As nonprofit leaders look ahead to the new year, it’s essential to understand which capabilities will matter most.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the top skills nonprofits will need in 2026 so teams can stay resilient, adaptive, and mission-focused. Plus, I’m sharing a simple three-step process to help you identify the specific skills your organization should prioritize this year.

If you’re planning your Learning and Development strategies for 2026, you’ll walk away with clarity on where to focus your efforts and how to better support your people.

▶️ 3 Skills Your Nonprofit Needs in 2026

▶️ Key Points:

00:00:00 Welcoming A New Nonprofit Year

00:04:29 Exploring Key Capabilities

00:10:13 Mapping Needed Skills

Resources from this episode:

Start by catching up with Episode 113: How to Set Values-Based Goals for 2025.

Read the article I’m referring to in the episode: 10 Critical Skills Every Leader Must Master In 2026

Take a look at my episode with Dr. Reggie Thomas: Episode 162: Why Wellbeing is Mission Critical for Your Nonprofit

Join us January 12th-16th for Career Week at the Collective, an event designed to help you grow your nonprofit L&D careers together. Learn all the details and grab your ticket at https://collective.skillmastersmarket.com/invitation?code=3CG346

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

We want to hear from you. Tell me what you want to hear more of or less of on the podcast. Ask a question or make a request through our Speakpipe link.

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

We are already at the end of 2025. This is a time of reflection, goal setting, and a renewed commitment to being our best selves. I love this time of year, and each year I like to spend some time reflecting on my goals, what I've been able to accomplish, and where I missed a little bit.

So, in this episode, I'm going to share some details about what's going on inside Skill Masters Market, my consulting business, Learning for Good, this podcast, and the Nonprofit L&D Collective, our private community for nonprofit training pros.

You'll hear about the transformations of 2025 and what's coming in 2026.

▶️ Key Points:

0:00:00 My personal mission

0:03:52 Skill Masters Market

0:05:29 Learning for Good

0:07:42 Nonprofit L&D Collective

Resources from this episode:

Top 5 Learning For Good Podcast episodes:

#1 Are Your Nonprofit Leaders The Best They Can Be? Your Leadership Skills Might Be Lagging And THIS Is Why

#2 Using a Blended, Cohort Training Model to Create Behavior Change with Nonprofit Leader Rebecca Kelley

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

#4 Using AI to Create Persuasive, Visual Stories for Your Training with Nicholas Leonard

#5 How to Conduct a Training Needs Analysis for Nonprofit Staff Development

 If you're looking for a way to make connection and one-on-one networking easier for your organization, check out Community Hives.

Join us January 12th-16th for Career Week at the Collective, an event designed to help you grow your nonprofit L&D careers together. Learn all the details and grab your ticket at https://collective.skillmastersmarket.com/invitation?code=3CG346

We want to hear from you. Tell me what you want to hear more of or less of on the podcast. Ask a question or make a request through our Speakpipe link.

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

As learning and development leaders, it feels like we're always trying to get a seat at the table, but are we truly prepared to have effective conversations with our nonprofit's executives when we get there?

To get you ready, in this episode, I invited Rick Dahlseid to help us position training as a worthwhile investment. He is a nonprofit CFO with over 20 years in the sector, with expertise in financial management, operations, and governance.

You'll learn about his unique point of view on the role of training and development in a nonprofit, where your conversations about people development should start, the kind of language that will be most effective, and what you should actually focus on to get your point across.

▶️ How to Position Training as an Investment (from the Perspective of a CFO) with Rick Dahlseid

▶️ Key Points:

0:00:00 Rick's mission and  nonprofit financial leadership

0:09:49 How a seasoned nonprofit CFO views training

0:16:23 Define ROI for learning and development first

0:22:16 How to get the nonprofit to invest in your training

0:31:30 Focus on the outcomes and keep the end in mind

Resources from this episode:

Catch up with my recent episode about this topic, The Real Cost of Bad Training.

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 Rick

LinkedIn: Rick Dahlseid

Website: janussc.org

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 an HR leader or L&D pro who finds themselves having to prove themselves to everyone over and over again, or being brought to the table too late?

If you want that to change, you have to build your influence in the organization. You can do it by strengthening your personal brand, which will help you build credibility inside your nonprofit and be seen as a valuable strategic partner.

In this episode, I'm joined by branding expert Lauren Davis. She is the founder of Lauren Davis Creative, where she helps  speakers and entrepreneurs establish their memorable personal brands , but today, she's focused on helping you establish your influence in your nonprofit.

We talk about why being in control of your personal brand is important, even if you work at a nonprofit, how to start getting yours where you want it to be, and even a fun tip on how to walk into any meeting with confidence.

