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How to find your trusted messengers

How to find your trusted messengers

In times of mistrust, it’s time to call in the reinforcements and boost your trusted messenger game.

Messengers are the people who influence your target audiences. They can support your work in a variety of ways – from sharing your posts on social media, to posting about your programs on their neighborhood listservs to sponsoring your programs.

Trusted messengers are people, or groups of people, your audiences are most likely to listen to. We’re sharing more strategies to harness their power in this blog.

Brand/Materials Creation, Most Popular, Writing and Messaging, Communications CampaignsEmily SwartzlanderApril 16, 2025trust, messengers, trusted messengers, messaging, audience research, core messaging, audiences, know your audience, finding the right messenger, identifying the best messenger

Why your people are stuck + how to fix it

Why your people are stuck + how to fix it

People are ready to fight back. They are ready to help. They are ready to "make good trouble."

Your audiences are looking for someone to tell them what to do.

If you’re a nonprofit or association leader, the person they are looking to is YOU. 🫵We’re sharing tips for how to do empower them today.

Most Popular, Brand/Materials Creation, Writing and Messaging, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit Communications, About ForthrightKatie Test DavisApril 7, 2025flooding the zone, overwhelming your audiences, freeze mode, messaging clearly, simplify your messaging, building clarity in messaging, single ask messaging

Unlock stronger coalition comms with a unified brand

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how coalitions can improve advocacy efforts by aligning around core messages and creating easy-to-use resources to better reach your audiences.

Today, I want to talk about the next step in successfully communicating about your coalition: creating a coalition brand.

Most Popular, Brand/Materials Creation, Writing and Messaging, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit Communications, About ForthrightKatie Test DavisApril 4, 2025brands, branding for advocates, coalitions, coalition comms, advocacy, partnership, how to brand, branding coalitions, coalition branding best practices

Our best project management tips

Our best project management tips

You worked so hard on that campaign. It’s so, so close to finished…and then someone comes in and blows it all up. 💥

We’ve all been there. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You CAN have smooth processes and easy review rounds. We promise a brighter future exists.

Today, we’re sharing three tips – tactics we use with our own clients – to make sure your projects have a clear process and a clean launch.

How do we do it? Let’s dive into our special sauce.

Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials Creation, Communications Campaigns, School District MarketingNiki JuhaszMarch 19, 2025smart nonprofit project management, how to get design feedback, how to plan a nonprofit project, smart foundation project management, smart association project management, association communications, foundation communications

Calling coalitions: 3 steps to advocate effectively

Calling coalitions: 3 steps to advocate effectively

Coalitions have the power to create real, lasting change for children and families. And in times of uncertainty (like – you know – right now), coalitions can be particularly powerful.

But to create successful advocacy campaigns, coalitions need thoughtful, data-backed communications that work for all partners involved. On top of that, coalition leaders must ensure your work together is aligned so audiences can understand your vision and know how to take action and support your efforts.

Fortunately, coordinating your coalition’s communications work is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Nonprofit Communications, Writing and Messaging, Brand/Materials Creation, Communications CampaignsEmily SwartzlanderMarch 7, 2025coalitions, advocacy, coalition comms, toolkits, logic model, partnerships, network, advocates

Get the right eyes on your new report

Get the right eyes on your new report

So you have new data, and you want to share that information with the world!

A report release can be a wonderful way to get eyes on your organization. But, take it from me – as someone who LOVES a good, ole’ fashioned report release – they can be a TON of work.

Before you start putting pen to paper, I want to share a few key questions to ask yourself as you prepare for your own report release.

Digital and Social Media, Brand/Materials Creation, Writing and Messaging, Media Relations, Storytelling, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit CommunicationsKatie Test DavisFebruary 17, 2025report, report release, report writing for nonprofits, public relations for research reports, data visualization for reports, education research dissemination, nonprofit report release strategy, early childhood policy report, how to engage stakeholders with data, visualizing data in education reports

How to help overwhelmed parents

How to help overwhelmed parents

Parents and caregivers need our help.

I’ve led work that supports parents and caregivers for two decades.

I’ve also been a parent for nearly 13 years.

And over time, I’ve noticed a growing trend. Parents and caregivers are overworked, overstressed and overwhelmed – and it’s impacting their health.

