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

Creating meaningful change through staff training and development in a nonprofit can feel overwhelming, especially when you're the only one driving it. In this episode, I talk with Jamie Bussey, Senior Director of Learning and Development at the National Audubon Society.

Jamie joined Audubon as a team of one, inheriting a blank slate and a whole lot of opportunity. She shares how she used a needs assessment to guide her strategy, implemented scalable solutions like a learning management system and coaching programs, and launched a comprehensive people manager training called "Leading the Flock."

▶️ Leading Change and Navigating Challenges as a New L&D Leader with Jamie Bussey 

▶️ Key Points:

03:14 Jamie's career journey from journalism to nonprofit L&D

05:19 Starting L&D from scratch: challenges and early wins

09:56 Designing “Leading the Flock” for people managers

14:46 Creating a robust training program 

17:02 Overcoming resistance and building credibility

21:54 Advice for L&D leaders starting from scratch in a nonprofit

Resources from this episode:

Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective

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Connect with Jamie

Linkedin: Jamie Bussey

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

Improving staff accountability doesn’t always require a training program. In fact, some of the most effective strategies for nonprofit leadership development and team performance don’t involve training at all. In this episode of Learning for Good, I share three powerful non-training solutions to boost accountability, enhance team culture, and drive consistent performance across teams.

Whether you're facing missed deadlines, inconsistent follow-through, or simply want to elevate your team’s effectiveness, this episode offers actionable ideas built on workplace behavior change strategies and rooted in the psychology of habit formation. 

▶️ Three Non-Training Solutions that Improve Staff Accountability 

▶️ Key Points:

00:58 Why accountability is essential for high-performing nonprofit teams

02:50 Three non-training solutions that can improve staff accountability

05:50 How these non-training solutions support behavior change and habit formation

07:44 Why training alone won’t solve performance challenges

Resources from this episode:

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

Are you curious about what a career in nonprofit Learning and Development looks like across different types of organizations? In this episode of Learning for Good, we explore the real-life journeys of two nonprofit L&D leaders - Eric Wu, formerly of Northwestern University, and Matt Tod of Plan International Canada.

You’ll get an inside look at what Learning and Development roles actually look like in two very different nonprofit settings and honest advice if you’re looking to make the transition into nonprofit L&D. 

▶️ Want to Work in Nonprofit L&D? Here’s What You Should Know 

▶️ Key Points:

04:54 Introduction to Eric Wu and his background in university-based talent development

11:11 Key L&D initiatives at Northwestern University

19:40 Eric’s transition from corporate to nonprofit talent development

25:33 Advice for people looking to transition into L&D or the nonprofit sector

34:30 Meet Matt Tod from Plan International Canada

39:27 Structuring L&D across global nonprofit teams

47:00 Building an internal learning culture

50:47 Matt’s journey to L&D

57:33 Career advice for transitioning into nonprofit L&D

Resources from this episode:

Listen to Nadra Dennis and Jaimie Hoffman’s career conversations in episode 130: Nonprofit Learning & Development: What Is It Really Like?

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 Eric and Matt

Linkedin: Eric Wu & Matt Tod

Websites: northwestern.edu & plancanada.ca 

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

Employees spend 42% of their time collaborating with others. That’s almost half of their time. But are they any good at it? Or are there challenges around collaboration? 

And if there are challenges, what can we do about them?

Most people would say collaboration is important for their work, but we're less likely to do it when it feels challenging. And when there's conflict, we're less likely to do it then, too. Can training help? That’s what we’re exploring in this episode.

▶️ How Training Can Improve Collaboration in Your Nonprofit 

▶️ Key Points:

00:58 Collaboration in the workplace

02:02 Building a good foundation for collaboration through training

04:43 Building collaboration skills through internal training

05:31 Nonprofit collaboration training example

Resources from this episode:

2023 Global Workplace Survey from the Gensler Research Institute: https://f.tlcollect.com/fr2/723/96308/global-workplace-survey-comparison-2023.pdf 

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

What does it mean to be a good partner in Learning and Development? That’s what we’re exploring in this episode, but we’re doing it from the truest sense of the word partner. 

I think one of the biggest mistakes we make is that we focus on the actions we need to take to be a good partner. And while actions are important, I don't want a list of actions today. I want us to look at the attributes or the characteristics of being a good partner.

▶️ Being a Strategic Learning Partner & The Biggest Mistake You're Making 

▶️ Key Points:

00:58 The importance of being a good partner

04:45 The characteristics of being a good partner

07:05 Our goal in L&D

Resources from this episode:

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

All too often, new managers have no training, peer group, or support. Then, when they fail or burnout, we say they weren’t management material. We can and we should do more to support new managers.

