Welcome to episode 150 of the Learning For Good podcast! Thank you, dear listener. This podcast has grown so much since 2022, and it's all because of you.

In this special episode, we are doing something a little different to celebrate: I'm going to be on the other side of the mic as my friend, fellow nonprofit consultant and community builder, Tasha Van Vlack, interviews me.

You'll get my story, my career journey, and what I see as the biggest setbacks and opportunities for nonprofit learning and development.

▶️ Key Points:

02:17 Meet today's special interviewer, Tasha Van Vlack, and her story

06:00 Heather's journey from unsure English major to nonprofit L&D consultant

11:40 The importance of creating learning experiences that are meaningful

12:26 What's behind creating change and turning learning into action

14:30 How the right training can save lives and where change happens

17:24 The one big trap in L&D that we don't talk enough about

21:12 How to measure whether or not a training resulted in real impact

27:58 The why behind the podcast and the Nonprofit L&D Collective

29:58 The valuable peer-led learning and conversations within the Collective

32:51 Helping people do the most good in a way that feels good

About the Learning for Good Podcast

I started the Learning for Good podcast in 2022 with a desire to share my experiences and what I’m learning with others in the nonprofit sector.

What I didn’t anticipate was how this podcast would grow and evolve.

Now 150 episodes later, Learning for Good is the only podcast that teaches nonprofit leaders how to leverage training to drive performance, improve capacity, and fuel their mission impact.

If you’ve ever felt like your nonprofit was growing but your people just weren’t keeping up, or like you’re fixing the same problems over and over in your organization, this podcast is for you.

As someone who has been in the field for ~20 years, I know how hard it is to get people to do what’s expected of them. I tried telling people what to do and how. I tried the traditional learning approaches. And, I realized, that just doesn’t work.

At some point in my career, I started researching what *does* work.

And, I made some shifts in my approach to learning.

Now, I incorporate best practices not just from adult learning, but also from organizational and individual change principles to help nonprofits drive performance, build capacity, and make change that lasts.

And this podcast captures the lessons from my work and shares tips from the experts to help you do the same.

The Podcast Stats

I’m always fascinated by the podcast stats and what is resonating with people.

From June 2024 to June 2025, the podcast saw 145% growth in downloads!

As of June 2025, the top 5 most downloaded podcast episodes are:

The podcast has also been ranked as a top 2.5% podcast globally and has appeared on the top 100 lists for nonprofit podcasts, talent development podcasts, and instructional design podcasts (where it hit the #1 position!).

As a global podcast, Learning for Good has reached the top 30 in the nonprofit category of Apple Podcasts Charts in multiple countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, Israel, and the UK.

The way you all have shown up week after week, listened to the podcast, and left reviews (one of the most meaningful ways you can show your support to a podcaster) warms my heart. If you haven’t left a review yet, will you consider doing it now as we celebrate 150 episodes? Reviews help us reach more people and land expert guests. You can mention what you like about the topics I cover, my style, my approach, or even a specific episode like this one! It doesn't have to be long - a sentence or two would be perfect! I read every review, and they mean the world to me.

Reflecting on 150 Episodes of Learning for Good

When I started the Learning for Good podcast back in 2022, I thought it would be a space to share practical strategies with nonprofit leaders and L&D pros. What I didn’t anticipate was how much I would learn along the way.

Now, 150 episodes later, I had the chance to flip the script. In this milestone episode, my friend and fellow community-builder, Tasha Van Vlack, interviewed me about what I’ve learned through this journey—both as a consultant and as the host of a top 2.5% podcast.

And one theme came up again and again: training isn’t the goal—change is.

Training Alone Won’t Change Performance

Too often, organizations look to training as the default solution for performance problems. But as I shared with Tasha, creating courses, workshops, or webinars doesn’t automatically create impact.

Here’s what I’ve seen work instead:

Focus on behavior change – Narrow the scope. Design for one key change at a time so staff can practice and succeed.
Engage the learners early – Interviews, focus groups, and site visits build credibility and make sure solutions fit real needs.
Provide support beyond the classroom – Tools, mentorship, peer support, and accountability help learning stick when people return to their day-to-day work.

Change isn’t an event; it’s a process, and our training should be too.

The Role of Leaders in Change

Another lesson I’ve learned over 150 episodes: executives set the conditions for learning.

When leaders expect one workshop to fix systemic problems, staff end up overwhelmed and change stalls. But when executives champion space for reflection, reinforcement, and practice, the return on learning skyrockets.

Change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when leaders, managers, and staff are aligned around what really matters.

The Role of Community in Learning & Development

Tasha and I also talked about the power of community. Learning feels less like an uphill battle when you have peers to share ideas, troubleshoot challenges, and cheer each other on.

That’s why I launched the Nonprofit L&D Collective and the Catalyst tier of membership—because so often, L&D pros and nonprofit leaders are tasked with big change alone. But when we do this work together, we accelerate growth and strengthen missions.

The Nonprofit L&D Collective is a space for L&D pros to sharpen their skills, swap strategies, and learn how to diagnose problems before building solutions.

Because your work isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about creating change.

Inside the Collective, we offer two tiers of membership to meet your needs - 1) the free Standard Membership, which includes networking and an online discussion forum for just-in-time answers to your burning questions and 2) the paid Catalyst tier, which includes everything at the Standard Membership tier + workshops, group coaching, guest speakers, a template library, and more.

Apply for the Nonprofit L&D Collective and start creating change today.

About the Interviewer, Tasha Van Vlack

Tasha Van Vlack is a community builder, connector, and the founder of The Nonprofit Hive, a global network where nonprofit professionals, consultants, and social impact leaders meet in meaningful 1:1 conversations. Through her second venture, Community Hives, she’s bringing that same intentional connection model to associations, membership groups, and mission-driven networks—helping organizations spark real relationships without the friction of traditional platforms. Tasha’s dream is to see every community, no matter its size or budget, thrive on authentic human connection.

To learn more about these valuable nonprofit L&D insights, tune into episode 150 of the Learning for Good podcast.

Additional Resources Just for You

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