Who we are
Mission
We partner with mission-driven organizations and public institutions to strengthen leadership, systems, and strategy in service of more just, inclusive, and resilient communities.
Grounded in equity and guided by collaboration, we support organizations through moments of change, growth, and transformation—helping them align vision with action, build internal capacity, and deliver lasting impact.
Core Values
Justice & Equity
We center equity in both outcomes and process. We believe systems should be designed to expand access, redistribute power, and address historic and structural inequities.
Community Agency
Communities are experts in their own lived experience. We prioritize participatory approaches that honor local knowledge, shared decision-making, and collective ownership of solutions.
Integrity & Accountability
We lead with transparency, rigor, and care. Our work is grounded in ethical practice, clear expectations, and accountability to the people and missions we serve.
Collaboration & Partnership
Lasting change is relational. We work alongside clients, boards, staff, and community partners as trusted collaborators—not detached advisors.
Pragmatism with Vision
We balance big-picture thinking with practical execution. Strategy only matters if it can be implemented, sustained, and adapted over time.
Learning & Adaptability
We approach our work with humility and curiosity. Continuous learning, reflection, and responsiveness are essential to navigating complexity and change.
About Community Forward Consulting
Community Forward Consulting is a woman-owned consulting practice providing strategic, operational, and leadership support to nonprofit organizations, public agencies, universities, and foundations. We specialize in organizational management, executive transitions, planning, facilitation, equity-centered systems design, and providing fractional leadership assistance. In addition to this organizational management portfolio, we provide community-led placekeeping and planning support.
Our work is grounded in the belief that strong organizations are essential to healthy communities—and that leadership, systems, and strategy must be intentionally designed to advance justice and inclusion.
Our Approach
We partner with organizations during moments of complexity: leadership transitions, growth, restructuring, strategic planning, and periods of cultural or operational change. Our approach is collaborative, rigorous, and deeply contextual—tailored to each organization’s mission, people, and community.
Rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions, we work alongside boards, executives, and teams to:
Clarify vision and priorities
Strengthen governance and leadership capacity
Design systems that support accountability and sustainability
Engage communities and stakeholders with authenticity and respect
Our Experience
Our work draws on more than two decades of experience across:
Municipal government and public-sector planning
Nonprofit and community-based leadership
Philanthropy and grantmaking
Design-informed approaches to civic and organizational challenges
This cross-sector background allows us to bridge strategy and implementation, policy and practice, vision and execution.
Our Commitment
Equity is not an add-on—it is foundational to how we work. We are committed to processes that elevate voice, share power, and create conditions for long-term, community-led impact. We bring both lived and professional experience to our work, and we approach every partnership with humility, care, and accountability.
Supplier Diversity & Ownership
Community Forward Consulting is a Massachusetts-based, woman-owned business committed to inclusive economic participation and equitable outcomes. We actively participate in supplier diversity programs and partner with organizations seeking values-aligned, mission-driven professional services.
