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

Hosted by Heather Burright, Learning and Development Leader, Leadership Development Consultant, Instructional Designer.

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Aug 2026

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As nonprofit learning and development leaders, we want a seat at the table. We want to be viewed as true business partners who can help solve problems. We want to create meaningful learning solutions that fit in the flow of work and yield real results for the organization and for the staff. That's why in this podcast, we will not only explore instructional design and leadership development best practices, but we will also explore change management, belonging, and influence - helping you build the case for the solutions your organization needs so you can show up confidently in conversations with other senior leaders, subject matter experts, staff, and partners. If we haven't met yet, I'm Heather, and I’ve been in your shoes. I'm a learning and development consultant and the founder and principal consultant at Skill Masters Market. Before starting Skill Masters Market, I worked for a large national nonprofit where I led learning and development leadership initiatives. I know what it’s like to need to develop your staff quickly and effectively, and to build the relationships and cut through the organizational layers to be successful. With an eye for the larger strategy and the creative design process, I've created hundreds of learning experiences - in-person, self-paced, and virtual classroom - and have worked with dozens of leaders and their staff to help them achieve their organization’s professional development goals. So if you're ready to bust through the barriers and start creating behavior change in your nonprofit, this podcast is for you. Let's dive in. It's Learning for Good. Nonprofit Management | Leadership Training | Leadership Development | Staff Management | Change Management | Instructional Design | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Learn more: www.skillmastersmarket.com Connect with me: www.linkedin.com/in/heather-burright Schedule a call: https://bit.ly/3GQT6Yg

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August 31, 2026Episode 20119 min

The Biggest Mistakes We Make When Measuring Learning

Do you actually know if your training worked, or are you just hoping it did? In this episode of Learning for Good, I break down the five biggest mistakes nonprofit learning and development professionals make when measuring training impact. Most of us know we should be measuring our training, and we want to measure it, but somewhere between good intentions and actual practice, we get stuck. We settle for data that is easy to collect instead of data that tells us the truth. Good measurement isn't about checking a box, it's about using what you learn to make real decisions and show that the work actually matters. ▶️ The Biggest Mistakes We Make When Measuring Learning ▶️ Key Points: 00:00:00 Why Measuring Training Matters 00:03:00 The Kirkpatrick Model of Training Evaluation 00:04:23 The 5 Biggest Mistakes L&D Professionals Make When Measuring Learning 00:17:17 Turning Your Learning Dashboard into a Strategic Tool Resources from this episode: ATD Research: https://www.td.org/content/press-release/atd-research-measuring-learning-program-effectiveness-is-challenging 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

August 24, 2026Episode 20013 min

200 Lessons from 200 Episodes. Just Kidding. Here are the Top 5 Ideas that Changed My Career in Learning and Development.

In this episode of Learning for Good, I celebrate 200 episodes and share the five biggest lessons that have shaped my approach to nonprofit learning and development and nonprofit leadership development. Two hundred episodes in, I have interviewed nearly a hundred guests, built a summit, and grown a community, and along the way, my thinking about staff training and development has shifted in ways I did not expect. This episode is a chance to pause and look back at what has actually changed my career. ▶️ 200 Lessons from 200 Episodes. Just Kidding. Here are the Top 5 Ideas that Changed My Career in Learning and Development. ▶️ Key Points: 00:00:00 200 Episodes of Learning for Good 00:02:33 Thank You to the Nonprofit L&D Community 00:03:44 Top Five Episodes: A Look Back at Nonprofit Learning and Development Highlights 00:05:09 5 Ideas that Changed My Career in Learning and Development Resources from this episode: Top 5 Learning for Good Episodes: E135: Want to Work in Nonprofit Learning and Development? What You Should Know E132: Translating Behavior Science into L&D Strategy: Lessons from Top Experts E71: Are Your Nonprofit Leaders The Best They Can Be? Your Leadership Skills Might Be Lagging And THIS Is Why E116: Using a Blended, Cohort Training Model to Create Behavior Change E129: How to Conduct a Training Needs Analysis for Nonprofit Staff Development 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

August 17, 2026Episode 19910 min

Should You Retire Your Training?

