Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership
Ranked #1 on FeedSpot's Nonprofit Leadership and Philanthropy podcast lists, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership is the go-to resource for current and aspiring nonprofit leaders. Hosted by Dr. Patton McDowell and powered by Armstrong McGuire, the show delivers practical wisdom from the sector's most experienced executives, fundraisers, board leaders, and consultants — every Thursday.
Patton brings 30+ years of nonprofit leadership, coaching, and consulting experience, and shares proven best practices for individual and organizational success drawn from his work with hundreds of nonprofit organizations. With 366+ episodes, a 5/5 rating on Apple Podcasts, and listeners in 130+ countries, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership is where serious nonprofit professionals come to grow. Hit subscribe and accelerate your path to nonprofit leadership. Learn more and access all episodes at www.armstrongmcguire.com/podcasts
Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership
354: A Lifelong Learning Framework for Nonprofit Leaders (Kelsey Picken)
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354: A Lifelong Learning Framework for Nonprofit Leaders (Kelsey Picken)
SUMMARY
Nonprofit leaders are surrounded by professional development options - degrees, certifications, conferences, and credentials - but many still struggle to build a learning plan that feels intentional rather than reactive. In this episode, Kelsey Picken offers a practical framework to help leaders step back, clarify their why, and make smarter decisions about how they invest in their own growth. Kelsey breaks lifelong learning into three distinct but connected areas: formal learning (degrees, certificates, and structured programs), informal learning (peer groups, mentoring, reading, and networks), and leadership as multiplication, the idea that helping others grow is one of the most powerful ways leaders deepen their own development. The conversation also explores how organizations and funders can better support leadership development, and why modeling learning from the top matters more than policies or budgets alone.
ABOUT KELSEY
Kelsey Picken is Senior Director of Legacy Giving at The Dallas Foundation, where she works with donors to build charitable legacies that strengthen communities over time. Based in Dallas, Texas, Kelsey brings experience across multiple nonprofit and philanthropic contexts, with a particular focus on connecting academic learning, professional practice, and leadership development. A lifelong learner herself, Kelsey regularly writes, speaks, and facilitates conversations on philanthropy, credentials, and the evolving expectations of nonprofit leadership.
RESOURCES & LINKS
- The Dallas Foundation
- Kelsey Picken on LinkedIn
- Organization mentioned: National Association of Charitable Gift Planners
- Book recommendation: Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
- Follow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership
- Learn more about the PMA & Armstrong McGuire merger