The fractional workforce: time for charities to embrace?

If you glanced at The Times this weekend, you’ll have seen the headline: the UK is in the midst of a fractional work boom. From boardrooms to creative studios, more professionals are splitting their time and expertise across multiple employers than ever before. It’s a profound shift in how we think about work, and it’s one the charity sector can’t afford to ignore.

Why is fractional work on the rise?

The drivers are clear. Economic pressures and the need for flexibility have made traditional full-time roles less attractive for both organisations and workers. Businesses want access to high-level expertise without the long-term commitment or cost of a full-time hire. Workers, meanwhile, are seeking greater autonomy, work-life balance, and the opportunity to build portfolio careers. Technology (remote collaboration, cloud-based tools, and AI) has made it easier than ever for experts to contribute from anywhere, to any number of organisations. The result? A win-win: companies get the skills they need, when they need them, and professionals get more control over their working lives.

Fractional roles in the charity sector: rare, but promising

Despite the surge in fractional working across the private sector, the charity world has been slower to adapt. There are some notable exceptions: smaller charities in the UK have long shared back-office services, think pooled finance teams, collaborative HR, or joint fundraising functions. The rise of the fractional CFO is another example, allowing charities to access financial expertise without the cost of a full-time executive. In the US, models like The More Than Giving Co. have enabled small nonprofits to tap into teams of fractional professionals for everything from fundraising to campaign management. Something the UK charity sector is yet to develop at scale.

Why should charities be frontrunners in fractional work?

Here’s the opportunity: unlike the private sector, charities are not in competition for profit. Collaboration is in our DNA. When charities unite to share talent, they not only save money, they also foster learning, innovation, and resilience. Imagine a cohort of Chief Impact Officers or Chief Data Officers working across several organisations in the same sector, bringing deep expertise in impact measurement or AI to charities that could never afford such roles alone. These are precisely the kinds of roles, complex, expensive, and in short supply, where fractional working can make the biggest difference.

What’s holding us back?

So why aren’t there more examples? Some of it is cultural: charities are used to working in silos, or worry about losing their unique identity. Others simply haven’t considered the model, or lack the networks to find the right fractional talent. But as budgets tighten and the need for specialist skills grows, the case for fractional working is only getting stronger.

A call to action

Earlier this year, NPC (New Philanthropy Capital) brought together a group of sector leaders to discuss the potential of fractional working in charities. The appetite is there—but we need pioneers willing to try, learn, and share what works. If you’re a charity leader, funder, or impact professional interested in exploring fractional roles, especially in areas like impact measurement, data, or technology, we want to hear from you. Let’s work together to unlock the full potential of our sector.

Are you ready to help shape the future of charity work? Get in touch, and let’s explore what’s possible together.

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