Skip to main content

Whether you’re stepping into your first board meeting or have attended countless meetings without fully grasping how decisions take shape, this guide is for you. It’s time to say goodbye to “going with the flow” and start confidently navigating board decisions using Robert’s Rules!

Are you dreaming of crafting a unique governance style? That’s exciting! But while new methods come and go, Robert’s Rules remains the trusted foundation of board governance. Its tried-and-true framework is the backbone of nearly all modern systems. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for innovation, but the core elements of the process need to occur, even if they’re modified. 

This straightforward guide offers a clear, high-level overview of Robert’s Rules of Order, covering its purpose, process, language, and even areas where you can innovate. Dive in and empower yourself to lead and influence with ease!

 


Katie Appold, MPA

Katie Appold is a nonprofit and association strategist with a track record of helping mission-driven organizations grow, govern well, and lead with intention. As founder and principal consultant of Nonprofit Nav, she partners with nonprofits, associations, and public entities across the country to strengthen boards, sharpen strategy, and build the organizational capacity needed to deliver lasting impact. Her career includes executive leadership roles across human services, foundations, and professional associations. In her first Executive Director role, she grew annual organizational revenue by 300% and secured the top national affordable housing grant through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis. She later helped launch Do More Good, a nonprofit professional development platform that merged with Nonprofit Hub to become one of North America's largest free resources for nonprofit leaders. Katie's consulting work spans governance design, strategic planning, board development, capital campaigns, and organizational change. Her clients range from grassroots organizations to national trade associations and international foundations, and her vision has shaped projects touching human services infrastructure, healthcare innovation, housing access, educational programming, and trade association reinvention. Outside of her consulting practice, Katie serves as an adjunct professor of nonprofit leadership at Cornerstone University and contributes her expertise through board and committee service with regional and national organizations. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a Master's degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership, and has earned a Certificate of Nonprofit Board Education from BoardSource and a Working Genius Facilitator Certification.