A Better Way to Plan Outreach and Training

A Better Way to Plan Outreach and Training

Learn how to use a simple, audience-centered approach—before you make anything.

When someone at your organization says, “We need a flyer,” “We need a social campaign,” or “We need volunteer training,” it can be tempting to jump straight into creating it. But the most useful resources usually start somewhere else: with a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish, who you are trying to reach, and what might help them get there.

In this webinar, Margaret Helthaler will draw on nearly three decades of experience spanning nonprofit communications, graphic design, teaching, instructional design, and marketing to explore the planning principles these different types of work have in common. You’ll learn a simple set of questions that can help you clarify what you want to accomplish, understand the people you’re trying to reach, identify what’s getting in the way, and choose a response that fits the problem. Through examples from both outreach and training, we’ll look at how starting with the desired result, and working backward, can help you make more thoughtful decisions about what to create.

You’ll also have a chance to apply the approach to something your own organization needs to create. Whether you are planning a communication campaign, developing staff or volunteer training, or tackling another project, you’ll leave with a repeatable way to think through the problem before deciding on the solution, and free resources to help you take the next step when training is part of the answer.

By the end of this webinar, you’ll be able to:

• • • Define the change you want to create before deciding what to make.
    • Identify the audience, barriers, and type of support most likely to help.
    • Use a repeatable planning approach for outreach, training, and other nonprofit resources.

Register now to learn a simple approach you can use before creating your next outreach piece, training program, or other resource.

Guest Speaker: Margaret Helthaler

VIRTUAL | September 30, 2026 | 1PM-2PM EST

Margaret Helthaler is the Director of Marketing at Niche Academy, where she develops educational content for libraries, nonprofits, and other mission-driven organizations. Her career includes creating outreach materials for nonprofit organizations, teaching college courses, and spending more than a decade in online education, where she developed curricula and training resources and trained and supported faculty members. She also worked for three years as an instructional designer at Niche Academy. Drawing on her experience in education, instructional design, and nonprofit communications, Margaret creates clear, useful guidance to help organizations train their staff and volunteers and serve their communities more effectively.

Connect with Margaret: LinkedIn | Website