Upstream Shifts
Working upstream — in partnership with mission-driven communities — to
create positive, impactful change
Betsy Fordyce (she/her), Founder + Lead Consultant
Hi, I'm Betsy.
My 5-word biography:
Analytical, collaborative, hopeful, capacity-building Midwesterner
(yes, I cheated with the hyphen.)Right out of college, I joined AmeriCorps in Brockton, Massachusetts. I still remember one particular meeting with a group of nonprofit partners brainstorming ways to address local housing challenges. No one in the room had all the answers, but together, there was momentum. The sense of possibility in the group — the power of community — was inspiring. I walked out thinking, how do I get to do this kind of work? How do I find a career path full of collaboration with passionate, committed folks who want to make a difference?That initial year in the nonprofit field sparked something in me. It led me to law school. It fueled me with a commitment to challenge the status quo.Over the two decades since, I’ve advocated for children, youth, and families across the child welfare, juvenile justice, homelessness, and education fields. I’ve worn many hats — children’s attorney, policy advocate, national trainer, adult ally, adjunct professor, nonprofit executive director, and community facilitator.Along the way, I've seen firsthand the creativity of innovators, the passion of helpers, and the commitment of community members, too often paralleling a lack of resources, a shortage of time, and a tiredness that stems from tackling deeply-entrenched social issues.That is why I founded Upstream Shifts — to support the dreamers and the doers navigating tough issues with the belief that change is possible.I’m a Cincinnati native, a proud graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Villanova Law, and a child welfare law specialist. When I’m not deep in a project, you’ll find me catching up with family and friends, watching Notre Dame football, traveling to new places, experimenting in the kitchen, or exploring the outdoors.I believe lasting social change is rooted in community. That’s why I often team up with other incredible consultants to maximize capacity, creativity, and impact. This includes the amazing folks in the Yostfish collective.
Together, let’s make shifts upstream.
Core Principles
At Upstream Shifts, we believe that meaningful change is possible when people come together with intention and commit to doing things differently.
These core beliefs shape everything we do:
Community First and Foremost: For us, community is about the power of people. We’re inspired by what’s possible when individuals connect and intentionally invest in one another.Expertise Rooted in Experience: The people closest to the challenges are the ones who best understand the solutions. We prioritize listening to and learning from those with lived experience in our areas of work. We make sure their voices lead the way.Collaboration & Shared Leadership: Transformational work doesn’t happen in silos. We believe in working together, fostering strong relationships, and making sure there’s plenty of room at the table for fresh ideas and new perspectives. We’re committed to creating spaces where all voices — especially those with lived experience — are valued and heard.Abundance, Not Scarcity: True community-building happens when we move beyond resource competition and operate from a place of shared strength and possibility.Trust & Good Intentions: Most people show up to this work with a genuine desire to make a difference. We choose to trust that, assume the best, and find collaborate ways to move beyond individual agendas, even when it’s tough.Sustainability & Celebration: This work is challenging, and change takes time. We believe in keeping an eye on the big goals while also celebrating the small wins that keep us going.
At Upstream Shifts, we don’t just talk about change — we work alongside communities to make it happen.
How We Help
There’s already so much inspiring work happening to strengthen communities. But turning big ideas into big impact? That’s where extra support can make all the difference. Upstream Shifts partners with mission-driven organizations, community coalitions, government agencies, and even individuals to help them build the frameworks, skills, and strategies needed to navigate complex social challenges and shift our world for the better.
Our clients range from small grassroots organizations to large state agencies. No matter the size of the project, we are here to help — whether that means being a sounding board as you think big, gathering community input to guide your next steps, or strengthening an existing program to deepen its impact.
Community Engagement
Engaging the community is more than just an invitation — it requires real commitment. Is your organization truly ready to listen and authentically collaborate? We guide discussions to help you answer that question and ultimately create spaces where diverse communities are valued, heard, and positioned to lead meaningful change.
Co-design and Facilitation
We partner with groups to co-design and facilitate impactful in-person or virtual conversations, meetings, and long-term collaborations to help them identify a shared purpose, strengthen community connections, assess existing challenges, and move towards upstream action.
Strategy Development, Planning, and Implementation
– for individual programs, advocacy campaigns, community coalitions, or organizations at large –
Big goals need solid strategies. We help you to take a step back to assess what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. Whether you’re refining your existing programs, trying to make the most of limited resources, or launching new ideas, we guide you in uncovering root causes, gathering essential input, and mapping out a path toward lasting impact.
Custom Training and Consultation
From child welfare law to youth engagement and organizing strategies, we develop and deliver training that builds knowledge and sharpens skills. With deep experience in these areas of work, we provide information and resources around best practices and serve as thought partners for new and ongoing initiatives.
Privacy Policy
Upstream Shifts is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy applies to the Upstream Shifts website and governs our data collection and usage.
Your Personal Information
The personal information you share with us is generally used to help us communicate with you. For example, Upstream Shifts collects identification information, such as your name and email address, when you reach out to us via the “Contact Us” form on our website. We may also collect other communication information, such as questions or concerns you voluntarily share with us when seeking our feedback or support.We use Microsoft Office 365 and its products to perform our work, respond to all inquiries, and schedule follow-up conversations. Read the Microsoft Privacy Policy here.Similarly, we utilize LinkedIn as a networking site to share information about our work. When you interact with our page, we will collect any personal information that you elect to provide to us, such as your contact details. Read the LinkedIn Privacy Policy here.We also gather and use limited information about visitors to our website. This information helps us to understand how visitors use this site, to enable certain website functions, and to provide relevant information about our services to clients and potential clients.
Use of Data and Other Information
Upstream Shifts collects and uses your personal information to provide and improve our services, to contact you in response to a specific inquiry, and to customize the website for you. Upstream Shifts will not share your personal information with or sell it to third-party marketers. We do not sell, rent, trade, or lease your personal information to third parties.
Cookies
The Upstream Shifts website use "cookies" to help you personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a webpage server. Cookies do not provide us with access to your computer. They cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. We may use cookies to record website usage data, test new content on our website, or recognize when you return to browse our site again. You can use your web browser’s settings to refuse cookies if you wish.
Changes to our Privacy Policy
Upstream Shifts will occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect company and client feedback. We encourage you to periodically review this policy for any changes. The latest version will always be published on this page. This current version was last reviewed and updated in June 2025.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this policy notice or our practices regarding your personal information, please contact [email protected].