Forthright Advising

About the agency

Forthright Advising is a nationwide public relations and strategic communications agency founded in 2019 by Katie Test Davis, with an exclusive focus on organizations serving children and families. Its clients are nonprofits, foundations, school districts, associations and child-advocacy organizations working on issues such as education, affordable housing, child welfare and family economic stability. The firm's public service model connects communications to measurable change in policy and public participation rather than general consumer publicity.

Its services include campaign strategy, organizational messaging, branding, digital and social communications, research, communication audits, training, staffing assistance and interim communications leadership. Its site names Niki Juhasz and Zoe Alexis Whitehorn among senior strategists with experience spanning policy advocacy, educational communications and national nonprofit work. The team describes having direct in-house or Capitol Hill experience in the causes clients address.

Forthright's agency site links to independently identifiable recognition, including North Carolina School Public Relations Association honors for school district campaigns, a Forbes Next 1000 reference for founder Davis and a 2026 National School Public Relations Association Gold Medallion for Washtenaw Intermediate School District's career technical education campaign. The awards remain attributed to the firm and linked issuers rather than used as evidence of all the site's claimed audience totals. Its sole focus on child and family advocacy is the clearest distinguishing feature.