Rethinking Advocacy Education for Nonprofits
Nonprofit advocacy is often framed as a binary. You either advocate or you don’t. You are political or you are not. You testify, organize, and… Read More »Rethinking Advocacy Education for Nonprofits
Nancy Bacon
I work at the intersection of learning, nonprofits, and leadership. I am a teacher, instructional designer, and nonprofit person who has worn every hat possible. I regular write, speak, and consult on learning strategy, design, and leadership.
The Interference Problem
A client sent me a tool the other day. “Could we use something like this?” I could tell they were excited about it. I hesitated.… Read More »The Interference Problem
What If It Actually Makes Perfect Sense?
I recently encountered a word we don’t hear often in nonprofit work: counterfactual. The timing was interesting because I had been doing something similar in conversation—taking… Read More »What If It Actually Makes Perfect Sense?
From Stuck to Engaged: Why Engagement is a Design Problem
I went down a rabbit hole, and what an interesting rabbit hole it was. It started simply enough. Board leaders and executive directors asked for… Read More »From Stuck to Engaged: Why Engagement is a Design Problem
2026 is the year we go all in on nonprofit advocacy
Advocacy shouldn’t be a standalone topic, separate from the rest of running a nonprofit. It’s woven through leadership, governance, programs, finance, communications, and fundraising—whether we… Read More »2026 is the year we go all in on nonprofit advocacy
Conferences That Make a Difference: 2025 Edition Now Available
It’s Monday morning, and your inbox is full. Somewhere between a funding announcement and an invitation to take a survey sits an email announcing registration… Read More »Conferences That Make a Difference: 2025 Edition Now Available
The Slide Illusion
At the recent Washington Food Coalition conference, I presented four sessions. Each one had its own workbook with core content, fill-in-the-blank lines, and space for… Read More »The Slide Illusion
Chocolate or broccoli?
No one ever says, “I have a better idea about how accounting should be done. I prefer to use a different currency every month.” Accounting… Read More »Chocolate or broccoli?
Neuro-informed teaching and learning
“To truly support people, lead teams, and design effective learning, we need a new prescription. We need a Neuro-Informed lens that helps us see the… Read More »Neuro-informed teaching and learning
Gatherings that teach, connect, and build community
I came across the book Potlatch as Pedagogy: Learning Through Ceremony in a small bookshop in Ketchikan, Alaska. In it, Indigenous educator Sara Florence Davidson and her… Read More »Gatherings that teach, connect, and build community
Information Isn’t Action: Returning to Our Theory of Change
Forgive me if I sound impatient. The world is calling us to act—boldly and urgently—with every tool we’ve got. In my line of work, that… Read More »Information Isn’t Action: Returning to Our Theory of Change
There’s not one playbook: Teaching for real-world challenges
I’ve never been a big fan of the phrase “best practice.” It’s too transactional—like there is one right answer waiting on a shelf. Our social… Read More »There’s not one playbook: Teaching for real-world challenges