About Forthright Advising:
Strategic Communications for Children & Families
Our Mission: PR for Child & Family Advocacy
Forthright Advising is a highly experienced public relations and communications firm that works exclusively with organizations championing children and families.
With more than 20 years of specialized experience in the child and family sector, Forthright Advising’s founder Katie Test Davis established the agency in 2019 as a nationwide public relations and marketing firm. Our entire team is driven by a love of kids, and laser focused on their success.
Our clients are typically nonprofits, foundations, associations and public school districts.
Our PR and Communications Expertise
Just a few of our awards include:
2020 Blue Ribbon NCSPRA Marketing Award for Rowan-Salisbury Schools, recognizing their Renewal District Campaign
2021 Forbes Next 1000 for Katie Test Davis, Forthright Advising Founder and CEO
2022 Best of the Best NCSPRA Marketing Award for Chatham County Schools, recognizing the One Chatham Campaign
2024 The Science of the Positive Organizational Transformation Leadership Award recognizing Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina’s organizational rebrand
Featured Publications and Expert Speaking Engagements:
Forthright’s expertise has been featured in publications, conferences and webinars from the following organizations:
Altarum
Alliance for Early Success
ASCD’s Annual Conference
Chesapeake School Public Relations Association (CHESPRA)
Columbia University
Education Week
Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC)
Florida Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers
Magnet Schools of America
National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI)
North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA)
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
North Carolina Network of Grantmakers
NC State University's Educational Leadership Academy
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
SmartBrief
Smart Start
Washington School Public Relations Association (WSPRA)
Pennsylvania Family Leadership Conference
Featured Insights & Industry Presence:
Our team is regularly invited to share expertise on child advocacy and district communications. You’ll see us in places such as:
National Education Media
Featured voices in Education Week, SmartBrief and ASCD.
Policy & Research Partners
Forthright has contributed to collaborations with organizations such as FrameWorks Institute, The Alliance for Early Success, Altarum and NBCDI.
State Leadership
Trusted presenters for NC Department of Public Instruction and NC Network of Grantmakers.
Sector Expertise & Advocacy Areas
Forthright offers public relations, marketing and communications services exclusively to organizations that support children and their families.
Here are the key areas our team has focused on and where our expertise lies:
-
Early Childhood Education (ECE): Child care access, Pre-K expansion and Head Start.
K-12 Public Education: District communications, student enrollment marketing, bond campaigns, community engagement, superintendent outreach and transitions.
Out-of-School Time (OST): Afterschool programs, summer learning and youth development.
Special Education & Disability Rights: Inclusive learning environments and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) expansion.
-
Children’s Hospitals & Pediatric Health: Messaging, campaigns and trauma-informed storytelling on behalf of patients and providers.
Youth Mental Health: Community and school-based services, and destigmatization campaigns.
Maternal Health & Birth Equity: Reducing infant mortality rates, perinatal mental health messaging and supporting community doula programs.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Trauma-informed care and prevention strategies.
Food Security: SNAP/WIC advocacy and child nutrition reauthorization.
-
Family Preservation: Preventing family separation and reforming the foster care system.
Juvenile Justice Reform: Ending youth incarceration and promoting restorative justice. Supporting the movement to end the use of suspensions and expulsions.
Digital Equity: Closing the broadband gap for rural and low-income families.
Immigrant Family Rights: Supporting mixed-status families and ensuring language access.
-
Two-Generation (2Gen) Solutions: Strategies that address parent and child needs simultaneously, such as perinatal mental health.
Paid Family & Medical Leave: State and federal policy advocacy.
Housing Equity & Homelessness: Affordable housing and tenant protections.
Economic Mobility: Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion, workforce development and financial inclusion.
Our Impact & Track Record
We measure our success not by impressions, but by the tangible progress we secure for children and families – measured in funding won, policies changed and communities engaged.
-
$960 Million Funding Increase: Secured for Early Head Start in 2023 through a strategic advocacy campaign for the National Head Start Association.
$1 Million Expansion: Won a 10-year proposal to expand PreK-12 Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs for Washtenaw Intermediate School District.
