Services / Fractional CTO/CIO

Fractional CTO / CIO for Mission First Organizations

Not every organization is ready for a full time technology executive. Fractional CTO/CIO services from Sparkwave give you senior IT leadership, strategy, and governance at a scale that fits your budget and season.

Schedule a Fractional CTO Conversation

Who Fractional CTO/CIO Is For

This service is for small to mid sized businesses, ministries, and nonprofits that feel the weight of technology decisions but do not have a dedicated IT executive.

  • Leadership is making IT decisions without a clear roadmap
  • Multiple vendors, tools, and platforms with no central owner
  • Security, backups, and user access are “probably okay” but not reviewed
  • You want someone at the table who can translate tech into plain language and action

What Fractional IT Leadership Covers

Strategy and Roadmap

  • 6 to 12 month technology roadmap tied to your goals
  • Prioritized list of projects: now, next, later
  • Budget awareness for hosting, licenses, and key tools
  • Alignment between leadership vision and IT execution

Governance and Vendors

  • Onboarding and offboarding processes for staff and volunteers
  • Basic policies for accounts, passwords, and acceptable use
  • Vendor coordination across hosting, internet, phones, and SaaS tools
  • Support with contract reviews and renewal decisions

Security and Communication

  • Baseline security posture (MFA, backups, access reviews)
  • Simple incident response steps for common issues
  • Quarterly written updates in clear, non technical language
  • Participation in leadership or board meetings when needed

Platforms and Environments

Fractional CTO/CIO services sit above the specific tools you use, but it is helpful to name the common platforms Sparkwave works with.

  • Microsoft 365 for email, identity, and collaboration
  • Google Workspace for mail, calendars, and Drive
  • Website hosting, DNS, and content management systems
  • Security basics including MFA, backups, and access reviews
  • Lightweight cloud workloads and integrations (including GCP)

Fractional CTO/CIO Packages

These tiers give you a starting point. Final scope is tailored to your size, tools, and risk level.

Fractional CTO Lite

$1,500 per month

For smaller organizations that need guidance and rhythm more than heavy project load.

  • Monthly leadership meeting (virtual)
  • Basic 6 month roadmap
  • Email support for questions and vendor decisions
  • Quarterly written update for leadership

Fractional CTO Standard

$2,500 per month

For organizations with multiple systems, vendors, and active projects.

  • Bi monthly leadership meetings
  • 12 month roadmap with now / next / later priorities
  • Vendor and project coordination
  • Security and access review at least twice per year
  • Quarterly update for leadership or the board

Fractional CTO Plus

Custom per month

For complex environments, multi site operations, or higher regulatory expectations.

  • Custom cadence for leadership and board meetings
  • Deeper involvement in vendor selection and RFPs
  • Support for audits or compliance reviews
  • Closer integration with internal IT or external MSPs

Most organizations start with a simple discovery call and a short term engagement. From there we can decide together if a longer fractional CTO/CIO relationship makes sense.

Start with a Discovery Call

How Fractional CTO/CIO Engagement Works

  1. Discovery – We talk through your current environment, goals, and pain points.
  2. Initial Roadmap – You receive a short, practical roadmap with priorities.
  3. Engagement Agreement – We define cadence, expectations, and communication channels.
  4. Execution and Review – We work the plan together, adjust as needed, and keep leadership informed.
  5. Ongoing or Sunset – You can continue, scale up/down, or end the engagement once goals are met.