Your success depends on how well people learn, change, and take action.

I’m here to help you succeed by designing practical learning experiences that give people the clarity and confidence to do their best work.

I help nonprofits achieve their mission with joy, confidence, and results—by designing smart, practical learning experiences for both the people who lead nonprofits and the people they serve.

I’ve been in your shoes, which is why I design learning programs that are practical, relevant, and built for the real world. I’m a learning strategist, trainer, and instructional designer with 25 years of experience working in nonprofits—wearing nearly every hat possible.

What sets my work apart is my ability to help organizations tackle deeper issues—culture, leadership, systems, and change. Most clients come to me because they need to teach someone something, but once we look under the hood, we often uncover opportunities in staffing, structure, or strategy. By connecting learning to the real workings of an organization, I help ensure that training efforts lead to lasting improvement.

As a national voice in nonprofit learning, I help shape how the sector approaches education, from front-line training to strategy at scale. I also co-host the Nonprofit Radio Show and co-lead the Nonprofit Learning Center, two projects that reflect my commitment to accessible, high-quality learning for everyone.

Services

Training & speaking

I design and lead practical workshops and talks that help nonprofit leaders, boards, and teams learn, reflect, and take action.

Learn more

Instructional design

I create courses, toolkits, and learning materials that are easy to use, rooted in adult learning principles, and designed to support success within the realities of social sector work.

Learn more

Strategy & advising

I help organizations and networks use learning as a strategic tool to strengthen systems, fund programs, support people, and drive mission-aligned change.

Learn more

Our team works with social sector partners — nonprofits, associations, regional networks, and government agencies — to advance their missions and serve the greater good.

“I sit in or listen to a lot of webinars and training and yours is one of the best. Thank you for presenting great information in an informative and engaging way.”

Powerhouse Board participant

“Working with Nancy has been an incredible asset for our newly formed nonprofit. As a new Executive Director, I was overwhelmed and nervous about not knowing ALL the requirements of being a non-profit. Nancy’s trainings have filled in the gaps and are presented in a way that transforms that overwhelm into an action plan I feel confident I can accomplish. I highly recommend her as a gamechanger for those managing and starting a nonprofit.”

Tracy Myers, King County Play Equity Coalition

“Nancy has been an incredible partner to the Washington Food Coalition—trainer, advisor, strategist, and more. She understands both the big picture and day-to-day realities of food bank work. With Nancy, we’ve launched new programs and strengthened member training. Her unique background in nonprofits and learning helps her get to the heart of challenges and deliver practical, effective solutions.“

Trish Twomey, Washington Food Coalition

“Nancy has been a great partner to the Central Washington Nonprofit Network—strategic, grounded, and deeply committed to community-centered learning. Since the very beginning of the Central WA Conference for the Greater Good, she’s brought structure to big ideas and helped us turn vision into action. Her ability to design learning experiences that reflect the realities of small and rural nonprofits has been essential to the conference’s success and growth.“

Matt Fairbank, Central Washington Nonprofit Network

“Just wanted to send a quick note to give kudos! We were super impressed with the training and it didn’t get as tangled and messy as it could have! That’s a huge feat with this topic [fiscal sponsorship] and the level of information you were covering. You did such a great job of prepping, being thoughtful, and I love that you made space for folks to co-teach each other.“

Mallorie Shellmer, Fiscal sponsorship webinar attendee

We share practical learning tools that anyone can access and use when the timing is right for them.

Resources

“Don’t just tell me what to do. Show me how to do it.”

At the Nonprofit Learning Center, we help people run nonprofits with joy, confidence, and results. Our popular on-demand tools are used by nonprofits, associations, and networks to help staff, volunteers, and partners learn what they need to know to be more effective. We don’t just tell you what to do—we walk you through how to do it, step by step.