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

Hire for comms roles with ease

“What are the best interview questions to ask a candidate for your open communications director position?”

“How do you manage a communications workload when you’ve got someone out on parental leave?”

“Who do you tell once a communications teammate gives you notice that she’s leaving your organization for a new job?”

We answer all these questions and more in our new FREE guide to hiring communicators.

Nonprofit Communications, School District Marketing, Hiring and People, About ForthrightKatie Test DavisOctober 21, 2024nonprofit communications, education leadership and history, fractional communications director services, interim communications director, hiring communicators, nonprofit hiring, nonprofit marketing roles, interview questions for communicators

Tears & cheers! A peek at our 5th anniversary team dinner.

I can think of a handful of my birthdays (or my wedding with Dan) when I looked around the room and all of the most meaningful people in my life were in one place.

Last Friday night, in New York City, I was honored to have the professional version of that experience when SO MANY Forthright teammates, both past and present, gathered together to celebrate our agency’s 5th anniversary.

About ForthrightKatie Test DavisJuly 11, 2024nonprofit hiring, interim communications director, business growth, agency evolution, team appreciation, agency milestones, company culture

Feel confident as you manage staff transitions

So, your communications director is leaving. And you’re happy for them – really, you are. (Or not so much. We don’t judge.) But that makes your life just a little harder for the coming weeks, because your most important audiences still need to hear from you while you replace your director.

This is a common challenge we’re seeing with so many of our nonprofit, foundation and school district partners. (You’re not alone! There’s significant turnover in communications this year.) That’s why we’re sharing our step-by-step recommendations for what to do next.

Nonprofit Communications, Hiring and People, School District MarketingNiki JuhaszJune 7, 2024nonprofit hiring, how to hire a communications director, what to do when your communications director quits, interim communications director, hiring for communications jobs, communications interview best practices

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