How we write fool-proof talking points… every time

You have a meeting with your board in an hour. You’re presenting at a conference in a month. Your executive director has a local news interview tomorrow.

And you’re staring at a blank page, trying to figure out how to condense years of work into a three-minute segment.

Talking points help you bridge that big-picture vision (the deep work! the passion!) with the specific moment you’re in, the audience you’re talking to and your goals.

Here’s how we do it.

Writing and Messaging, Media Relations, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit CommunicationsKatie Test DavisFebruary 27, 2026communications director, mission alignment, interview questions, advocacy-tips, nonprofit-leadership, message-consistency, child-advocacy, strategic-communications, storytelling, communication-tools, foundation-strategy, family-advocacy, effective-messaging

How Forthright interviews for mission-alignment

We’ve all been there. You’re in an interview with a candidate who has a stellar resume. They have the skills. They have the experience. They say all the right things.

But you walk away wondering: Do they actually get it?

Will they understand the nuance of your advocacy work? Do they have the empathy to tell stories that honor your partners?

At Forthright, we believe that mission alignment is just as important as technical skill. But you can't just hope for it. You have to interview for it. Here’s our guide for how to do it.

Hiring and People, Nonprofit CommunicationsKatie Test DavisFebruary 27, 2026communications director, mission alignment, interview questions, nonprofit hiring, STAR method, equitable hiring, cultural fit, values-based hiring, how to make smart hiring decisions, how to hire communicators, how to hire foundation leaders, hiring smart foundation leaders, hiring association communicators

Make hiring your easiest task in 2026

It’s officially mid-January. You have your 2026 strategic plan ready. You have big goals for the children and families you serve. You can see the path forward.

But a vision is only as good as the people who execute it.

As a founder, I know the specific dread of looking at an ambitious plan and realizing you don't have the person-power to make it all happen. You want to launch that new campaign, or maybe you want to deepen relationships with donors. But when a critical communications role is empty, those big ideas stay on the shelf.

The reality is you don't have time to pause your mission. And you definitely don't have time to sort through hundreds of resumes to find the right person to help.

You need a partner who just gets it.

Nonprofit Communications, Hiring and PeopleKatie Test DavisJanuary 13, 2026brand refresh, nonprofit hiring, communications search, mission alignment, executive search, G.U.I.D.E. method, communications director, capacity building, equity

3 steps to hire amazing comms leaders

We know how hard you work to keep your mission moving. Most of you are running on lean teams with zero capacity to spare.

The search for a comms leader is super high-stakes…

When you don’t have the right teammates, progress stalls. You miss opportunities to connect with funders or supporters. You lose momentum on critical advocacy campaigns. And the burnout on your existing team starts to creep up.

Here’s how to get those birds chirping peacefully again.

Hiring and People, Nonprofit CommunicationsKatie Test DavisDecember 16, 2025communications director, nonprofit leadership, hiring, equity, mission alignment, staff retention, interview questions, communications strategy, how to hire, how to hire for nonprofit jobs, how to hire a good communications director

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Smart communication strategies for organizations that love kids.