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ICF Coaching Impact Awards 

The ICF Coaching Impact Awards celebrate the best of the profession, showcasing the extraordinary power of coaching. This globally esteemed program honors the success of high-performing coaches and organizations worldwide – whose positive impact through coaching is helping improve workplaces, transform lives, and contribute to global social change.

History and Significance

Since 2005, ICF has annually honored individuals and organizations that have demonstrated a remarkable commitment to professional coaching and transforming lives around the world. The ICF Coaching Impact Awards are an expansion and evolution of ICF’s previous awards initiatives — which have included the International Prism Award, Circle of Distinction and Young Leader Award — bringing them all into a single, cohesive awards system to celebrate excellence in professional coaching. It’s more than an awards program; it’s a testament to our collective power to spark positive change and shape a brighter future for all.

2024 Winners

Selected from around the world, the recipients of the 2024 ICF Coaching Impact Awards represent the full spectrum of our diverse profession, showcasing the very best of what coaching can achieve.

ICF Coaching Impact Awards: Categories and Subcategories

  • Coaching Education (3)

    The Coaching Education category recognizes coach educators and ICF accredited providers who are leading and innovating coach education. Candidates for each of the subcategories must be from or are ICF accredited provider with faculty or staff who have been ICF members in good standing for at least two years. Nominations for the Coaching Education category may be made by anyone.

    • Distinguished Coaching Education Provider: An ICF accredited coaching provider that has exhibited the highest standard of excellence in the profession, demonstrating outstanding leadership and strong moral character. The provider must be currently accredited by ICF and have held ICF accreditation for a minimum of five years.
    • Distinguished Coach Educator: An individual coach or instructor who exhibits the highest standard of excellence in their field, demonstrating outstanding leadership and strong moral character. Candidates must be an ICF member for at least five years and have been affiliated with an ICF accredited provider for at least five years. They must also either have an ICF credential or at least eight years’ experience teaching coaching education programs.
    • Emerging Coach Educator: An individual coach or instructor who exhibits the highest standard of excellence in their field, demonstrating outstanding leadership and strong moral character. Candidates must be an ICF member for at least five years and have been affiliated with an ICF accredited provider for at least two years. They must also either have a current ICF credential or five years’ experience teaching coaching education programs.
  • Organizations (2)

    The organizations category celebrates businesses and organizations that built strong coaching cultures and that demonstrate the positive effects of coaching. Nominations for the organization category must be made by an ICF-credential holder.

    • Distinguished Organization: A company or organization that has built a strong coaching culture and demonstrates the positive effects of coaching.
    • Emerging Organization: A company or organization chosen by the evaluators based on the impact that coaching has had on their organization and the number of years the coaching program has been in place.

     

  • Professional Coaches (3)

    The Professional Coaches category honors individual coach practitioners who have made an impact in the profession and at ICF. Nominations for the Professional Coaches category may be made by anyone. You may nominate yourself or another coach for any of these subcategories.

    • Distinguished Coach: Coach practitioners who have made their mark on ICF and the coaching profession. Candidates for this award hold an active ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) credential and have been an ICF member for at least seven years.
    • Accomplished Coach: Coach practitioners who have made their mark on ICF and the coaching profession. Candidates for this award must hold an active ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential and have been an ICF member for at least five years.
    • Emerging Coach: Coach practitioners who are poised to lead ICF and the coaching profession into the future. Candidates for this award must hold an active ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential and have been an ICF member for at least three years.
  • Social Impact (2)

    The Social Impact category is a new category aimed at recognizing exceptional individuals and/or organizations that are making an profound contributions to society through the application of coaching principles. This innovative category goes beyond conventional recognition, diving into the heart of social impact, and celebrates those who have harnessed the coaching mindset to create lasting positive change. Nominations for the Social Impact category may be made by anyone.

    Within the Social Impact category, we are please to introduced two distinct subcategories:

    • Distinguished Coaching Catalyst: Influential world leaders and organizations who are a catalyst for change and who exemplify a coaching mindset in their approach to leadership, decision-making, and engagement with others.
    • Emerging Coaching Catalyst: Social Impact leaders and organizations that have been doing outstanding work but lack widespread recognition and remain relatively unknown to the public.

Nomination and Selection Process

The program, and its winners, reflect the diversity and excellence of the global coaching community and provide winners with key promotional benefits such as ongoing industry exposure and opportunities for successful growth. In addition to receiving a high-quality, sustainably built trophy, additional benefits that lead to lasting impact include:

  • Public recognition of outstanding achievements within the coaching community.
  • Increased visibility and influence in the industry, which could lead to potential business opportunities.
  • Inclusion in a speakers’ bureau.
  • Digital badge for promotional use.
  • Validation of dedication, impact, and significance.

Are you interested in submitting a nomination? Sign up for our interest form below, and we will notify you when the nomination period for the 2025 ICF Coaching Impact Awards season is open.

  • Nomination Interest Form

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