As communicators and leaders, there are three easy guidelines you can follow to ensure your messages break through the noise to reach this overwhelmed (but critical!) audience.

Behind the scenes of one of my favorite projects this year

Behind the scenes of one of my favorite projects this year

“Close your eyes, and imagine an America where we have gotten childcare right.

The Reimagine Childcare Project has spent the last two years co-creating and building a radical new Vision of childcare.

It imagines a future where childcare looks and feels abundant.

One where we make sure every child, parent, guardian, and provider is whole and happy. One where everyone has exactly what they need to become who they are meant to be.”

GAH, doesn’t it just give you goosebumps?

Brand/Materials Creation, Digital and Social Media, Storytelling, Communications CampaignsKatie Test DavisOctober 26, 2024Innovative Childcare Solutions, Early Childhood Advocacy, Supporting Families and Caregivers, Childcare Resources and Tools, Building Childcare Equity, Childcare Policy and Change, Holistic Child Development, Community-Based Childcare

Connect with your community by knowing your history

Connect with your community by knowing your history

As communicators, it’s our job to deeply understand what came before us. For example, knowing about child care’s roots in chattel slavery can help you communicate effectively about workforce challenges. Knowing the history of de- (and recent re-) segregation can help public school communicators better connect around school closures and redistricting.

Great communicators are history experts and are constantly absorbing news and context. We're sharing tips about when and how to think about history here.

Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials Creation, Writing and Messaging, Media Relations, Communications Campaigns, School District MarketingKatie Test DavisAugust 20, 2024nonprofit communications, education leadership and history, cultural competence in education, inclusive messaging for nonprofits, historical context in advocacy, youth engagement in public spaces, community focused public relations, nonprofit branding and history, youth centered nonprofit partnerships, policy campaign communication tactics

Three steps for a successful rebrand

What happens when your brand (like your name, logo, colors and tagline) no longer fits who your organization is, and the vision of what you’re working towards?

It’s time for a rebrand.

At Forthright, we adore rebrands. They are some of the most fun projects we work on!

Here we break down three key elements to a successful rebrand using a recent project we worked on with Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina (formerly Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina) as an example so you can see how the steps play out.

Brand/Materials Creation, Nonprofit Communications, About ForthrightNiki JuhaszMay 14, 2024Branding, rebrand, positive childhood alliance NC, prevent child abuse NC, logo, brand colors, brand refresh, nonprofit branding, nonprofit rebranding

How to reach families without internet

How to reach families without internet

Reaching families without internet access isn’t a new challenge for communicators. As of last year, one in five households in America were unable to get online at home.

But in April, millions more families across the country are poised to lose their online access as the Affordable Connectivity Program funding runs out.

This could make reaching kids and families in your district or community more challenging. So today, I want to take a moment and share what we’ve learned about reaching and supporting offline families.

Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials Creation, Accessibility, Communications Campaigns, Digital and Social Media, Most Popular, School District Marketing, Storytelling, Writing and MessagingEmily SwartzlanderMarch 28, 2024broadband, internet, no internet, free resource, reaching families, tactics, Reaching families without internet access, Low bandwidth communications tactics

Why you should print your Annual Report

Why you should print your Annual Report

Nothing makes my stationary-loving self happier than getting to exclaim to you: PRINT IS BACK, BABY.

For nearly a decade, foundations and nonprofits have scaled back on their print projects. We saw online annual reports become more and more popular, Paperless Post took over for event invitations and trifold brochures morphed into digital Flipsnacks.

But our collective digital fatigue is showing, and I, personally, could not be more thrilled.

We’re sharing why you should print your annual report, what trends to pay attention to, and bring you some of our recent examples.

Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials CreationKatie Test DavisMarch 21, 2024Printed annual report examples, 2024 nonprofit annual report trends, nonprofit annual reports, foundation annual reports, printed annual reports, 2024 annual report trends

Not your grandma’s style guide: Tips to help your team remember the why

Not your grandma’s style guide: Tips to help your team remember the why

Have you ever read or updated your organization’s style guide and paused to think, “Wait, why do we do it this way?” You’re not alone.

After countless communications audits and years of helping organizations discover what they need to say to reach their people, we’re convinced — good rules require great reasons.

