354: A Lifelong Learning Framework for Nonprofit Leaders (Kelsey Picken)
Thu Feb 05 2026
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 LinkedInOrganization mentioned: National Association of Charitable Gift PlannersBook recommendation: Atlas of the Heart by Brené BrownFollow Your Path to Nonprofit LeadershipLearn more about the PMA & Armstrong McGuire merger
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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 LinkedInOrganization mentioned: National Association of Charitable Gift PlannersBook recommendation: Atlas of the Heart by Brené BrownFollow Your Path to Nonprofit LeadershipLearn more about the PMA & Armstrong McGuire merger