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

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

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.comConnect with me: www.linkedin.com/in/heather-burrightSchedule a call: https://bit.ly/3GQT6Yg

  1. HÁ 20 H

    Five Steps to Align Your People Development Efforts with Your Nonprofit Strategy

    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 organization and your people to achieve those 2026 goals. ▶️ Five Steps to Align Your People Development Efforts with Your Nonprofit Strategy ▶️ Key Points: 01:20 The value of getting support to build  the right training plan 04:38 Step 1: Review your organization's strategies 05:15 Step 2: Define what your people need to do 05:48 Step 3: Identify the gaps, roadblocks, or pain points 07:08 Step 4: Prioritize the needs 08:41 Step 5: Determine how to close the gaps Resources from this episode:  If you want to learn more about how I can support you  in creating a plan for your team, fill out this form.  Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 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. 🔗 Connect with Heather LinkedIn: Heather Burright Website: skillmastersmarket.com Book an interest call with Heather here. 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

    11min
  2. 3 DE NOV.

    How to Handle Stakeholder Conflict Without Burning Bridges

    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 with your stakeholders without causing division, along with powerful tips to make these conversations successful. ▶️ How to Say "This Isn't a Training Issue" Without Burning Bridges with Your Nonprofit Stakeholders ▶️ Key Points: 03:02 The importance of having a strong relationship with your stakeholders 04:34  When you need to speak up if you disagree 06:36 Step 1: Discover 07:34 Step 2: Align 08:21 Step 3: Compliment 09:11 Step 4: Propose 11:48 How you can prepare yourself for these conversations 13:12 Five things to keep in mind when having these conversations Resources from this episode: Catch up with these episodes to learn how to build a strong relationship with your stakeholders: Episode 134: What It Means to Be a Good Partner in Learning and DevelopmentEpisode 108: 3 Ways to Turn Your Subject Matter Expert into Your Biggest AssetEpisode 54: How Can Learning and Development Teams Work with Subject Matter Experts Without Frustration?Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective Catalyst Tier this November to attend our upcoming group coaching session: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 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. 🔗 Connect with Heather LinkedIn: Heather Burright Website: skillmastersmarket.com Book an interest call with Heather here. 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

    17min
  3. 27 DE OUT.

    How to Market Your Training So People Want to Take it with Hannah Clark

    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 and strategist, and podcast host.  We talk about how you can avoid that silence and how you can create and market your learning so it really resonates with your audience and has  the impact it's intended to make. ▶️ Avoid the Silence: How to Create and Market Your Learning So It Resonates with Hannah Clark  ▶️ Key Points: 03:16 Hannah's love for marketing and how she fell into the L&D niche 07:39 Why learning experiences fail or fall flat 10:02 How to make sure you create learning that resonates 17:14 What to do to get your learning experience in front of learners 24:27 Copywriting and design: how to use these crucial marketing tactics 28:38 Simple tips for when marketing feels overwhelming Resources from this episode: Tune in to Hannah Clark's podcast, Marketing for Learning®, which I love. Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 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. 🔗 Connect with Hannah LinkedIn: Hannah Clark Website: maas-marketing.co.uk Connect with Heather LinkedIn: Heather Burright Website: skillmastersmarket.com Book an interest call with Heather here. 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

    35min
  4. 20 DE OUT.

    The Cost of Building the Wrong Training: How Nonprofits Can Avoid Wasting Resources

    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 on nonprofit leadership development, staff training and development, and building a culture of learning that drives mission impact. Whether you're exploring learning and development strategies or already implementing instructional design in nonprofit organizations, this episode gives you a practical lens for avoiding costly missteps. ▶️ Key Points: 01:52 Training doesn't always work 02:31 Wasted resources 06:32 Hidden costs 08:20 Missed impact 09:21 How to ensure you don't build the wrong thing Resources from this episode: Catch up with Episode 152: When Training Works and When It Doesn't and Episode 154: Why So Many Trainings Fail. Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective Catalyst Tier before November to attend our group coaching session around solving the right problems with the right solutions:  https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 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. 🔗 Connect with Heather LinkedIn: Heather Burright Website: skillmastersmarket.com Book an interest call with Heather here. 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

    14min
  5. 13 DE OUT.

