blog post title image. Using a Blended, Cohort Training Model to Create Behavior Change with Nonprofit Leader Rebecca Kelley. There is an illustration of a phone in the bottom right. It is open to the Learning for Good podcast.

Creating behavior change is no easy task.

So when Rebecca Kelley of Waterford.org approached me about a change she wanted to facilitate on one of her teams, I knew we had a lot of work to do.

Today’s episode is a case study of sorts. We’re taking a closer look at how my team at Skill Masters Market LLC partnered with Rebecca’s team at Waterford to address their unique needs.

Rebecca is a skilled executive and as Waterford’s Executive Vice President of Advocacy, she is responsible for advancing Waterford’ mission and growth within philanthropic, government, and public spheres.

Lessons from Our Training Project

Listen in as Rebecca shares why it’s important to scale evidence-based, equity focused programs, her approach to scaling, and how our training project supports this change.

Key Points:

01:43 Rebecca’s background and career journey

03:50 Waterford’s mission and work

08:06 Taking a collective impact approach to support nonprofit scaling

12:00 Building a robust learning program to create behavior change

18:16 The long term impact of a robust learning program

Why This Training Project Was Needed

Waterford is scaling its work nationally. To do this, they needed to equip one particular team with a collective impact mindset to build stronger partnerships.

However, many team members were unfamiliar with this approach, and new hires had varying levels of experience.

With ongoing organizational changes, they needed a structured yet flexible way to shift mindsets and create alignment without overwhelming the team.

About the Learning Solution

My team worked with the Waterford team to create a 7 month blended program where the team came together for live, virtual sessions, completed two eLearning modules, received weekly emails with job aids and supporting resources, and were paired with a thought partner on the team to reflect and plan.

And we designed each of these component sin a way that incorporated organizational change management and individual behavior change techniques.

This approach balanced structured learning with relationship-building and gradual behavior change, ensuring team members could integrate new ways of thinking into their daily work.

The Results of Our Training Project

Rebecca is a fabulous executive leader who cares deeply about her team and the equity-focused work they do. I could not ask for a better partner. And the results speak for themselves.

✔ Increased clarity – Employee surveys showed a 5% improvement in understanding key organizational elements.
✔ Stronger cross-team relationships – Pairing employees helped break silos and create unexpected collaborations.
✔ Greater ownership – Team members started initiating their own improvements, demonstrating real behavior change.
✔ Smoother organizational change – The program provided a structured yet low-pressure transition, avoiding a "hair on fire" change approach.

A team who had experienced an incredible amount of change who might otherwise be hesitant to experience more change now feels more ownership and more clarity about their work. And they are building relationships that are enablers for their success.

They have set the foundation for long-term success to scale their mission.

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