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

We have so many tools available for how we design and deliver learning. From project management and identifying learning needs to delivering our learning solutions, we're using tech throughout the process. Nonprofit L&D pros have very specific tech needs and we often have unique constraints that other organizations don't have. That's why I'm so excited that I got to chat wi...

Getting qualified candidates into the nonprofit leadership candidate pool can be challenging, so we tend to start thinking about our internal candidates. They already know and love our mission so it's logical to want to advance them into these open leadership positions. But are your future leaders ready? In this episode, we're going to explore 10 things nonprofits should do to develop th...

What makes a DEIB training successful? From meaningful discussion to skilled facilitation, there are a lot of things that make a DEIB training successful. But today, I want to talk about using cohorts in your nonprofit’s DEIB training. A lot of DEIB trainings are one-off experiences. And if there is more than one training, it's not really set up as a cohort. But I'm a big believer in usi...

A good coach or mentor can be powerful. That’s why on today’s episode, I’m sharing five ways you can use coaching and mentoring in your nonprofit’s talent development strategy. There are so many benefits to coaching and mentoring and these tools can be used in a variety of ways. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it’s a good place to start. ▶️ The Role of Coaching and Mentoring in Your Nonprofit...

Are you listening to your learners? In this episode, our guest is strategic listener Emily Taylor. With a background in human-centered design, Emily is an expert listener. I've worked with Emily before and she's helped me and my clients be better listeners so we can identify skill gaps and create tailored training and resources to support behavior change. She's sharing some of her b...

I couldn't do what I do as a training and leadership development consultant to nonprofits without my support system, and you need a support system too. You are doing the work day in and day out to lead your L&D team (if you’re a supervisor), engage with your internal partners, and deliver quality learning experiences. There is a lot that goes into this. That’s why on today’s episode, we’r...

In this episode, I’ve invited Karen Knight, volunteer extraordinaire, to give us some specific ways we can supercharge our nonprofit’s volunteer training. The demand for nonprofit services has increased, but the number of volunteers has decreased before and since COVID. It’s important that volunteers are trained well so that they have a good volunteering experience, and continue to volunteer. This...

As I think about all the challenges nonprofits face, all the burnout nonprofit leaders experience, and all the amazing things they want to accomplish, I am consistently reminded of how important strong trusting relationships really are. That's why on this episode, I want to explore how good instructional design can break down silos and build those relationships in your nonprofit. ▶️ How Good...

Today’s guest is Matt Gjertsen, former Air Force instructor pilot and founder of Better Everyday Studios. He is giving us an outside perspective on behavior change and bringing some great insights to the nonprofit sector. Why are we surprised when we want our learners to change something and they don't?  Behavior change is a funny thing and even a simple change can feel very complex. We have...

Why does change fail? There are a lot of reasons, but most of them come down to people. And if we're talking about people, L&D needs to be involved. That’s why on this episode of the podcast, I wanted to share the fastest way to organizational change and explore L&Ds role in change. ▶️ Why Change Initiatives Fail? Should L&D Be Involved in Change Management? ▶️ Key Points: 02:49 W...

In this episode of Learning for Good, my guest, Quilen Blackwell is taking us inside his nonprofit, Southside Blooms. They grew from zero to 60 employees in just four short years. That means they onboarded a lot of staff and learned a lot along the way. He’s sharing his experience with us, what worked and what didn’t, so you can take a look at your own onboarding program and make sure you're...

People love communities. But not all communities are created equal. I have a learning community and it can be hard. It's not hard to create; that was pretty easy. But it's hard to get people to engage. That's where the work is. To get better at this, I've been reading books and listening to podcasts about community and I've been reflecting on communities that I'm a pa...

In nonprofits, we have limited budgets. This means we need to be able to prioritize the training and professional development opportunities to be created. How do we do this? With people data. But what data should we be asking for and how can we use it once we get it? That’s what we’re discussing in today’s episode of the Learning for Good podcast with data expert, Dr. Serena Huang. ▶️ New to Peopl...