    What Executives Really Want from L&D with Danika Mitcham

    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 nonprofit executives really want from learning and development, their expectations, and what we may be assuming wrong. ▶️ What Executives Really Want from L&D with Danika Mitcham  ▶️ Key Points: 02:49 Lessons that shaped Danika's approach  to work and leadership 06:43 L&D's critical role in a nonprofit organization's strategy 09:25 Why Danika invests in training as a Nonprofit Executive  13:09 Balancing short-term pressures with long-term sustainability 16:14 What Danika looks for when she invests in training 18:46 The importance of measuring impact and a helpful tip 21:12 What L&D teams and executives should know about working together Resources from this episode: Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective Catalyst Tier before November to attend our group coaching session around solving the right problems with the right solutions: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 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. 🔗 Connect with Danika LinkedIn: Danika Mitcham Website: compassion.com Connect with Heather LinkedIn: Heather Burright Website: skillmastersmarket.com Book an interest call with Heather here. 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

    26min
  6. 6 DE OUT.

    Why So Many Trainings Fail

    If you are a nonprofit L&D pro, you know how to design learning experiences. You've got the experience. Yet, sometimes the trainings we spend time and money creating don't work. And if you are a nonprofit leader, you want to ensure that what you spend valuable time and resources on works. Over the years,  I've spent a lot of time thinking about this issue, and that's why in this episode, we're exploring the reasons why so many trainings fail and how to avoid that outcome, because your mission depends on it. ▶️ Why So Many Trainings Fail  ▶️ Key Points: 01:20 The reality of unsuccessful trainings 03:42 #1 Solving the wrong problem 06:12 #2 The scope is just too big 07:31 #3 Behavior change principles are missing  09:35 #4 The lack of wraparound support 10:16 #5 Not actually measuring anything meaningful Resources from this episode: Find the full Workplace Learning Report 2025 here. Catch up with episode 132, Translating Behavior Science into L&D Strategy: Lessons from Top Experts, to avoid reason #3. Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective Catalyst Tier before November to attend our group coaching session on this topic: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 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. 🔗 Connect with Heather LinkedIn: Heather Burright Website: skillmastersmarket.com Book an interest call with Heather here. 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

    12min
  7. 29 DE SET.

    3 Design Thinking Principles for Learning & Development Pros with Sheryl Cababa

    Empathy might be one of the most essential skills for learning designers, and there's no better place to learn it than design thinking. That's why, in this episode, I am joined by Sheryl Cababa, a design researcher and strategist, and the Chief Strategy Officer at Optimistic Design, to give us some insight into her process. She clarifies what design thinking is and what it entails, how it can help us design better learning solutions and navigate stakeholders in the decision-making process, and three principles that will get you a level deeper in the analysis phase. ▶️ 3 Design Thinking Principles for Learning & Development Pros with Sheryl Cababa  ▶️ Key Points: 03:37 How Sheryl is helping clients reimagine education with design 08:31 Design thinking or human-centered design in a nutshell 12:20 The significant benefits of using a design thinking approach in L&D 17:52 Understand everyone's incentives 19:42 Always center the end user in your work 20:45 Think about your most extreme users 24:28 Valuable resources to get started with design thinking Resources from this episode: Get Sheryl's book Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking For Designers. For a toolkit with practical tips on applying human-centered design, access IDEO's Design Kit. For a breakdown of what it means to do research around design and user experience, check out the book: Just Enough Research by Erika Hall. Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 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. 🔗 Connect with Sheryl LinkedIn: Sheryl Cababa Website: optimistic.design Connect with Heather LinkedIn: Heather Burright Website: skillmastersmarket.com Book an interest call with Heather here. 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

    31min
  8. 22 DE SET.

    When Training Works and When It Doesn't

    Training is often the go-to solution in our nonprofits. But what if I told you that training isn't always the right solution? In this episode, I discuss why jumping to solutions without first diagnosing the problem can be a bad idea, and I share some situations where training works well and others where a different solution is necessary. ▶️ When Training Works and When It Doesn't  ▶️ Key Points: 01:20 Training may not be the right solution 02:27 What must always be the first step 03:49 Four good use cases for training 10:02 Five times when training doesn't work 12:11 Where you can learn to know when to use training Resources from this episode: Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective Catalyst Tier before November to attend our group coaching session on this topic: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective 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. 🔗 Connect with Heather LinkedIn: Heather Burright Website: skillmastersmarket.com Book an interest call with Heather here. 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

    14min
5
de 5
53 avaliações

Sobre

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.comConnect with me: www.linkedin.com/in/heather-burrightSchedule a call: https://bit.ly/3GQT6Yg

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