13: Getting Paid On Time - Grace Tabib

An unpaid invoice hits differently than a late bill. Grace Tabib, founder of DUPAY, knows that firsthand - she left a law firm offer to return to nonprofit work, then went three months unpaid on a role she still loved. That experience became a business built on recovering unpaid invoices for freelancers, fractionals, and founders. In this conversation, Grace and Cindy break down why late nonprofit payments are almost always admin delays rather than malice, what a solid fractional contract needs to spell out from day one, and how to send a payment reminder that stays professional without feeling cold. They also get into the harder cases: when a client goes quiet, when the money genuinely isn't there, and when it's time to stop chasing an invoice yourself. **Key Takeaways** - Most late nonprofit payments come from admin delays, not bad faith - missing approvals, absent signers, or invoices routed to the wrong inbox. - A contract should spell out payment terms, approval steps, and timelines before work starts, even with a client you already know well. - Reminders work best sent early and often - the first one the day payment is due, not weeks later. - Keep reminders professional, not personal - lead with the invoice number and due date, not the relationship. - If a client goes unresponsive after repeated professional outreach, it's reasonable to hand the collection to a third party rather than keep spending your own time and energy on it. **Guest Bio** Grace Tabib is the founder and head of advocacy at DUPAY, a platform that protects income and recovers unpaid invoices for freelancers, fractionals, and small businesses. She is a lawyer with her own history of unpaid nonprofit work, which shaped DUPAY's mission to help people get paid for work they've already done. **Resources + Links** DUPAY **Connect with Grace** Website | LinkedIn Fracture is for nonprofit professionals who refuse to choose between doing good work and having a good life. Hosted by Cindy Wagman, founder of the Nonprofit Fractionals Network, it's real talk on building a fractional consulting business that actually pays - and still matters. Subscribe to Fracture | Join the OS