With burnout at an all-time high and becoming a global trend, you need more than the occasional wellness perk to tackle it. If well-being in your organization is a top priority for you, but you aren't sure how to move from yoga and happy hours to something more meaningful, then this episode is for you. I’m discussing how to create a holistic plan for well-being that fits seamlessly into your...

When I create a competency model, there are so many things I look at. The one thing I don’t look at? Indicators of poor performance. I’m sure we all already know what poor performance looks like. To me, the lowest behavior you want is one that meets expectations. And everything should just go up from there. That’s why today we’re discussing why I don't memorialize poor behavior in competency...

Have you ever created a training, only to realize it didn’t have the impact you had hoped? In this episode of the Learning for Good podcast, we explore why training alone often fails to drive lasting behavior change. My guest Julie Dirksen, author of " Talk to the Elephant: Design Learning for Behavior Change ," discusses the limitations of training when systemic and external factors are...

We all know the powerful role that mindset plays not only in our personal lives but also in our work. In this episode of the Learning for Good podcast, I explore five essential mindset shifts nonprofit L&D professionals should adopt to uplevel their leadership development strategy. By redefining how you approach your roles and the potential of your work, nonprofits can better support evolving...

Effective teams are essential to your nonprofit. I’ve been a part of teams that worked so well together, everything ran smoothly, and there were no major issues. But I’ve also been a part of teams that were the opposite. So how do we create effective teams? That’s what we’re exploring on today’s episode with Beth Napleton, an executive leadership coach and consultant who helps senior leaders lead...

What makes nonprofit training unique to corporate training or government training? While there are a number of things that are different, one thing that I thought would be fun to focus on is the three unique audiences that nonprofits create training for. These unique audiences come with their own challenges and I’m giving you some tips to overcome those challenges. ▶️ 3 Audiences Unique to Nonprof...

Why do we let our kids watch cartoons like Cocomelon or Bluey? Because they are teaching our kids valuable lessons through animation. We can do the exact same thing in our nonprofit training. We can use animation to impart valuable lessons to our learners. That’s why I’ve invited Calvin Dantley to join me and share his experience with animation and training.   Calvin is a nonprofit L&D leader...

Have you heard of the forgetting curve? We naturally forget 90% of what we learn. That's troubling to hear for those of us in L&D. All we think about is helping people learn and creating behavior change from that learning. How can we do that If learners are forgetting the majority of what we teach them? That’s what we’re exploring in this episode. ▶️ Your New Training is Perfect, but... Y...

In this episode, I've invited self-proclaimed frustrated changemaker Heather Hiscox to talk about how she uses data to overcome the status quo and boost workforce development. Heather, the founder and CEO of Pause for Change,  is on a mission to change the way we change the world. I'm so excited to talk with her more about data and what L&D can start to do differently to create a gre...

Are your leaders the best they can be? Or are there areas where they are lagging behind a little bit? My guess is they're somewhere in the middle. You probably have leaders who excel and leaders who struggle. And even those who excel probably have room for improvement. So today we’re talking about why your team’s leadership skills might be lagging and what we can do about it.   ▶️ Are Your No...

If you've ever welcomed a baby into your home, you know how stressful it can be. You don't want to have the stress of what's being left undone at work on top of that. How do we help our nonprofit leaders navigate time out of the office? That’s what I’m discussing with mission-driven fundraiser, Lacey Kempinski on today’s episode. Lacey is focused on changing the way the nonprofit se...

Good training has a real impact on those who receive it. It can shift mindsets. It can build skills. It can change the way your organization works. And that's what I want to share with you today. Nonprofit leader, Lauren Wiley, shares how one training at her nonprofit impacted the midwives and doulas they train and ultimately the pregnant and postpartum women they serve. ▶️ How One Nonprofit&...