When Cru, a faith-based nonprofit, faced this exact challenge, they decided to offer a coaching program to their emerging leaders. This coaching program would bring in business leaders from outside their organization and engage them as coaches, creating cross-sector support, cross-sector relationships, and cross-sector sharing.

Bob Tiede, who helped start this program over 20 years ago, is joining me to share how this program works and what benefits they've seen in their organization.

▶️  Cross-Sector Coaching: Enhancing Nonprofit Leadership Development Strategies 

▶️ Key Points:

00:58 The challenges new managers face

03:11 Bob’s career journey

09:03 About Cru

10:56 The start of Cru’s cross-sector coaching program for emerging leaders

19:17 The value of cross-sector coaches 

23:52 Recruiting cross-sector coaches

26:36 The benefits of a cross-sector coaching program

Resources from this episode:

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 Bob

Linkedin: Bob Tiede

Website: cru.org & leadingwithquestions.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

When we create learning solutions, what we really want is to create a new behavior or change behavior in some way. So, what does it take to create a new behavior? 

On this episode of Learning for Good, I’m sharing lessons from behavior change experts Charles Duhigg, James Clear, and BJ Fogg. Then, I’m going to take those behavior change lessons and translate them into workplace learning.

▶️  Translating Behavior Science into L&D Strategy: Lessons from Top Experts 

▶️ Key Points:

00:58 The challenges of creating a new behavior

02:59 Behavior change lessons from Charles Duhigg, James Clear, and BJ Fogg

06:07 Applying behavior change principles to workplace learning

Resources from this episode:

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg

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

Our world is constantly evolving, and because of that, our experiences across generations are different. Because our experiences are different, our perspectives are different, and because our perspectives are different, our actions are also different. All of those experiences, perspectives, and actions impact our workplaces, which is why L&D needs to get to know our audiences.

In this episode, I've invited Kat Landa to talk to us about generational differences in the workplace. 

Kat is the senior vice president of talent solutions at Dickerson Bakker and brings 22 years of nonprofit fundraising and marketing experience to her work.

▶️ Working across Generations? Three Things L&D Needs to Know with Kat Landa 

▶️ Key Points:

04:11 Kat’s nonprofit career journey and focus on generational differences in the workplace

10:42 The generations currently in the workforce 

12:33 Understanding the Traditionalist Generation in the workforce

17:05 Understanding baby boomers in the workforce

19:46 Understanding Gen X in the workforce

21:42 Understanding millennials in the workforce

24:02 Understanding Gen Z in the workforce

27:25 The impact of generational differences on Learning and Development

Resources from this episode:

For further reading, take a look at these resources:

• https://www.purdueglobal.edu/education-partnerships/generational-workforce-differences-infographic/ 
• https://ifmahouston.org/downloads/Meeting_Presentations/generationaldifferenceschart.pdf 
• https://www.copc.com/navigating-generational-differences-in-the-workplace/ 

Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective

Connect with Kat

Linkedin: Kat Landa

Website: katlanda.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

I often get questions about working in nonprofit, so I launched Career Conversations - a series of LinkedIn Live conversations with people currently in nonprofit L&D roles. We are talking about their organizations, teams, and personal career journeys.

Today, I’m bringing two of these conversations to you. We’re hearing from Nadra Dennis, the learning and talent development director at the Center for Employment Opportunities, and Dr. Jaimie Hoffman, the senior director of learning and development at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

▶️ Key Points:

02:22 Career Conversations series

05:16 Intro to Nadra Dennis and the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)

09:03 L&D at the CEO

15:56 Nadra’s career journey and interest in nonprofit

22:16 Advice from Nadra for transitioning into L&D or nonprofit

30:05 Intro to Dr. J. Hoffman and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

39:09 L&D at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America 

50:08 Jaimie’s career journey and interest in nonprofit

59:38 Advice from Jaimie for transitioning into L&D or nonprofit

Resources from this episode:

E117: How to Measure Behavior Change and Impact in a Federated Nonprofit or Membership Association 

Become a mentor at Big Brothers Big Sisters: https://www.bbbs.org/bebignow/ 

Performance-Focused Learner Survey by Will Thalheimer 

Telling Ain't Training by Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps 

Training Ain't Performance by Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps 

Pivoting Out of Edu Podcast

Connect with Nadra and Jaimie

Linkedin: Nadra Dennis 

Linkedin: Jaimie Hoffman

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

Understanding your training audience may be the best thing you can do as an instructional designer. Yet, many of us have never been taught how to conduct a training needs analysis.

On this episode of Learning for Good, I want to talk about what you should be learning about your audience. What do you actually need to know? Tune in to find out.

▶️ If You've Never Conducted a Training Needs Analysis, Listen to This 

▶️ Key Points:

02:11 Understanding your training audience to intentionally design for behavior change

04:35 Five things to learn about your training audience

Resources from this episode:

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