How to apply for Fractional CFO

About Movement CFO

Movement CFO is a mission-driven firm that helps social justice organizations transform financial management into a strategic asset, not just an administrative task. They partner with nonprofits, foundations, and movement groups to provide fractional CFO services, budgeting, forecasting, and audit support. This is a unique opportunity to apply financial expertise in a values-aligned, remote environment where every decision supports social impact.

About the role

As a Fractional CFO, you will serve as a strategic financial partner to multiple social justice clients, typically dedicating 12–15 hours per client per month. You'll guide leadership on budgeting, forecasting, systems development, and audit readiness, ensuring compliance and mission-aligned financial decisions. This role is ideal for someone who wants to scale their impact across multiple organizations while enjoying the flexibility of a 1099 contractor arrangement.

A typical day

A typical day might involve reviewing financial reports for one client, meeting with another client's executive director to discuss budget adjustments, and preparing a board presentation for a third. You'll balance deep analytical work with strategic conversations, all while managing your schedule across multiple remote clients. The role requires flexibility, strong communication, and a passion for using finance to drive social change.

Who Movement CFO is looking for

• Experienced financial leader with a background in nonprofit finance, ideally in social justice or movement organizations, who understands restricted funds, grant management, and compliance.
• Strategic thinker who can translate financial data into actionable insights for executive directors and boards, and who thrives in a remote, client-facing advisory role.
• Self-motivated contractor comfortable managing multiple clients (12–15 hours each) and scaling their client load over time.
• Strong communicator and thought partner who can build trust with mission-driven leaders and adapt to shifting priorities in resource-constrained environments.

Tips for this application

• Highlight specific experience with nonprofit financial management, including grant compliance, fund accounting, and audit preparation, as these are core to Movement CFO's clients.
• Demonstrate your ability to work independently and manage multiple clients by quantifying the number of concurrent clients or projects you've handled in past roles.
• Emphasize any experience with social justice or movement organizations—this is not just a nice-to-have but central to the company's mission and client base.
• Show your strategic side by including examples of how you've helped organizations improve financial systems, forecasting, or decision-making, not just maintained books.
• Address the 1099 contractor nature directly: express enthusiasm for the flexible, project-based model and your capacity to start with a few clients and scale up.

What to cover in your cover letter

["Your passion for social justice and how you've used financial expertise to support mission-driven organizations.", 'Concrete examples of building financial systems or strategies that helped a nonprofit or foundation grow or sustain impact.', 'Your ability to serve as a thought partner to executive leadership, including experience presenting to boards or guiding financial conversations.', 'Your capacity to manage multiple clients remotely and your interest in scaling with Movement CFO as a long-term contractor.']

Research before applying

• Explore Movement CFO's website and any public materials to understand their service model, client base, and the CEO's vision.
• Research common financial challenges faced by social justice nonprofits, such as restricted funding, cash flow management, and audit requirements.
• Look into the backgrounds of the CEO, Chanda Jones, and other team members to understand their expertise and approach.
• Familiarize yourself with tools and software commonly used in nonprofit finance (e.g., QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Excel) and be ready to discuss your proficiency.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you approach assessing the financial health of a social justice organization that has never had a CFO?
• Describe a time you helped a nonprofit navigate a complex financial situation, such as an audit or funding shortfall.
• How do you prioritize your time when serving multiple clients with varying needs and deadlines?
• What experience do you have with restricted funds, grant reporting, and ensuring compliance with funder requirements?
• How would you partner with an executive director who is not financially savvy to build their confidence in financial decision-making?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on for-profit financial experience without connecting it to nonprofit or social justice contexts.
• Underestimating the contractor aspect—applying as if this is a full-time employee role or expressing hesitation about the 1099 model.
• Using generic language about 'helping nonprofits' without demonstrating specific knowledge of movement organizations or values-aligned finance.