Empowering Organizations and Families
First Avenue Strategy Consulting supports social-impact organizations and families that seek to create meaningful change for individuals and communities. We build capacity and strategy with intention, vision, and unyielding commitment to equity and justice. Our approach is people-centered and data-driven to ensure insightful results.
Services
For Organizations
· Coaching – drawing out individual strengths and advising on techniques to lead strong, effective teams for maximum impact
· Communications - packaging critical messages into impactful communications for target audiences, whether it be board reports or social media posts
· Connecting – building bridges between organizations and potential partners that can catalyze change and maximize impact
· Evaluation – gathering and analyzing information, synthesizing findings, and crafting insightful, actionable reports
· Facilitation – organizing and leading staff retreats and workshops; particularly on DEI and other sensitive issues when an outside moderator can be more effective
· Strategic planning – collaborating closely with organizational leadership to define goals & priorities and map out how to get there within desired timeframes
For Students
· Financial aid packages – deciphering, interpreting, and comparing college financial aid offers, including clarifying sticker price vs. out-of-pocket costs. Upfront support for completing FAFSA upon request.
· Scholarship applications – identifying potential matches for outside scholarships based on both financial need and merit, and supporting students through the application process.
Recent Projects
Strategy & Evaluation
· Spearheaded strategic listening sessions for dozens of community-serving organizations and synthesized data to support action steps
· Catalyzed adoption of the first-ever mission statement for a thirty-year-old family foundation
· Designed and implemented surveys of recent college graduates and other program stakeholders to gather feedback and induce honest self-reflection for two scholarship funds
· Analyzed scholarship awarding pipeline data to identify areas of inequity and made recommendations for investing in targeted outreach to address identified issues
· Designed & implemented federal evaluations of school discipline disparities, special education services, student financial aid, equity in federal disaster relief, and housing for women veterans, among other issues
· Conducted numerous focus groups and group interviews with federal, state, and local officials, as well as private sector and community organizations carrying out sensitive work
Communications
· Managed multiple website and rebranding efforts to clarify messaging and strengthen impact for years to come
· Led several communications initiatives that enhanced two family foundations’ engagement with their scholars and partner communities
· Delivered oral briefings to Congressional committee staff and high-level agency officials to concisely share results of our engagements
Facilitation
· Designed and facilitated custom DEIB training series to build key competencies among full-time staff and seasonal application readers
· Provided personalized coaching on individual and team strengths based on external assessments , identifying areas of complementary strengths and gaps/needs for growth
· Facilitated top-rated courses for new-hires and workshops on diversity, equity, and inclusion as a Certified Adjunct Faculty member at a legislative branch agency of 3000 people nationwide
· Led two DEIB committees for over 200 constituents, featuring thought-provoking and timely programming on sensitive topics that affected analysts’ work
About Us
Amy Moran Lowe is the Founder & Principal of First Avenue Strategy Consulting. She is a seasoned and dynamic leader who is passionate about empowering people and communities. Amy has focused her career on mobilizing resources and strengthening opportunities for historically-marginalized communities, from teaching English to refugee teens in Boston to overseeing data-driven analyses of how Black and brown students face unjust school policies across the nation. Amy began consulting for private family foundations in 2024, leveraging her analytical and communications skills honed in the public and nonprofit sectors over the course of two decades. After building transformative programs and processes for these foundations, Amy launched First Avenue Strategy Consulting to amplify the impact and potential of families and social sector organizations in the Boston area.
The name “First Avenue” is an homage to Amy’s mother, who empowered clients through her therapy practice, First Avenue Counseling, for over thirty years. Our consultancy should be your first path toward clarifying goals and making sound plans for the future you want for yourself, your family, and your community.
Qualifications
20 years of facilitation, evaluation, and project management in the public and nonprofit sectors, including leading diverse teams working to produce high-quality work within planned timeframes
Deep familiarity with social policy issues affecting local families and communities, developed through leading work on K-12 and postsecondary education, workforce development, child care, homelessness, disaster relief, and services for refugees and newly-arrived families
Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School with a focus on Human Services, Labor, and Education
Bachelor’s in Sociology and Linguistics from Harvard College, cum laude, with a Language Citation for Spanish
Adjunct Faculty Certification from the U.S. GAO’s Learning Center
Recognition
Work cited in national media outlets, including NPR, New York Times, Washington Post, and U.S. News & World Report
U.S. GAO Chief Learning Officer Special Achievement Award
U.S. GAO Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Award
U.S. GAO Results through Teamwork Award
U.S. GAO Community Service Award
Rappaport Institute Public Policy Fellowship
Albert M. Fulton Prize for best thesis in Sociology
Testimonials
“Amy took the initiative to dive deep into our policies and practices, offering insightful recommendations for organizational development and capacity-building initiatives. Her ability to ask tough, forward-thinking questions encouraged our team to adopt a broader, more strategic perspective.”
— Barbara Welles Iler, Executive Director, Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund
"Amy is one of the most talented thought leaders I have encountered in the 10 years I have known her. Her intellectual curiosity, collaborative nature, passion, and maturity make her excellent at anything she puts her mind to. A strategic visionary at heart, she is happiest when using her time and talents to work toward a more just, equitable world. “
—Jackie Nowicki, Director, U.S. GAO