▶️ Your Brand Is Your Influence: Building Credibility Inside Your Nonprofit with Lauren Davis

▶️ Key Points:

0:00:00 How Lauren learned and shared along the way

0:11:27 What a personal brand is and why it matters

0:14:23 How to be seen as a strategic partner

0:21:05 Get clear on your personal brand

0:25:43 Personal branding principles to start with

0:32:34 How to not get discouraged along the way

Resources from this episode:

Join us January 12th-16th for Career Week at the Collective, an event designed to help you grow your nonprofit L&D careers together. Learn all the details and grab your ticket at https://collective.skillmastersmarket.com/invitation?code=3CG346

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

Connect with Guest

LinkedIn: Lauren Davis

Website: laurendaviscreative.com

Podcast: The Real Personal Branding Podcast

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

It's very common for leaders to throw training at every performance problem we see. Yet not all performance problems result from a skill gap.

In fact, many are due to other factors, such as mindset or motivation. The problem with this is that performance won't change if you offer training in these cases.

So, in this episode, I'm breaking down how to  determine if something is a mindset, motivation, or skill gap problem, and why this matters for successful behavior change.

▶️ How to Spot a Mindset or Motivation Problem (Not a Skill One)

▶️ Key Points:

0:00:00 Why training isn't always the right solution

0:02:44 A quick lesson on behavior change

0:05:18 Four questions to spot the root cause of a problem

Resources from this episode:

Check out The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

Learn more about James Clear and his book Atomic Habits.

Catch up with these previous episodes if there's a lack of trust or psychological safety in your organization:

• Episode 151: How to Build a High-Performance Team Starting with Trust
• Episode 149: Key Ingredients in a High-Performance Culture

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

In times of change and disruption, burnout has become a major epidemic. In fact, according to statistics, over half of the workforce is burnt out, with the nonprofit sector being hit the hardest.

Because we must address this issue, I have Dr. Reggie Thomas with me today. He is the founder of PeakePotential, Inc., and a professional speaker  who gives keynote talks and teaches workshops on burnout prevention and recovery, and workplace wellness.

You will understand burnout and its symptoms, discover how it impacts both the individual and the organization, and learn practical tools to prevent burnout, support recovery, and strengthen your and your people's well-being.

▶️ From Burnout to Breakthrough: Tools to Restore Yourself in Times of Change and Disruption with Dr. Reggie Thomas

▶️ Key Points:

0:00:00 From his own burnout to helping others recover

0:07:33 The increase in burnout across the workplace

0:09:52 How burnout impacts individuals and organizations

0:12:57 Strategies to prevent burnout and support recovery

0:20:25 Normalize burnout and pay attention to the symptoms

Resources from this episode:

Check out Dr. Thomas' best-selling books, People Pains and Burnout Pains.

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 Guest

LinkedIn: Dr. Reggie Thomas

Website: peakepotential.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

 Nonprofits often view training as a cost. I've heard it, and I'm sure you've heard it as well. However, it's actually an investment in the very thing that moves your mission forward: your people.

That's why, in this episode, I'm sitting down with Nancy Bacon to debunk the idea that training is a cost and highlight all the value it brings when done right. She is a teacher, instructional designer, and learning strategist who has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 25 years.

This episode is a game-changer for nonprofit leaders who are struggling with the decision to invest in training, and for nonprofit L&D pros who are struggling to frame up the value of what they do to secure the partners and funding they need.

▶️ Training Isn't a Cost: Here's How Nonprofits Actually Save Money Through Learning and Development with Nancy Bacon

▶️ Key Points:

0:00:00 How Nancy became a nonprofit learning strategist

0:06:05 Cost vs. investment: the ROI of training

0:11:02 Hidden costs of  not investing in L&D

0:16:48 Effectively communicate the real value of training

21:31 The need to shift our mindset from scarcity to abundance

Resources from this episode:

Check out Mark Nilles and Nancy Bacon's ebook  Conferences That Make a Difference.

Catch up with Episode 156 of Learning For Good, where I talk about the cost of training.

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

If you're a nonprofit leader who's ready to invest in your people, complete our consulting application form.

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 Nancy

LinkedIn: Nancy Bacon

Website: nancybacon.com and nonprofitlearning.center

Podcast: Nonprofit Radio Show

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

Do you ever feel like you have to constantly babysit your team instead of focusing on your own job? It's like you can't take your eyes off them, so you always find yourself in their work and in their decisions, double-checking everything.

If that's your case, then this episode is for nonprofit leaders like yourself. I'm bringing five lessons from past clients and past podcast episodes to help you build high-performance nonprofit people managers.

This way, you'll get to finally operate as the leader and executive you are, and not the babysitter you've been forced to be.

▶️ Build Teams that Don't Need Babysitting

▶️ Key Points:

0:01:20 What teams that need babysitting look like

0:04:14 Building trust

0:05:09 Providing clarity

0:05:55 Building skills

0:06:59 Developing your leaders

0:08:08 Using coaching techniques

Resources from this episode:

 If you want my support  in building teams that are aligned, efficient, and consistent, fill out this form so we can work together on your organization.

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