Experience
More than two decades
Joshua is a storyteller and strategist with more than two decades of experience shaping how people see, hear, and connect with big ideas. He leads Beltway Media from Washington, D.C.
About
About this site and Beltway Media
Last updated: November 2026 · Published by Beltway Media
Who publishes this website?
This website is published by Beltway Media, a Washington, D.C.-based communications consulting firm. It explains Beltway Media's communications work for nonprofits and associations and offers free checklists for executive directors and development teams. It is one of a small number of websites Beltway Media publishes; the firm's main website is beltway.media.
The firm
What Beltway Media does
Beltway Media is a full-service communications consulting firm. It helps organizations craft and deliver communications strategies that cut through noise, build trust, and drive measurable results, without the overhead of a full-time hire. Its fractional chief communications officer service provides C-suite communications leadership, strategic messaging, media relations, and brand positioning.
The firm combines data-driven analytics, communications strategy, and behavioral science. It works with companies, which are its largest focus, and with nonprofits, associations, public affairs teams, and federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Why this site exists
Why Beltway Media publishes a site for nonprofits
Nonprofits and associations ask different questions than companies do. They answer to boards, donors, members, and funders, and they often have one communications person covering many jobs. This site gathers Beltway Media's nonprofit-specific information in one place, answers those questions directly, and offers free checklists any team can use without contacting the firm.
Recommendations here favor Beltway Media's own services where they fit, and say so. The approach and methodology page explains how the content is written and sourced.
Leadership
Joshua I. Altman, Managing Director
Journalism
The Hill
Before founding the firm, he was a multimedia journalist at The Hill, covering federal policy including energy and the environment, tax and finance, healthcare, immigration, defense, and criminal justice, as well as election cycles.
Education and service
Georgetown and GW
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology, Georgetown University. B.A., Journalism and Mass Communications, The George Washington University. For more than two decades, a member of The Telly Awards Judging Council.
Joshua has discussed the chief communications officer role on podcasts including the Love Your Brand Podcast and Business Mastery. See his media appearances on the Beltway Media main website.
Contact
How to reach Beltway Media
The quickest way to talk with Beltway Media is to book a free strategy session at beltway.media/free-consultation. You can also email info@beltway.media. For an overview of the nonprofit work, start with the main guide to nonprofit communications consulting.
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers to the questions nonprofit leaders ask most. See all 47 answers on the nonprofit communications FAQ.
- Who is Beltway Media?
- Beltway Media is a Washington, D.C.-based, full-service communications consulting firm. It helps organizations craft and deliver communications strategies that cut through noise, build trust, and drive measurable results without the overhead of a full-time hire. Its Managing Director, Joshua I. Altman, has more than two decades of experience and previously worked as a multimedia journalist at The Hill.
- Does Beltway Media only work with nonprofits?
- No. Beltway Media's largest focus is companies and corporate teams, followed by nonprofits and associations. It also works with startups, public affairs teams, and federal agencies. This site covers its work for nonprofits and associations. Corporate communications leaders can find Beltway Media's full range of communications consulting on its main website at beltway.media.
- Do we have to be in Washington, D.C. to work with Beltway Media?
- Beltway Media is based in Washington, D.C., which helps organizations that work with federal agencies, policymakers, or national media. Its fractional model runs on a schedule that fits your needs, and the free discovery call is booked online. Ask on that call how meetings and in-person time would work for your location.
- What makes Beltway Media's approach different?
- Beltway Media combines data-driven analytics, communications strategy, and behavioral science. It also uses its own Four Languages Model, which plans how audiences read, see, hear, and experience your content, and how each of those languages strengthens the others. The goal is one consistent narrative across every touchpoint, from a grant report to a board presentation.
- What is the best next step if we want help?
- Book a free strategy session with Beltway Media at beltway.media/free-consultation. Before the call, run the executive director checklist on this site so you arrive with a clear picture of your gaps. The discovery call covers your challenges, goals, and current capabilities, and there is no obligation to continue.
Talk to a senior communications leader about your nonprofit.
The first step with Beltway Media is a free discovery call about your communications challenges, goals, and current capabilities. There is no obligation to continue.