Learning for Good | L&D Solutions and Leadership Development for Nonprofits

If you want to elevate your learning and development role from an order taker to a strategic partner, it starts with something many leaders overlook: mindset. 
In this episode, I explore how the way you think about your role in learning and development directly impacts your influence, credibility, and results inside your organization.
Too often, nonprofit learning professionals feel stuck reacting to requests instead of shaping strategy. But shifting from an order taker to a strategic partner isn’t about changing your job title. It’s about changing how you show up. I break down how your internal beliefs shape your external behaviors, and ultimately determine whether you're invited to the decision-making table.

▶️ The Mindset that Separates Strategic L&D Leaders from Order Takers

▶️ Key Points:
00:00:00 How Mindset Shapes Your Daily Experiences
00:03:50 Strategic L&D Partner vs Order Taker
00:08:58 Reinforcing Cycles: Beliefs and Outcomes

Resources from this episode:
The Psychology of Winning by Denis Waitley: https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Winning-Qualities-Nightingale-Publication/dp/1640956441 
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Your-Subconscious-Mind/dp/160459201X 
Self-Coaching 101 by Brooke Castillo: https://www.amazon.com/Self-Coaching-101-Brooke-Castillo/dp/0977853993 
Join us at our next networking event for the Nonprofit L&D Collective on  May 20: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/join-the-nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective

Connect with Heather
LinkedIn: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.

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Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

Mentorship is a powerful yet underutilized tool in nonprofits, and in this episode, we’re diving into how to operationalize it for real organizational impact. 
I sit down with Larcy Douglas, director at Common Power, to explore how mentorship can transform both individuals and organizations. From designing collaborative mentor-mentee relationships to embedding mentorship into broader learning and development strategies, Larcy shares how her team built a program that not only develops leaders but also strengthens retention, engagement, and long-term impact.
If you’ve ever wondered how to move beyond informal mentoring into a structured, scalable program, this conversation will give you a practical roadmap.
▶️ Mentorship Programs for Nonprofits: How to Develop the Next Generation of Leaders with Larcy Douglas
▶️ Key Points:
00:00:00 Why Mentorship is a Missed Opportunity in Nonprofits
00:03:04 The Role of Intergenerational Mentorship
00:07:59 Inside Common Power’s Mission and Programs
00:10:48 Building a Scalable Mentorship Model
00:19:39 Evolving Programs Using Data and Participant Feedback
00:24:57 Measuring Mentorship Impact in Nonprofit Organizations
00:29:21 Advice for Launching a Mentorship Program
Resources from this episode:
Data on mentoring: 
https://mentorloop.com/blog/mentoring-statistics/ 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2019/07/03/new-study-76-of-people-think-mentors-are-important-but-only-37-have-one/ 
 Join us at our next networking event for the Nonprofit L&D Collective on  May 20: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/join-the-nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective
Connect with Larcy
LinkedIn: Larcy Douglas
Website: commonpower.org 
Connect with Heather
LinkedIn: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.
⭐Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review!
🔗Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends.
Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

Good training takes time, and in a world where AI can generate content in seconds, that truth is more important than ever. 
In this episode, we unpack why effective learning and development strategies in nonprofits can’t be rushed, even when tools promise speed and efficiency. Because training isn’t just about content creation. It’s about behavior change and performance improvement. We break down where your time actually goes, from building trust with stakeholders to understanding your audience and testing what works, so you can design training that leads to real results, not just completion.
If you’ve ever felt pressure to produce training quickly or wondered why your programs aren’t driving real change, this episode will shift your perspective.

▶️ Why Good Training Takes Time

▶️ Key Points:
0:00:00 Why it takes time to create a good training
0:05:57 Where AI can speed up training design
00:07:18 The importance of testing and iteration

Resources from this episode:
 Join us at our next networking event for the Nonprofit L&D Collective on  May 20: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/join-the-nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective

Connect with Heather
LinkedIn: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.
⭐Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review!
🔗Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends.
Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

Training volunteers is one of the most complex and overlooked areas of nonprofit training and development. 
In this episode, I had the privilege of talking with the VP of Training at For the Children, Jim Farmer, to unpack how organizations can design training experiences that actually prepare volunteers to succeed without overwhelming them or driving them away. Jim shares how his organization has reimagined volunteer training through trauma-informed care, relational learning experiences, and intentional design choices that meet volunteers where they are.

▶️ How One Nonprofit Trains Its Volunteer Workforce with Jim Farmer

▶️ Key Points:
0:00:00 From corporate L&D to nonprofit leadership
0:12:38 Training employees vs. volunteers
0:15:30 Common challenges in volunteer training
0:17:32 Trauma-informed care in training
0:21:33 Building volunteer training programs

Resources from this episode:
 Join us at our next networking event for the Nonprofit L&D Collective on  May 20: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/join-the-nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective

Connect with Jim
LinkedIn: Jim Farmer
Website: forthechildren.org 

Connect with Heather
LinkedIn: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.
⭐Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review!
🔗Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends.
Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

If you’ve ever struggled to gain buy-in for nonprofit leadership development, you’re not alone. Many nonprofit leaders hesitate to invest in training, not because they don’t care, but because they have real concerns about time, cost, and impact.
In this episode, we break down the most common objections to staff training and development and show you how to address them in a way that builds trust, credibility, and support. You’ll learn how to shift mindsets and help leaders see training as a solution, not a distraction.

▶️ 5 Common Concerns About Training (and How to Address Them)

▶️ Key Points:
0:00:00 Why training often lacks leadership support
0:03:28 “Skeptic vs. believer” leadership mindset
0:05:34 Common objections to nonprofit training
0:11:35 Shifting from objections to vision

Resources from this episode:
Join our  upcoming virtual conference, Leading Learning That Sticks, a week-long virtual experience for nonprofit and association training professionals who are ready to move beyond reactive training delivery and step into strategic learning leadership: https://collective.skillmastersmarket.com/invitation?code=E3DC2B
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective

Connect with Heather
LinkedIn: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.
⭐Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review!
🔗Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends.
Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms