How to Turn Your In-House Job Into Your First Fractional Client (Without Burning Bridges)
Here's what most nonprofit professionals do when they're done with the dysfunction: they fantasize about dramatically quitting, maybe throw their laptop in a lake, and then... panic about paying rent.
Sarah Stuewe had a better plan.
She walked away from her in-house role and immediately replaced her "pretty high salary" with fractional clients. No financial cliff dive. No burned bridges. No eating ramen while her consulting business "finds its footing."
Best part? Her former employer became her first client—and they were thrilled about it.
Here's exactly how she pulled it off (and how you can too).
The Reality Check: Your Current Job Might Be Your Secret Weapon
Let's be honest—most exit strategies in the nonprofit world involve either martyrdom ("I'll just suffer until I retire") or chaos ("I'm rage-quitting and figuring it out later").
Sarah chose option C: strategic separation.
While she was planning her escape, she spent five months doing something most people skip—she actually prepared. Wild concept, right?
The "Feedback Gathering" Phase (Translation: Business Development Without the Ick)
Instead of cold-calling strangers or sliding into LinkedIn DMs like a desperate ex, Sarah positioned her outreach as curiosity. Her magic phrase: "I'm thinking about doing this thing, what do you think?"
Genius move. People love giving advice. They hate being sold to.
The result? Multiple conversations that ended with "this means we might get to work together someday" instead of awkward silence.
Your network isn't there to be harvested—it's there to be nurtured.
The Transition That Actually Worked
When Sarah finally gave her three months' notice (because she's not a monster), her boss immediately asked: "Can I hire you?"
This wasn't luck. This was strategy.
Sarah had identified the community bonds portfolio—a specialized chunk of her role that required her specific expertise and operated independently from the rest of her responsibilities.
She didn't try to replicate her entire job as a fractional gig. She carved out the piece that made sense.
Pro tip: Your fractional offer shouldn't be "everything I used to do, but with boundaries." It should be "the most valuable thing I do, delivered strategically."
How to Avoid the Common Disasters
Disaster #1: "Can't you just do your old job for half the price?"
Sarah's prevention strategy: Ruthless scope clarity.
She eliminated philanthropy work entirely and focused only on community bonds. When organizations see you've actually thought this through (instead of just hoping they'll figure it out), they respect the boundaries.
Disaster #2: "This is getting weird between us."
The fear that working with your former employer will be awkward? Sarah reports the opposite. Professional boundaries actually improved their working relationship.
Turns out, when you're not drowning in "other duties as assigned," you can actually do great work.
Disaster #3: "What if they say no?"
Then you still have the network you've been warming up for months, the financial runway you planned for, and the clarity about what you're offering.
Sarah had multiple interested contacts. Her former employer was Plan A, not Plan Only.
The Financial Reality (Because Let's Talk Numbers)
Sarah replaced her full salary immediately with:
Primary fractional contract (her former employer)
Second fractional client (through network referrals)
Project work (proposal writing, strategic emails)
Pipeline prospects (social finance connections)
She's not just surviving—she's building wealth on her own terms.
The fractional math is beautiful: Instead of trading 40+ hours for one salary, you're trading focused expertise for premium rates. Quality over quantity wins.
Your Exit Strategy
Step 1: Get Your Financial House in Order
Calculate your actual transition costs (not your "I'll figure it out" estimates). Build a real emergency fund. Have the money conversation with your family.
Yes, this is boring. Do it anyway.
Step 2: Warm Up Your Network
Start those "feedback gathering" conversations. Test demand for your expertise. Pay attention to who lights up when you describe what you do.
Remember: You're not selling anything yet. You're exploring.
Step 3: Transition
Identify which 30-40% of your current role could become a fractional contract. Document everything (because nonprofits love documentation). Draft your preliminary proposal.
Then have the conversation.
The Nonprofit Sector Needs This Model
When you present the fractional option, you're not asking for charity. You're offering a better solution:
They get expertise without overhead (no benefits, no performance reviews, no "what's my career path?" conversations)
You get boundaries without guilt (clear scope, professional rates, actual time off)
Everyone wins (shocking concept in our sector)
What Success Actually Looks Like
Sarah's business today: Two solid fractional clients, project work that energizes her, and a pipeline of prospects in her specialized niche.
More importantly: She wakes up without that pit-of-dread feeling that defines so much nonprofit work.
She's proving you can have impact without self-sacrifice.
Stop Planning Your Escape and Start Building Your Bridge
Your current job isn't just a paycheck you're tolerating until you can "do what you really want." It might be the foundation for the consulting business you're dreaming about.
The difference between consultants who succeed and consultants who struggle back to in-house roles? Strategic planning instead of wishful thinking.
Sarah didn't get lucky. She got smart.
Your turn.
Ready to stop talking about consulting and start building your exit strategy? The Nonprofit Fractional Launchpad gives you the exact roadmap Sarah used—plus the community of people who've already made the leap.
Want more proof this works? Listen to Sarah's full story on the Fracture podcast, where we dive into the messy details your LinkedIn feed won't show you.
Bottom line: The nonprofit sector taught you to choose between mission and money. That's a false choice. You can have both—you just need a better plan than "maybe it'll work out."
Time to stop settling for the dysfunction and start building something better.