'll review your situation, answer your questions, and tell you exactly how we can help.
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