How do you decide which trainings in your library still deserve a spot, and which ones are just taking up space? In this episode of Learning for Good, I walk through five strategic questions nonprofit leaders can use to decide when to retire a training program. Many nonprofits build a training toolbox one request at a time, until the toolbox is packed with tools nobody stops to evaluate. That toolbox turns into an endless menu instead of a strategy, and it gets harder to tell which trainings are still earning their place. Keeping a training isn't about whether people liked it or whether it's always been offered, it's about whether it's still moving the mission forward. ▶️ Should You Retire Your Training? ▶️ Key Points: 00:00:00 When Should You Retire a Nonprofit Training Program? 00:03:15 How the Nonprofit Training Toolbox Fills Up Over Time 00:05:32 Five Questions to Decide Whether to Retire a Nonprofit Training Program 00:08:19 Building a Curated Nonprofit Training Toolbox Resources from this episode: 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

August 10, 2026Episode 19833 min

The Hidden Cost of Reactive Learning in Nonprofits

Does your learning and development team spend more time responding to requests than shaping where your organization is headed? In this episode of Learning for Good, I sit down with L&D leaders Kamaria Scott, Rachel Platt, and Yogi Mueller for a conversation on why nonprofit learning and development teams stay reactive and what it takes to build stronger learning and development strategies. Too many L&D functions have been reduced to a training factory instead of shaping where the organization is headed. We talk about why this happens even to skilled, well-intentioned professionals and the real cost of staying reactive instead of strategic. ▶️ The Hidden Cost of Reactive Learning in Nonprofits ▶️ Key Points: 00:00:00 Reactive vs Strategic Learning and Development 00:04:05 Understanding Reactive Learning 00:06:31 How the L&D Business Partner Role Got Lost 00:15:25 Learning Becomes Strategic When... 00:23:06 The Real Cost of Staying Reactive 00:25:25 One Shift Every L&D Professional Can Make Today Resources from this episode: Past episodes on strategic learning: E195: Learning IS Strategy but Some Learning Teams Stay Stuck in Reactive Mode. Here's Why. E192: 10 Questions Strategic Learning Leaders Ask E191: How Nonprofit Learning Leaders Can Show Up as a Strategic Partner E186: The Mindset that Separates Strategic L&D Leaders from Order Takers E134: Being a Strategic Learning Partner & The Biggest Mistake You’re Making Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective Connect with guests from this episode: Yogi Meuller Kamaria Scott Rachel Platt 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

August 3, 2026Episode 19729 min

When to Choose Coaching as Your Leadership Development Solution with Melody Lam

In this episode of Learning for Good, I sit down with nonprofit leader Melody Lam to explore how she built a coaching culture by training first-time managers to coach. Coaching sounds like the obvious solution when new managers struggle to have hard conversations with their teams, but it often gets treated as a perk reserved for executives, and the cost of outside coaches can make the whole idea feel out of reach. Melody's experience shows that coaching does not have to start big or expensive, it can start with a simple model, a willing pilot group, and two minutes of practice at a time. ▶️ When to Choose Coaching as Your Leadership Development Solution with Melody Lam ▶️ Key Points: 00:00:00 Why Nonprofits Need Coaches, Not Just Training 00:03:50 Melody's Path into Nonprofit Leadership Development 00:07:39 The Benefits of Coaching Across Organizations 00:11:45 Building Emotional Buy-In for Coaching 00:14:39 Making Coaching Accessible with a Limited Budget 00:19:13 Piloting and Scaling Coaching Across the Organization 00:21:01 Coaching Results: From Technical Skills to Coaching Culture 00:23:42 Where to Start with Coaching (Even with Limited Time or Budget) Resources from this episode: E175: How One Nonprofit Used Habit Stacking to Improve Feedback Skills with Amy Glover The Extraordinary Coach: How the Best Leaders Help Others Grow by John Zenger and Kathleen Stinnett Join us for our next Nonprofit L&D Collective networking event on August 19: 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 Melody LinkedIn: Melody L. 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

July 27, 2026Episode 19614 min

How to Make Learning Last: Designing for Workplace Behavior Change

Why does your team go right back to their old habits the week after training ends? In this episode of Learning for Good, I break down how nonprofit leaders can design training that leads to lasting workplace behavior change instead of a short-lived bump in knowledge. Most training ends the same way. People show up, they learn something new, and within a few weeks it is like the training never happened. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone, and it is not because your training was bad. What matters is designing for what happens after training ends, so the learning people carry with them actually changes what they do on the job. ▶️ How to Make Learning Last: Designing for Workplace Behavior Change ▶️ Key Points: 00:00:00 How to Make Learning Last 00:05:03 The Real Goal of Nonprofit Staff Training and Development 00:05:36 The Four Gears of Lasting Behavior Change Resources from this episode: Episode mentioned: E193: Why Staff Need a Reason to Change Behavior Join the free, virtual Nonprofit L&D Collective networking event: 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

July 20, 2026Episode 19533 min

Learning IS Strategy but Some Learning Teams Stay Stuck in Reactive Mode. Here's Why.

