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Here’s what you told us: your feedback from our 2023 Client Survey

Here’s what you told us: your feedback from our 2023 Client Survey

First, our NPS score, a universal score of customer satisfaction, remains nearly double that of the average consulting firm. In fact, for the third year in a row, we saw our NPS score go up!

Our NPS is one of our “north star” measurements, so I’m thrilled by this result and excited we’re maintaining our superstar streak year-over-year.

This year, 100 percent of our clients strongly agree that we make them feel important, and 100 percent of our clients strongly agree that we’re fun to work with.

Nonprofit Communications, Communications Campaigns, About ForthrightNiki JuhaszJanuary 23, 2024Client survey, Forthright's annual survey, client survey results

7 predictions for 2024 social media trends

7 predictions for 2024 social media trends

Social media brought many surprises in 2023. Will 2024 be a roller coaster too? Because my Magic 8 Ball told me “Reply hazy, try again,” I checked in with some of the biggest names in social media to see what they predicted for 2024.

Communications Campaigns, Writing and Messaging, Digital and Social MediaKatie Test DavisJanuary 17, 2024social media, video, threads, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, SEO

How to win over your target audiences

How to win over your target audiences

I have a friend who cares deeply – and I mean deeply – about college football. Despite graduating from a huge football school myself (War Eagle), I…do not. If you only have those facts, you may think we don’t have much in common on fall weekends. However, if you dig a little deeper, you find a shared value: we both love being outdoors. On many a weekend, you can find us sitting *outside* with the games on a big screen, enjoying the sun. Everyone’s happy. The key takeaway? If you try hard enough, you can find something in common with – a shared value – with your most important target audiences.

Nonprofit Communications, Communications Campaigns, Writing and MessagingNiki JuhaszJanuary 4, 2024target audience, targeted messaging, shared values, campaign messaging, clear communication, how to write for your audience

Communications is an act of love

Communications is an act of love

In 2023, we fought politicians working to dismantle public education. We battled funding cuts that impact kids and families. We’ve had our hearts broken daily from escalating violence in Israel-Palestine, Sudan and Ukraine. We demanded paid family leave for all. We struggled to re-envision child care in America. We supported leaders who are exhausted and overwhelmed. Through it all, we’ve remained dedicated to dismantling structural oppression for children and their families.

Nonprofit Communications, School District Marketing, Communications Campaigns, Most Popular, About ForthrightKatie Test DavisDecember 18, 20232023 reflections, about Forthright, communications as an act of love, personal why for communications

Our top tip for pitching reporters

Our top tip for pitching reporters

Smart communicators are moving away from press releases and using pitches — short emails tailored to specific reporters about specific topics. But we know writing the perfect pitch — and building personal relationships with journalists — can be tricky, so we’ve created a pitching checklist just for you! Download this free resource today and pitch with confidence, knowing that you’re following the best media relations practices possible.

Nonprofit Communications, Communications Campaigns, Media Relations, School District MarketingNiki JuhaszDecember 5, 2023media relations, pitching, pitching reporters, journalists, public relations, pitching checklist

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

It’s one year from Election Day

It’s one year from Election Day

It’s just over a year until the next presidential Election Day across the US. Do you have your advocacy communications plan ready? If not, there’s still time! While Election Day may seem far away, the time for advocacy is now. Here’s why.

Nonprofit Communications, Communications Campaigns, Writing and MessagingForthright AdvisingOctober 31, 2023elections, systems, clear communication, advocacy, advocacy campaigns, advocates, nonprofit advocacy, nonprofit organizations and elections

Make the most of your next event

Make the most of your next event

Events are fun, impactful and strategic, but can also be overwhelming and exhausting. That’s why today, we’re sharing how to set goals and target audiences – ones that align with your organization’s mission – as you prepare for that big benefit or conference. Taking this step at the beginning of your planning process will help ensure you’re getting the most out of your event.

Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit CommunicationsNiki JuhaszOctober 17, 2023how to create smart goals, SMARTIE goals, setting target audiences, how to plan a nonprofit event, what to think about when planning a conference, nonprofit conferences, association conferences

3 lessons from school redistricting we can all use

3 lessons from school redistricting we can all use

People hate change.

It makes us feel uncertain, uncomfortable and like things are out of our control. And that’s not just coming from me – that’s directly from Dr. Joseph Ciarrochi, author of “What Makes You Stronger: How to Thrive in the Face of Change.”

And this fact is really, really important for our work – because to best serve kids and families, we often have to lead innovation – also known to your families and team as change.

Here at Forthright, we’ve done a lot of research and work around tricky topics. We’ve included a few key takeaways from our most recent research project – school redistricting – below.

Accessibility, Writing and Messaging, Communications Campaigns, School District MarketingNiki JuhaszSeptember 12, 2023communication tactics, redistricting, communicating change, community relations, redistricting campaigns, school bond campaigns, rezoning, school districts, public schools

2 steps to take *before* you talk to a reporter

2 steps to take *before* you talk to a reporter

Reaching out to the media can be a solid public relations tactic. But, a little tough love here: this approach is not for everyone. Just because you’re doing amazing, life-changing work doesn’t automatically mean that it will gain you a media hit. Before you hit “send” on your email to a journalist, we have two steps you should take in order to get ready to pitch.

Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit Communications, Media Relations, StorytellingForthright AdvisingSeptember 5, 2023nonprofit campaigns, media relations best practices, how to pitch a reporter, how to get media coverage, best practices for talking to reporters

How to create the perfect comms toolkit

How to create the perfect comms toolkit

When we get fellow advocates, board members, families, business leaders, faith leaders, youth themselves involved in a cause, we’re unstoppable. However, to get partners involved, we need to make group advocacy easy. That’s where communications toolkits come into play. I’m including two tips to build a strong toolkit below.

Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit CommunicationsNiki JuhaszAugust 22, 2023nonprofit campaigns, how to win your nonprofit campaign, creating the perfect communications toolkit, what to include in a toolkit, campaign toolkit, social media toolkit

8 tips to make your listening session a success

8 tips to make your listening session a success

Maybe you just joined a new district or organization and want to do a communications audit. Perhaps you’re considering a big change that affects students. Or you simply want to build better communication with the families you serve through your nonprofit or foundation. No matter the reason, there’s one critical piece to all successful communications work: listening. Today, we’re sharing tips for before, during and after your listening sessions.

Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit Communications, School District MarketingKatie Test DavisAugust 8, 2023how to create allies, how to engage your community, nonprofit listening sessions, school district listening sessions, best practices for gathering feedback

How to find unlikely allies for your work

How to find unlikely allies for your work

When our team kicks off our work on a communications campaign, we focus first on the objective we’re trying to achieve. What’s our goal? But quickly afterwards, we ask the important question: who can make our goal a reality And that’s when we start our search for likely AND unlikely allies. We’re sharing what unlikely allies are — and how you can find them — here.

Writing and Messaging, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit Communications, School District MarketingKatie Test DavisJune 28, 2023how to build a communications campaign, how to create allies, building support for your nonprofit cause

A look back at how PR has changed

A look back at how PR has changed

A couple of weeks ago, my colleagues and I were reminiscing about “how PR used to be.” In addition to making us feel – well, like seriously seasoned comms professionals who have seen it all – it made us realize just how different things are.

So then I asked the rest of our teammates how PR has changed over their careers. Here are their answers, just for fun.

Writing and Messaging, Digital and Social Media, Media Relations, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit Communications, School District Marketing, About ForthrightNiki JuhaszJune 12, 2023social media trends, media relations trends, press releases, media relations best practices, communications strategies, changing nonprofit tactics

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

5 tactics to reach families without internet access

5 tactics to reach families without internet access

We’ve spent years creating campaigns to reach both families with AND without internet access. Through our extensive research, we’ve put together a list of tactics that you can begin to implement – or use to improve your existing strategy – to effectively reach audiences without internet access. In the worksheet, we’ve included five tactics, the data that support each tactic and best practices to use while implementing each one!

Accessibility, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit Communications, School District MarketingNiki JuhaszApril 28, 2023reaching families without internet access, communication tactics, inclusive communications, equity in communications

The best ways to share your news this summer

The best ways to share your news this summer

We’re sharing the freshest data about how people are consuming news in 2023, so you can ensure your information gets in front of your target audiences, even while they’re sunning themselves at the beach.

Nonprofit Communications, Media Relations, School District Marketing, Digital and Social Media, Communications CampaignsKatie Test DavisApril 13, 2023data, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Radio, Broadcast, newspaper, breaking news over the summer, announcements

Fresh data about your district’s families

Fresh data about your district’s families

Public school enrollment continues declining, and the U.S. Department of Education has the data to prove it. We’re sharing more of the fresh stats – and of course tips for your next steps.

Communications Campaigns, School District MarketingNiki JuhaszMarch 23, 2023strategic communications, nonprofit

Why clear writing is part of your equity journey

Why clear writing is part of your equity journey

Easy-to-read messaging is kind. It helps your audiences understand your work and what you want them to know. On the flip side, when a message uses big words, acronyms and jargon, it is – by definition – exclusionary. Today, we’re sharing more about how we recommend approaching your messaging.

Most Popular, Brand/Materials Creation, Accessibility, Writing and Messaging, Nonprofit Communications, Communications CampaignsNiki JuhaszMarch 8, 2023strategic communications, nonprofit

Are your teachers effective spokespeople for your district?

Are your teachers effective spokespeople for your district?

Families in your district know their teachers – they communicate with those teachers – they trust teachers. While as a district leader, you play a truly critical role in helping your district succeed (and frankly, we think you’re awesome for it), you're not always the one parents are engaging with weekly, or even daily. And THAT, my friends, means you have a huge communications opportunity in front of you. We’re sharing more here.

School District Marketing, Brand/Materials Creation, Communications Campaigns, StorytellingNiki JuhaszFebruary 22, 2023education