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
Site
RSS
Apple
Data updated on 29/09/2026
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
How to Build Relationships that Move Work Forward in Your Nonprofit with Morag Barrett
Episode 205
Monday, September 28, 2026 • Duration 37:08
One of the most challenging parts of our jobs as nonprofit learning and development professionals is working with and through other people. This makes our ability to influence critical to our work.
In this episode of Learning for Good, I sit down with leadership development consultant and relationship expert Morag Barrett to talk about how nonprofit learning and development professionals can build influence and strengthen the workplace relationships that make training initiatives succeed.
Morag walks through her Relationship Ecosystem framework: ally, supporter, rival, and adversary. Most relationships aren't fixed in one category. Her advice is to start by moving your supporters closer to allies and to make sure you have at least one go-to ally relationship.
▶️ How to Build Relationships that Move Work Forward in Your Nonprofit with Morag Barrett
▶️ Key Points:
00:00:00 Using Influence to Shape Work
00:04:13 Morag's Path Into Relationship and Leadership Work
00:08:57 The Part of Relationships You Can Control
00:13:24 From Transactional to Transformational Relationships
00:16:28 The Relationship Ecosystem: Ally, Supporter, Rival, Adversary
00:26:19 Relationship Pulse Check: Three Questions That Build Trust
⭐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!
How One Nonprofit Uses On-the-Job Training to Fulfill Its Mission with Amina Mohamed
Episode 204
Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 30:45
How do you design training that actually leads to a job, not just a certificate?
In this episode of Learning for Good, I sit down with Amina Mohamed, founder and executive director of Cameras for Girls, a Canadian charity advancing gender equality in media across Africa, to talk about designing learning around the change you want to create.
So many nonprofits build training programs and hope people walk away better prepared, but hoping isn't the same as knowing a program creates real employment outcomes. For Amina, a training program only matters if it ends in a job, and that standard shapes every phase of how she builds and evaluates her work.
▶️ How One Nonprofit Uses On-the-Job Training to Fulfill Its Mission with Amina Mohamed
▶️ Key Points:
00:00:00 Career Training Reflection
00:03:11 Introduction to Amina: From Film and Television to Cameras for Girls
00:09:07 The Mission Behind Cameras for Girls
00:12:38 Inside the Four-Phase Training Model
00:20:52 Amina's Vision for Cameras for Girls: Training Isn't the Goal, Change Is
3 Small Shifts that Increase Your Credibility as a Learning Designer
Episode 203
Monday, September 14, 2026 • Duration 13:27
In this episode of Learning for Good, I break down three practical shifts nonprofit learning designers can make to build credibility and grow their influence.
Many competent learning and development professionals feel like their recommendations don't carry weight. It's frustrating to know you understand a problem and can offer a better solution, only to have that expertise go unheard. That gap usually has less to do with skill and more to do with how much evidence you've given people that you can be trusted.
I explain why credibility isn't something you announce, it's something you build one interaction at a time until people trust your judgment enough to follow where you lead.
▶️ 3 Small Shifts that Increase Your Credibility as a Learning Designer
▶️ Key Points:
00:00:00 How Credibility Works in Nonprofit Leadership
00:03:26 How to Build Trust Within Your Nonprofit
00:05:31 3 Shifts that Increase Credibility as a Learning Designer
00:08:55 How Credibility Changes Stakeholder Buy-In
How Nonprofit Leaders Can Lead Under Pressure with Jay Abbasi
Episode 202
Monday, September 7, 2026 • Duration 34:34
What do you do when the pressure at work never seems to let up?
In this episode of Learning for Good, I sit down with peak performance coach Jay Abbasi to talk about what it takes to lead under pressure and how nonprofit L&D leaders can build resilience into how they lead themselves and others.
Nonprofit leaders carry a heavy load, with tight resources, shifting priorities, and a mission that never feels like it can wait. That pressure builds and shapes how people think, communicate, and lead, often without them realizing it. This can push even strong leaders into constant reaction mode instead of intentional leadership.
▶️ How Nonprofit Leaders Can Lead Under Pressure with Jay Abbasi
▶️ Key Points:
00:00:00 How Pressure Shapes Nonprofit Leaders
00:03:10 Jay's Path From Personal Loss to Peak Performance Coaching
00:08:51 How L&D Leaders Can Stay Effective Under Pressure
00:13:32 What Pressure Does to the Brain
00:18:51 Building Clarity and Intention as a Learning Leader
00:22:46 Balancing Organizational Urgency With the Patience Behavior Change Requires
00:28:19 One Shift Nonprofit Leaders Can Make to Lead Under Pressure
The Biggest Mistakes We Make When Measuring Learning
Episode 201
Monday, August 31, 2026 • Duration 19:07
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
200 Lessons from 200 Episodes. Just Kidding. Here are the Top 5 Ideas that Changed My Career in Learning and Development.
Episode 200
Monday, August 24, 2026 • Duration 13:57
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
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
The Hidden Cost of Reactive Learning in Nonprofits
Episode 198
Monday, August 10, 2026 • Duration 33:03
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
When to Choose Coaching as Your Leadership Development Solution with Melody Lam
Episode 197
Monday, August 3, 2026 • Duration 29:48
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)
How to Make Learning Last: Designing for Workplace Behavior Change
Episode 196
Monday, July 27, 2026 • Duration 14:43
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
Discover shows related to Learning for Good | L&D Solutions and Leadership Development for Nonprofits, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
⭐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!
⭐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!
⭐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!
⭐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!
⭐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!
⭐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!
⭐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!
⭐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!
⭐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!