Does your L&D team spend most of its time responding to urgent training requests instead of shaping strategy? In this episode of Learning for Good, I sit down with Mark Nilles and Scot Vessell, two experienced learning and development leaders, to discuss what it actually takes for nonprofit L&D to operate as a strategic lever. We argue that becoming a strategic partner starts with an internal shift, from seeing yourself as a learning designer who produces training to seeing yourself as a change agent who helps solve organizational problems. ▶️ Learning IS Strategy but Some Learning Teams Stay Stuck in Reactive Mode. Here's Why. ▶️ Key Points: 00:00:00 Becoming a Strategic Partner in Nonprofit L&D 00:04:25 Meet the Panel: Nonprofit L&D Leaders on Strategic Partnership 00:08:05 Why Nonprofit L&D Teams Get Stuck in Reactive Mode 00:14:24 The Risk of L&D Staying a Reactive Training Factory 00:18:03 What Strategic Learning and Development Looks Like 00:22:30 Reframing the Conversation Around Nonprofit Training and Behavior Change 00:29:46 Practical Advice for Becoming a More Strategic Nonprofit L&D Partner Resources from this episode: Past strategic partnership episodes: E192: 10 Questions Strategic Learning Leaders Ask E191: How Nonprofit Learning Leaders Can Show Up as a Strategic Partner E186: The Mindset that Separates Strategic L&D Leaders from Order Takers E134: Being a Strategic Learning Partner & The Biggest Mistake You're Making Join the next Learning for Good Summit on July 22nd: https://collective.skillmastersmarket.com/invitation?code=9A6625 Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective Connect with Mark LinkedIn: Mark Nilles Connect with Scot LinkedIn: Scot Vessell 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

July 13, 2026Episode 19422 min

How to Align Learning with Data with Nonprofit HR Leader Wilson Kirkpatrick

Do you have employee engagement data sitting in a survey report with no plan for turning it into action? In this episode of Learning for Good, I sit down with Wilson Kirkpatrick, Director of People Operations at Waterford.org, to talk about how they used employee engagement data to design a coaching program that strengthened leadership trust and psychological safety. Many nonprofit leaders collect engagement survey data every year, but once the report comes back, it often sits untouched. That data only becomes valuable when you pair it with a deliberate cycle of listening, understanding, and acting, turning a single survey into an ongoing system for organizational growth. ▶️ How to Align Learning with Data with Nonprofit HR Leader Wilson Kirkpatrick ▶️ Key Points: 00:00:00 Wilson's Path Into HR and People Operations 00:05:21 Inside Waterford.org's Mission and Team 00:06:16 Turning Employee Engagement Data Into a Business Case for Coaching 00:11:31 Prioritizing Quick Wins When Rolling Out Coaching 00:15:23 Measuring the Results: Engagement Score Improvements 00:17:18 Advice for Leaders Who Feel Intimidated by Data 00:19:02 Where to Find the Data Already Inside Your Organization Resources from this episode: Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective Connect with Wilson LinkedIn: Wilson Kirkpatrick Website: waterford.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

July 6, 2026Episode 19313 min

Trying to Change Behavior? One Missing Element from Your Training

Your staff already know what to do and how to do it. So why are they still not doing it? In this episode of Learning for Good, I break down why explaining the why is one of the simplest and most overlooked workplace behavior change strategies nonprofit leaders have available. Nonprofit leaders pour energy into teaching their teams what to do and how to do it, then feel baffled when the new behavior never sticks. It is easy to assume the problem is the training itself, when the real gap might be something far simpler and far easier to fix. ▶️ Trying to Change Behavior? One Missing Element from Your Training ▶️ Key Points: 00:00:00 How an Explanation Can Change Behavior 00:05:11 Ellen Langer's Research on Behavior Change and Compliance 00:08:38 Closing the Gap Between Staff Training and Behavior Change Resources from this episode: The Power of the Word Because Study by Ellen Langer: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-wise/201310/the-power-of-the-word-because-to-get-people-to-do-stuff Join the Learning for Good Summit in July: https://collective.skillmastersmarket.com/invitation?code=9A6625 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

June 29, 2026Episode 19214 min

10 Questions Every Strategic Learning Leader Should Be Asking

In this episode of Learning for Good, I share 10 questions strategic learning leaders can ask to move beyond content creation and into real organizational impact, using learning and development strategies rooted in behavior change and performance. Most nonprofit L&D professionals know that training alone does not create change. But without the right questions, it is easy to build solutions that miss the mark, overlook the real barriers, or fail to connect to organizational strategy. The gap between a training that checks a box and one that actually shifts behavior often comes down to what you asked, and what you did not. ▶️ 10 Questions Strategic Learning Leaders Ask ▶️ Key Points: 00:00:00 Why the Best L&D Tool You Have Is a Question 00:04:07 10 Questions Strategic Learning Leaders Ask 00:12:29 Why Questions Alone Are Not Enough Resources from this episode: Join the Learning for Good Summit in July: https://collective.skillmastersmarket.com/invitation?code=9A6625 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