Introducing One ICF | ICF Foundation
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has taken a bold step forward into the future of coaching. A refreshed brand identity now reflects ICF’s interests in many areas of the coaching industry, represented by six unique family organizations that make the whole or “One” ICF.
First, ICF’s CEO Magdalena Mook introduced the new brand for the entire ICF ecosystem. Then, we interviewed the vice presidents of ICF Professional Coaches, ICF Credentials and Standards, and ICF Coach Training to introduce us to their respective family organizations.
Now, part five of the seven-part series continues with the ICF Foundation family organization. Coaching World interviewed ICF Foundation Vice President Coura Badiane to bring you insights and inspiration as ICF forges ahead and empowers the world through coaching.
Q: The ICF Foundation is vital to the success of ICF and the larger coaching community – what are a few of the key things the Foundation does to support and further ICF’s mission?
A: The ICF Foundation is the nonprofit, philanthropic piece of the ICF ecosystem. Our main philosophy is that social system change is accelerated and amplified by professional coaching – that’s our guiding light. And in terms of intended impact, our goal is to have an impact globally and to demonstrate the effectiveness of promoting social change through coaching.
Another way the ICF Foundation supports ICF is that we encourage organizations and social change entities to see and understand the value of professional coaches. Our mission is to promote the potential social impact that coaching can have at the individual and the organizational level.
Q: Tell us about what this new ICF brand identity means for the ICF Foundation.
A: In terms of outreach, I think the ICF new brand identity increases the ICF Foundation’s ability to capture the attention and the interest of ICF Members and coaches who might not know about our work, and to know more about the philanthropic arm of ICF. The new branding also elevates our programs as one of the many ways to interact with ICF. As more people are curious about the new brand and ask questions such as, “What does that mean? What are these family organizations offering?”, this gives us more exposure to potential and existing members and also to potential donors who are interested in supporting our projects.
So, I think the most important aspect of this new brand is its visibility – it increases our ability to reach out to new audiences, both prospective and current members, as well as prospective and existing donors to let them know more about what we do, inform them about our current and upcoming initiatives, and about the social impact and value of professional coaching.
Q: Why is this new brand important and how does it reflect ICF’s work in the coaching industry?
A: The new brand elevates the coaching profession as a whole in terms of standards, the value of an ICF Credential, and in terms of social impact, which is where the ICF Foundation would come into play. It shows how these six family organizations – each with their own unique focus – fit in and support the ICF ecosystem. They complement each other in specific areas of need for professional coaches.
For us at the ICF Foundation, we are in an especially unique position because we relate to every single family organization. The ICF Foundation aims to amplify and accelerate social system change through coaching by promoting the value of the profession.
Q: For those who are familiar with the ICF Foundation’s work or for those who are just hearing about it for the first time, how does this brand refresh add value to what you do?
A: In terms of our existing programs, the Ignite Initiative is our flagship program. Through pro bono coaching projects, the Ignite Initiative harnesses the collective power of ICF Chapters, Members and Credential–holders to accelerate the 17 United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Our Coaching for Social Impact Research Project is another exciting initiative that the ICF Foundation is launching in 2021. The ICF Foundation will offer pro bono coaching to the leadership teams of select social change organizations in different regions of the world to track and quantify the social return on investment (SROI) of professional coaching.
Q: What excites you the most about ICF’s new brand identity?
A: The ICF new brand identity is fresh and nicely illustrates how each family organization supports each other to benefit One ICF.
It also provides the opportunity to engage stakeholders with new ideas and to create a buzz around the coaching industry. It provides opportunities for targeted discussions about each family organization’s focus, and to build upon the vision for the next five or 10 years.
Q: What aesthetic changes do you think the ICF community will be most excited about and what are you most excited about?
A: I think the ICF community will be excited to differentiate and learn more about each family organization and to connect with each of them. I also appreciate the way the new ICF brand identity balances the uniqueness of each family organization, while capturing the sense of unity – we are One ICF. It is an empowering message, that reflects the passion and dedication of our members, especially after such a challenging year.
Coura Badiane, MBA, CAE
Coura Badiane, MBA, CAE, has a passion for international development and relations. Coura has experience in association management, economics, project & program management, strategic thinking, business development and strategy, and multi-cultural communications. Fluent in French and Spanish, Coura currently serves as the Vice President of the ICF Foundation. Her previous experience includes positions with the World Bank. Northwestern University, the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the Radiological Society of North America. Coura holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Keller Graduate School of Management, Devry University, Naperville, IL and a master’s in International Development (MAID) from the American University, Washington, DC.
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Hello My name is Victor McGuire. I am the President and Founder of Coaching For Everyone. a new non-profit that provides coaching and coach training to the BIPOC community. I am curious as to the possibility of any type of collaboration with our two missions. We have just recently partnered with CTI to deliver Coach Training to the BIPOC community thru our fellowship program. I look forward to the possibility of speaking with you. Best, Victor McGuire
Hi Victor,
Apologies for the delay, but I understand that you’ve connected with the ICF Foundation Staff. Please let us know if you need anything else!
Thanks,
Hello, Coaches and ICF Foundation leaders!
I am wondering how regional coaching groups and local coaching chapters might intersect directly with our ICF Foundation, in addition to participating in the “Ignite” project For example, The Midwest Coaches Development Council (MCDC, formerly, MRAC) has just finished delivering an excellent Midwest Virtual Coaches Conference since our 2020 in-person event needed to be cancelled due to Covid. The Community Service Project connected with that planned conference, went forward, delivering excellent coaching to a Nonprofit organization in the Milwaukee, WI area. Our next conference will be help Sept. 28-30, 2022 in Milwaukee; we are also planning to offer another Nonprofit group our coaching as our Community Service Project. We are dedicated to advancing social change through coaching! As president of MCDC, I am very proud of all of our offerings and especially in awe of all of our coaches who volunteer. ICF St. Louis also offers a “Gift of Coaching” to a particular nonprofit each spring, and was quick to launch an Ignite Project once that was organized..
So, outside of “Ignite,” I’m wondering how local groups and regional groups can be included, known to, or celebrated by the ICF Foundation. I’d love to see something like, “This project is supported by the ICF Foundation” (or something on that order) listed with our Community Service Projects. I know there are hundreds of these wonderful projects going on around the world. Wouldn’t it be great to link them up with the ICF Foundation, since these coaches are ‘boots on the ground’ coaches, enabling the very social change through coaching that the Foundation exists to promote.
If something like this already exists and I’m simply unaware of it, please fill me in. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Wanting the best for you,
Nicki McClusky, PCC, BCC, CTPC, M.A., M.A.
MCDC President
ICF St. Louis, Past President
“Ignite” Project Manager, ICF St. Louis, 2017
Hello Nicki. Thanks so much for reaching out. A member of our foundation team will be reaching out to you shortly.