$4.48 Million Grant Strategy: Managed the strategic plan for North Carolina'sPreschool Development Grant, strengthening the statewide early childhood system.
-
13+ Million Children Impacted: Our campaigns have directly served families across the United States.
Institutional Trust: Partnered with 50+ Nonprofits, 20+ Foundations and 32+ Public School Districts.
National Footprint: Executing marketing and communications initiatives across 19 states and Washington D.C.
-
200+ Tier-1 Placements: Secured coverage in NYT, WaPo and NPR, specifically elevating narratives on family economic stability and child equity.
50+ Listening Sessions: Facilitated community consensus, resulting in the successful adoption of strategic plans for multiple major K-12 districts.
Executive Thought Leadership: Secured 100+ Op-Eds, media stories and speaking opportunities for nonprofit Executive Directors.
-
Nearly a Decade of Exclusive Focus: One of the few firms nationwide dedicated solely to the child and family sector since inception.
100 Percent Reliability Score: In our most recent annual survey, 100% of clients agreed: "When Forthright says they are going to do something, they do it.”
3+ Year Retention: Average client partnership tenure exceeds industry standards, demonstrating deep institutional integration.
Specialized Communications Services for Mission-Driven Organizations
Strategic Planning & Brand Identity
feels inspired to support your mission. From Communications Audits that identify gaps to complete Brand Messaging Strategies and material creation, we help you cut through the noise in a crowded philanthropic landscape.
Advocacy Campaigns & Digital Mobilization
Change doesn't happen by chance. We design high-stakes advocacy campaigns to overcome opposition and secure the future for your community. Whether through legislative pressure or Digital & Social Media Marketing, we mobilize audiences to spread your message with ease and impact.
Capacity Building & Technical Assistance (TA)
We function as an extension of your team – or your grantees' teams. We offer Technical Assistance ranging from hands-on implementation to high-level strategy. Our Training & Coaching programs deliver custom curricula to build the skills of your staff, clients or grantees, ensuring long-term sustainability.
Executive Counsel & Operational Leadership
Providing stability during transition and protection during complexity. We serve as Interim Communications Directors when you have leadership gaps and offer confidential Executive Counsel to navigate reputational risks and maintain stakeholder trust.
Specialized Communications Services for Mission-Driven Organizations
Founder & CEO | Senior Strategist New York, NY & Raleigh, NC
Specific Expertise: Strategic Planning, K-12 District Communications, Nonprofit Brand Architecture, Crisis Prevention.
A Forbes Next 1000 entrepreneur and veteran communications strategist, Katie Test Davis has dedicated two decades exclusively to advocacy for children and families. She combines data-driven best practices with deep sector knowledge to drive systemic change for Public School Districts, National Foundations and Child Welfare Agencies.
Niki Juhasz | Vice President Washington, DC
Specific Expertise: Storytelling, Writing Simple Messaging, Legislative Policy Advocacy, Media Relations Strategy, Capacity Building, Content Development.
Niki Juhasz is a high-impact strategist who specializes in turning complex policy goals into legislative victories and national headlines. Since joining Forthright, she has led award-winning school district campaigns and successfully placed a question about child poverty into the U.S. Presidential Debates, driving the national conversation on family economic stability.
Zoe Alexis Whitehorn | Vice President Denver, Colorado
Specific Expertise: Federal & State Policy Analysis, Legislative Strategy, Pre-K-12 Equity, Foundation Communications.
With over a decade of experience at the intersection of strategic communications and public policy, Zoe Alexis Whitehorn is a specialist in driving systems change for Pre-K-12 education. A problem-solver with deep political roots, she leverages her background on Capitol Hill to help clients navigate complex legislative landscapes and advance equity-focused agendas.
Partner With the Top Firm for Child Advocacy PR
Generalist agencies have to learn your mission on the clock (and on your dollar). We live it.
Every single one of our teammates has spent more than a decade building the relationships, policy knowledge and media trust required to move the needle for children and families.
Ready to stop explaining your work and start amplifying it? Let’s partner.