It’s our birthday
The other day on LinkedIn, I saw a quote that was something to the effect of “businesses are only as good as the people in them.” As I reflect on Forthright’s anniversary this year, that rings more true than ever before.
This past year has been a HUGE one for us. We’ve:
Expanded to be a diverse team of TEN teammates
Quadrupled our client list
Grew our email subscribers by nearly 400 percent
Launched a Twitter channel
Published 46 fresh blog posts chock full of timely tips
Hosted three free webinars to support our community
Created more than seven (also free!) downloadable resources, including our massive Student Enrollment Guide
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It’s been a RIDE. And the people I get to do this with, y’all, I can’t even.
Our teammates, they are so dang smart. It is a literal joy to work alongside Ashley, Brian, Emily, Jon Jon, Lauren, Michael, Niki, Sharise, Shannon and Zoe each day. They are so caring, wise, hilariously and entirely fearless in the face of some—at times—seemingly insurmountable challenges. There is NOTHING you can toss at this group that we can’t solve together.
Rockstar is not strong enough to describe how talented the Forthright team is.
Blerg, I’m getting all misty, and I haven’t even gotten to our clients. We work with the literal best organizations around. I founded Forthright so we could walk alongside leaders doing the real work on behalf of kids, who share our values and who fight for what is right and just. And holy cannoli, I did it. The work our clients have done this year during a pandemic has been nothing short of literally incredible.
To the nonprofit and philanthropic leaders we serve who are fighting for real, meaningful systemic change for our families, thank you. We need you, your leadership and your good work now, more than ever before.
To the superintendents and school leaders we have the honor of serving, I have no words. The sleepless nights, the ever-evolving policies, the pivoting on a dime—all while keeping students at the center. Thank you for allowing us to be part of the important work you do. You’re always one of the best parts of my day.
To the organizational leaders creating programs, curricula, mental health services and more for kids across the country—thank you for what you do. Your smart products and services make the lives of kids better, and we love shouting from the rooftops to make sure the world knows about them.
To our government agency partners—you all have actually done the impossible. It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to help you to get our families the support they needed (and continue needing) during a global pandemic. Thank you for trusting us with this work.
And our partners! We have the best graphic designers, web developers, event planners, videographers and research partners around. We have incredibly high standards for who we choose to work with, and our partners make us shine and increase our capacity to do innovative top-quality work on behalf of kids every day.
See? That LinkedIn quote was right. At the heart of a successful business is...humans. You, right now, reading this. You (yes, you!) mean so much to me, thank you for being part of this with us. Those of you who have introduced us to great people, who have cheered us on, believed in us—thank you for lifting us up. We continue to do this great work because of YOUR support.
And y’all. Real talk: ya girl is tired. That much growth was not easy. But I’m also SO hopeful.
My wish is that our next year is not only one of recovery and reflection, but of strength and strategic growth. Of keeping what works, and tossing the rest. Saying no to people and projects that don’t align with our values, and saying HECK YES, whatever it takes, to those who do.
Thanks for being on this journey with me, friend. It takes a village, and I’m so glad you’re part of ours.
Cheers to another year!
You know those days where you just want someone to tell you where we're going to dinner?
Sometimes, I get really tired of making decisions – partly because as busy leaders, we make decisions at work all day, every day.
We ask questions such as:
Should we complete this grant application?
Which events should we go to?
Is that conference worth it?
And sometimes, your teammates don’t agree on the answer.
That’s why at Forthright, we use – you guessed it – a data-backed approach to make these decisions.
It’s 2026 and I’m wearing a party hat – because today, Forthright officially turns eight years old.
When we learned that the traditional present for an eighth anniversary is pottery, it felt perfect – and it got me thinking about all the connections between my work as a leader and my work as a potter.
I’m sharing more (and celebrating our team and anniversary) here.
News breaks.
Funding is cancelled.
New legislation is enacted.
How do communicators like you find steady ground while everything feels like an earthquake?
We get it. It’s a lot.
Yet charting a stable course on unsteady ground is something we’re pretty darn good at here at Forthright. (In fact, we have data to prove it. We heard from our clients in our 2025 client happiness survey that we’re a shelter in the storm.)
So how do we do it? Let’s break it down.
We send a client survey every year, but this time, after a tough 2025 for all of us, the results hit differently.
What we found was that, in a year marked by twists, turns and uncertainty, you valued our steadiness and trusted our strategies. Our results showed we were the steady hand our partners could rely on.
I’m also incredibly proud to share that our Net Promoter Score jumped 11 points this year. We remain way (way) above the industry standard. But, as always, I want to show our work and dive deep. So here’s a closer look at what we learned from you in our survey this year.
Your team is (understandably) dragging.
You can feel them losing sight of your “why” amidst the chaos and changing priorities.
Team meetings are downbeat and everything feels… hard.
You’re not alone. We’re hearing it from organizations just like yours across the country.
That’s why we designed a special menu of 2026 trainings that naturally foster team connection and positivity.
The ultimate success metric is that your team walks away feeling energized, hopeful, and clear on their priorities and vital role in the organization’s future.
Here are a few options for a morale-boosting team training. (Psst – don’t worry, if these don’t feel quite right for your particular team, we can design a custom training just for you.)
By popular demand, we're re-opening our training opportunities for 2026!
Our trainings have been called “an excellent investment." Also: “polished and downright perfect."
Here’s a (sampling of) what we’re offering starting in January.
Y'all, I can't believe we're already staring down the end of 2025. It's been a ride (as always).
Our team has been heads-down planning for 2026, and I am SO excited about what's coming next. We're growing, we're learning and we're getting even more focused on how we can best support the entire child-and-family space.
As part of our community, I wanted to give you an insider heads-up on a few big things we're launching.
The Forthright team just got back from sunny Orlando, Florida, for the annual Krimes Against Kids conference.
It’s a powerful event that brings together everyone from law enforcement and child protective services to survivor advocates.
Honestly, being in a room with so many people dedicated to protecting children was just incredible. As a firm that only works with organizations that help kids and families, we left feeling totally inspired.
Niki and I even had the chance to present on a topic we're incredibly passionate about: Reaching Families Without Internet Access.
In a world that’s so online, it’s crucial to remember that not everyone has the same level of connectivity.
Forthright began when I wondered:
Could I dismantle the current (broken) model of client services, and run an agency that puts people first?
Could that agency specialize exclusively in the child-and-family focused work I personally love to do?
Could we work with clients who want a true thought partner as opposed to just a vendor?
Well.
Turns out six years later, the proof, as they say, is in the pudding.
Data shows that a little happy goes a long way, from building stronger teams to reducing negative feelings overall. Today, we’re sharing how we share the happy at Forthright, along with research-backed tips for how you can share the happy within your own organization!
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.
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.
You’ve heard the news. We all have.
“There are major cuts coming to nonprofit funding.”
“Funding is being stripped from federal grants.”
“School districts face funding cuts.”
That leads you to the following question: What should you do when you need to talk about funding cuts…even while the news is still unfolding?
As a leader, your role as a communicator is really critical right now.
The heaviness is real. Freezing or waffling could create panic or more confusion.
That’s why today, we are offering three tips to help you communicate clearly about funding cuts.