Scaling with Our Clients: A look at the multi-year partnership with American Psychological Foundation
The American Psychological Foundation (APF) is a national grantmaker that turns philanthropy into psychological science. Its most recent success is Direct Action, the flagship initiative APF launched in 2024 to move proven interventions out of research settings and into communities. The program reached a milestone with its first Direct Action Visionary Grant, awarded to Dr. Kiara Álvarez, and APF featured the results in its 2025 Impact Report. The initiative now anchors the Foundation’s strategy, positioning it as a bridge between science and the communities it serves.
The experience of working with Katie Appold through the strategic planning process was exceptional. Katie is endlessly kind, supportive, positive, and knowledgeable. My entire team and Board were impressed with her and Nonprofit Nav.
Michelle Ryder, CEO
American Psychological Foundation
The Roadmap
Our work with the American Psychological Foundation (APF) began small and grew as the organization expanded, its needs deepened, and its partnership with Nonprofit Nav became second nature. As a fast-growing foundation, APF was working intentionally to align its infrastructure and governance with a bold new vision for greater impact. That journey moved from a review and revision of organizational policies in 2022 to strategic planning, governance training, board orientation, and most recently an engagement focused on culture and change management. Across every phase, we have watched excellence take shape inside a foundation on the rise.
The Journey
A long-term client relationship rewards both the consultant and the team they serve as familiarity and alignment compound over time. Since 2022, Nonprofit Nav has had the privilege of supporting APF through the following engagements:
2022-23 | Policy Review & Revamp
A foundation with 70 years of history accumulates a lot of documentation. Our policy rework updated regulations and best practices while improving accessibility and formatting, turning the policy compendium into an asset the team would actually use. We completed more than 20 policy revisions and advised on new policies the organization would need going forward.
2024 | Strategic Planning & Governance Refresh
Pairing an in-person gathering with strategy work and governance development is a powerful way to strengthen board relationships while casting a vision for the future. In 2024, we led a governance refresher both virtually and in person, tied to the launch of APF’s strategic planning process in Washington, D.C.
2025 | Board Orientation
Strong governance is built, not assumed. The Nonprofit Nav team returned to D.C. in 2025 to lead a board orientation for new and returning APF board members. Tailored for high-growth organizations like APF, our orientation helps board members grasp their fiduciary responsibilities in practical terms through engaging, real-world scenarios. We build governance that is both cultural and practical.
2026 | Culture & Change
One of our most in-depth engagements to date was analyzing and documenting APF’s award-winning culture. The organization has weathered a lifetime of change in a short window, and its team has built a professional culture second to none, grounded in respect for the individual, open communication, and visionary leadership.
The Destination
What began as a single policy project has become a multi-year partnership that touches nearly every layer of how APF operates. Together we have modernized the foundation’s policies, sharpened its strategic direction, strengthened its board, and documented the award-winning culture that sets it apart. The through line is trust. APF returns to Nonprofit Nav engagement after engagement because the work holds up and the guidance fits an organization moving fast. That is the destination we aim for with every client: governance and strategy that keep pace with ambition, and a partner the team can count on as the next chapter unfolds.