Fractional Chief Strategy Officer
Strategic direction, without the full-time hire.
Grey & Associates serves as your Fractional Chief Strategy Officer — keeping priorities aligned, decisions grounded in data, and initiatives on course from planning through execution. Executive-level strategic leadership on the bandwidth your organization actually needs.
Schedule a fit callDiagnostic
Signs you need a Fractional CSO
The structural problem most nonprofits hit: boards provide governance but rarely operational strategy expertise, and executive directors are consumed by daily operations, fundraising, and compliance. No one owns long-term strategic direction. A Fractional CSO closes that gap.
Strategy lives only in one person’s head
You can describe the 3-year direction in a meeting. It is not written down, not owned, and not tracked — which means it is also not happening.
You have a strategic plan, but no execution rhythm
The binder exists. Nothing in the day-to-day operations connects to it. Quarterly reviews happen sometimes, when there is time.
Your board wants strategy, not just compliance
Board members are asking for direction, KPIs, and progress reports. Your team does not have the bandwidth to produce them on a recurring basis.
You are growing faster than the leadership team can absorb
New funding, new programs, new partnerships — and no one whose full-time job is keeping the strategy aligned with reality.
What we do as your Fractional CSO
Four areas, every month
Every engagement is scoped to your organization’s stage and intensity. These are the four areas of work that show up in every Fractional CSO retainer.
Strategic Direction Ownership
Lead the strategic planning process and maintain the 3–5 year plan. Translate vision into specific goals and measures of success everyone on the team can read.
Performance & KPI System
Build the progress snapshots so leaders see what is on track and what is not. Maintain the KPI library, dashboards, and review cadence — grounded in Results-Based Accountability™.
Quarterly Strategy & Board Facilitation
Facilitate quarterly strategy sessions with the leadership team and board strategy briefings. Maintain the rhythm — quarterly check-ins, annual planning — that keeps decisions current.
Executive Coaching & Decision Support
Coach the executive director and senior leaders on strategic decisions as they come up. Ad-hoc strategic counsel between sessions, not just at the quarterly review.
Track record
What clients have achieved
The dollar and team outcomes possible when strategic direction has an owner who shows up every month.
$25M+
in grants secured for clients
Across public, nonprofit, and philanthropic partners — work led with Dr. Grey in a strategic-direction role.
$10.5M+
in program funding managed
The operational track record nonprofit boards and funders look for in a strategy partner.
25+ yrs
in organizational development
Doctoral-level experience across strategic planning, board governance, RBA, and leadership development.
How it works
From onboarding to compounding returns
Most engagements begin with a strategic planning sprint, then convert to an ongoing Fractional CSO retainer. The first 90 days establish the plan; the months after make sure it gets executed.
Onboarding (weeks 1–4)
Discovery, document review, leadership interviews, baseline assessment. We learn the organization before we recommend direction.
Strategic planning (weeks 5–10)
3–5 priorities, SMART KPIs, 12–18 month roadmap, 90-day execution sprint. Or a refresh of your existing plan, scoped to where the gaps actually are.
Ongoing CSO support (months 3–12+)
Monthly leadership session, quarterly strategy review, board strategy briefings, ad-hoc decision support. Intensity scoped to your stage.
Annual planning facilitation
Deep refresh of priorities, KPIs, and resource alignment. The reset that keeps the plan from going stale year over year.
How we scope it
Monthly retainer, scoped to your stage
What goes into the retainer
Fractional CSO engagements are priced as monthly retainers based on the hours, intensity, board involvement, and travel your organization needs. We scope all of that during your discovery call — you’ll see the number before you commit. Twelve-month minimum recommended to see compounding returns.
Quarterly strategy reviews and annual planning facilitation are built into every engagement. We price by scope, not by hour, so you know what you’re paying for, not what you’re being billed for.
Who this is for
Right-fit organizations
Fractional CSO support is the right model for organizations at a specific stage. Some of these will sound like you. Some will not — and that is useful information.
Nonprofits, $500K to $10M operating budget
Big enough that strategic direction matters. Not yet at the scale that warrants a full-time CSO. Fractional bridges the gap.
Public agencies running multi-year initiatives
Initiatives that span budget cycles need continuity. A Fractional CSO provides the strategic continuity an internal team cannot always carry.
Leaders with a plan but no rhythm to execute it
The strategic plan exists. The 90-day sprints, quarterly reviews, and KPI updates do not. We bring the operating rhythm.
Organizations expecting growth in the next 12 months
New funding, new programs, a leadership transition, or a major partnership coming. Strategic direction needs to be in place before, not after.
Pairs well with
Related services
Most Fractional CSO engagements begin with strategic planning and pair with capacity building once the plan is in place.
FAQ
Fractional CSO questions we hear
How is this different from one-time strategic planning?
Strategic planning is a project with a defined start and end (6–10 weeks for us). A Fractional CSO engagement is ongoing — same strategic discipline, but woven into your monthly operating rhythm. Most clients do strategic planning first, then convert to a Fractional CSO retainer.
Will you be at our board meetings?
Yes — quarterly strategy briefings to the board are part of the standard engagement. Additional board attendance is available as part of a higher-intensity retainer or as a project-based add-on, scoped on your discovery call.
How do we know if we are ready?
You are ready if you have an executive director or senior leader who can be the day-to-day partner, a board that wants strategic direction (not just compliance), and budget for the retainer. You are not ready if leadership is in active turnover or there is no agreement that strategic direction is needed.
Can we start with a strategic plan and add Fractional CSO later?
Yes — that is the most common path. Many clients use the 6–10 week strategic planning engagement as the trial run before committing to a 12-month retainer. The strategic plan deliverables become the starting point for the ongoing CSO work.
What kinds of decisions does the Fractional CSO support?
Strategic prioritization, KPI design and review, board governance and engagement, program scope and resource allocation, partnership decisions, leadership transitions, and the strategic implications of major funding events. The work is strategic counsel — not operational management.
Do you offer this nationwide or only in South Florida?
Both. The work is delivered virtually for most clients, with periodic on-site sessions in South Florida or wherever the client is headquartered. Travel beyond Broward County is billed separately.
Let’s see if Fractional CSO is the right fit
Pick a 30-minute time below. We’ll identify where your organization stands strategically, what’s possible, and whether Fractional CSO is the right model for you — before you commit to anything.
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6721 NW 45th CourtLauderhill, FL 33319
Last updated: May 2026