Here are three tips to help you create a style guide that shows your team how to communicate and helps them remember why it matters.

Brand/Materials Creation, Digital and Social Media, Accessibility, Writing and Messaging, Storytelling, Nonprofit CommunicationsForthright AdvisingMarch 15, 2024Nonprofit style guide, Accessibility, how to create a style guide, style guide best practices

How to write welcoming messaging

How to write welcoming messaging

As leaders in the child and family advocacy space, the words we use matter. How we talk about families and children matter. When we use language based on assumptions – so, for example, in the case of mom and dad – we are unintentionally prescribing relationships that may not exist for all families in our community. Here’s your guide to inclusive family language.

Nonprofit Communications, Communications Campaigns, Brand/Materials Creation, Storytelling, School District Marketing, Writing and MessagingKatie Test DavisFebruary 8, 20242023 reflections, Inclusive family language, margaret middleton, nonprofit messaging, school district writing, family language, caregivers

How to capture great photos for your organization

How to capture great photos for your organization

In the child and family-focused work that we do, it can be hard to get real photographs of real people to use in your materials. But it’s definitely worth it. So with a little intention, a dash of project planning, and a can-do attitude, here are four steps you can take to get great photos for your organization.

Nonprofit Communications, School District Marketing, Brand/Materials CreationKatie Test DavisDecember 14, 2023Selecting a photographer, creating a shot list, nonprofit photography, family photography, materials creation, planning a photoshoot

Eliminating early childhood suspensions: lessons in real-world change

If you asked me a year ago what came to mind when thinking about early care and education, I would have conjured some pretty traditional images. Toddlers adorned with finger paint. Play-Doh of various colors, sculpted into comically unrecognizable shapes. The joyful sounds of children, with their infectious laughs and with their futures brimming with promise. You can, then, imagine what it felt to learn more about a startling truth in early care and education in America: the widespread suspensions and expulsions of young children, many barely old enough to walk. The desire to upend what has become an unfortunate status quo recently led me to Charlotte, North Carolina for the National Black Child Institute’s (NBCDI) national conference.

Nonprofit Communications, Writing and Messaging, Brand/Materials Creation, Communications Campaigns, StorytellingForthright AdvisingDecember 1, 2023elections, equity, Early care and education, branding, messaging, preschool suspension, preschool expulsion, suspensions and expulsions, logo, collaboration, communications campaign

5 tips for better project feedback

5 tips for better project feedback

Have you ever received a draft of a written or designed document – and your heart sank because it isn’t quite right? We’ve all been there. Here are a few tips to get your creative project back on track!

Nonprofit Communications, Writing and Messaging, Brand/Materials Creation, School District MarketingForthright AdvisingNovember 13, 2023elections, systems, clear communication, advocacy, advocates, feedback, graphic design, writing project, creative project, kickoff call, branding, quality review, creative feedback

2 steps for a strategic naming process

2 steps for a strategic naming process

Keeping your materials up to date, especially anchor materials like your logo and your core messages, maintains trust with your audiences and helps make sure you're living up to your brand's promise or organization's mission. We understand how busy nonprofit leaders are, and we want to make it easy to take just a few steps to ensure your most important materials are up to date, and to let your newest, most relevant materials shine.

Nonprofit Communications, Writing and Messaging, Brand/Materials CreationNiki JuhaszSeptember 26, 2023nonprofit messaging, Smart branding for nonprofits, smart rebranding for nonprofits

What do your logo’s colors say about your brand?

When we work with a client on a branding and logo project that involves decisions about color choices, we always start with strategy. We ask questions such as: What do we want people to feel when they consider the organization? What emotions do we want people to associate with the brand?

Knowing the answers to those key questions can help us make smart color choices.

Brand/Materials Creation, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit Communications, School District MarketingKatie Test DavisMay 25, 2023color psychology, branding, logos, rebrands, collateral creation

3 tips to ensure a happy rebranding process

3 tips to ensure a happy rebranding process

Your brand identity – from your name to tagline to logo – is your first introduction to your most important stakeholders. By approaching it with strategy and centering your audiences, you can ensure you’re building a strong brand that helps you accomplish your mission. We are including three tips here!

Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials CreationNiki JuhaszMarch 17, 2023strategic communications, nonprofit