Learning for Good | L&D Solutions and Leadership Development for Nonprofit Organizations

I'm a big believer in the personal brand and how it can impact you and your career. I've seen it in my own life, both internally at organizations and as a consultant and a community builder. How others perceive us matters. 

In this episode, I'm doing something unique, and I'm bringing you one of our sessions from the recent  Nonprofit L&D Collective Career Week. This is a conversation about personal branding ...

 When our stakeholders come to us asking for training, they are usually thinking of traditional training.  So, they treat us, nonprofit L&D pros, like training factories that can easily produce a new training in a day. But we are here to create behavior change, and that takes time.

In this episode, I'm sharing four recommendations that will help you embody the change agent you already are and learn what you need to create r...

It's estimated that organizations spend somewhere between 50% to 200% of an employee's annual salary to replace them, depending on the level and complexity of their role.

Not only that, when someone leaves, it impacts morale, our organization, and ultimately our mission. So, it benefits nonprofits to keep our employees.

In this episode, we talk to Rachel Platt, an HR leader and people strategist with  over 20 years of exper...

Recent data shows that more than half of all nonprofit leaders in the US are women. Unfortunately, we also know that many nonprofit leaders are on the brink of burnout.

This calls into question what we are doing to support these female leaders and prompts us to consider how we can give them the support they truly need.

In this episode, I'm joined by Marisa Ciesluk, a women's  leadership development facilitator and coach, to...

It can be frustrating when nonprofit leaders and other stakeholders approach us demanding training to solve a problem. However, it's important to remember that people outside of learning and development don't always know which tools are available or which one is right for each situation, so they stick to the familiar. But it's our job as nonprofit L&D pros to diagnose the problem and offer the right solution.

That...

Nonprofit leadership development is about far more than offering training. It’s about creating an environment where people want to stay, grow, and contribute meaningfully to your mission. 

In this episode, I’m joined by bestselling author and workplace growth champion Julie Winkle Giulioni, who challenges nonprofits to rethink how they approach staff development and build truly supportive cultures of learning. You’ll hear strategies...

As nonprofit leaders look ahead to the new year, it’s essential to understand which capabilities will matter most. 

In this episode, I’m breaking down the top skills nonprofits will need in 2026 so teams can stay resilient, adaptive, and mission-focused. Plus, I’m sharing a simple three-step process to help you identify the specific skills your organization should prioritize this year.

If you’re planning your Learning and Development...

We are already at the end of 2025. This is a time of reflection, goal setting, and a renewed commitment to being our best selves. I love this time of year, and each year I like to spend some time reflecting on my goals, what I've been able to accomplish, and where I missed a little bit.

So, in this episode, I'm going to share some details about what's going on inside Skill Masters Market, my consulting business, Learn...

As learning and development leaders, it feels like we're always trying to get a seat at the table, but are we truly prepared to have effective conversations with our nonprofit's executives when we get there?

To get you ready, in this episode, I invited Rick Dahlseid to help us position training as a worthwhile investment. He is a nonprofit CFO with over 20 years in the sector, with expertise in financial management, operat...

Are you an HR leader or L&D pro who finds themselves having to prove themselves to everyone over and over again, or being brought to the table too late?

If you want that to change, you have to build your influence in the organization. You can do it by strengthening your personal brand, which will help you build credibility inside your nonprofit and be seen as a valuable strategic partner. 

In this episode, I'm joined by bran...

It's very common for leaders to throw training at every performance problem we see. Yet not all performance problems result from a skill gap. 

In fact, many are due to other factors, such as mindset or motivation. The problem with this is that performance won't change if you offer training in these cases.

So, in this episode, I'm breaking down how to  determine if something is a mindset, motivation, or skill gap proble...

In times of change and disruption, burnout has become a major epidemic. In fact, according to statistics, over half of the workforce is burnt out, with the nonprofit sector being hit the hardest.

Because we must address this issue, I have Dr. Reggie Thomas with me today. He is the founder of PeakePotential, Inc., and a professional speaker  who gives keynote talks and teaches workshops on burnout prevention and recovery, and workpla...

 Nonprofits often view training as a cost. I've heard it, and I'm sure you've heard it as well. However, it's actually an investment in the very thing that moves your mission forward: your people.

That's why, in this episode, I'm sitting down with Nancy Bacon to debunk the idea that training is a cost and highlight all the value it brings when done right. She is a teacher, instructional designer, and le...

Do you ever feel like you have to constantly babysit your team instead of focusing on your own job? It's like you can't take your eyes off them, so you always find yourself in their work and in their decisions, double-checking everything.

If that's your case, then this episode is for nonprofit leaders like yourself. I'm bringing five lessons from past clients and past podcast episodes to help you build high-perfo...

Your nonprofit has a strong 2026 strategy. But is your team ready to bring it to life? If your team isn't fully equipped to deliver on your goals, you could be missing the bridge between strategy and success.

That's why, in this episode, I'm sharing a little of what it takes to align your L&D efforts and your nonprofit strategy by breaking down the five steps you can take to build a training plan that enables your...

We have all disagreed with our nonprofit stakeholders at some point in our careers,  but speaking up and sharing that disagreement can feel hard because we tend to want to avoid conflict and not burn any bridges.

However, there are times when voicing your disagreement is necessary because it's what's best for the organization and the mission.

That's why, in this episode, I'm sharing a 4-step method to disagree wit...

Have you ever created a training only to launch it into the world and be met with crickets?

I see this happen often in learning and development. However,  I know how hard you work, and I know you're doing good, meaningful work in the nonprofit sector, so I don't want you to release a learning experience and be met with silence.

That's why, in this episode, I'm joined by Hannah Clark, Marketing for Learning® expert...

Creating impactful training programs for nonprofit teams takes more than good intentions; it takes strategy. 

In this episode of Learning for Good, we’re diving deep into the hidden and high costs of getting training wrong. From budget overruns to burnout, I’m breaking down what nonprofit leaders risk when they don’t start with the right diagnosis—and how to get it right.

This conversation is especially critical for leaders focused o...

Sometimes, when we work with nonprofit executive leaders, it's easy to jump to an assumption about what they thought or what they wanted. The problem is that when we act on that, things don't turn out the way either of us expects.

I don't want that to be you, so in this episode, I'm having a chat with Danika Mitcham, the Vice President of Supporter Operations at Compassion International. We delve into what nonpro...