New Pathways for the ICF Foundation
Imagine a world where disadvantaged individuals are shown their own power and potential. At the heart of coaching is the power to ignite social change by pointing humans to their strengths. The ICF Foundation is on a mission to instigate social change by helping coaches—and the coaching industry at large—give back to local communities and the world and continue the ripple effect of good.
A History of Giving
The ICF Foundation was founded in 2004 as a separate nonprofit entity from ICF with a focus on education, research and charitable purposes. The Foundation is funded through several sources, including:
- Donations from new and renewing ICF Members via ICF’s online membership application.
- Proceeds from sales of some ICF Members’ books.
- Support from ICF Global.
Past ICF Foundation initiatives have included partnerships with nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations, such as Leaderspring, Coaching for Results, the National Education Association and UNICEF; grants benefiting several school districts in the United States; and scholarships for coaches to attend ICF Advance 2013: Cultural Competency.
Celebrating Service
In 2015, the Foundation introduced the Gift of Coaching Awards program to honor the contributions of ICF Chapters that have forged impactful pro bono coaching partnerships with nonprofit organizations in their communities. The Foundation accepted applications in two categories:
The Culture of Giving Award, recognizing an ICF Charter Chapter or Chapter for its portfolio of impactful nonprofit, pro bono initiatives and its ongoing commitment to the ICF Foundation’s ideals and values.
The Gift of Coaching Award, recognizing an ICF Charter Chapter or Chapter for a single, impactful nonprofit partnership initiative with pro bono coaching at its heart.
The inaugural Gift of Coaching Awards were presented October 29, 2015, at ICF’s 20th anniversary reception during ICF Advance 2015: Forward in Portland, Oregon, USA.
The Culture of Giving Award winner was ICF Metro DC. In the past half-decade, ICF Metro DC has provided pro bono coaching to leaders and clients of several nonprofit organizations, including Leadership Arlington, Leadership Fairfax, the International Monetary Fund Family Association and Share Our Strength. More recently, the chapter streamlined its process for delivering volunteer coaching by partnering with a trio of nonprofits that specialize in delivering pro bono coaching: Stand Beside Them, The Coach Initiative and Women For Change Coaching Community. Thanks to the new, more sustainable structure, 45 ICF Metro DC coaches are currently delivering pro bono coaching through the partner organizations.
ICF Raleigh received the Gift of Coaching Award for its partnership with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits. Through the partnership, ICF Raleigh coaches provide pro bono coaching to executives and senior leaders from the Center’s member organizations. Topics covered in the coaching sessions include leadership development, health and wellness, and career and personal development. The chapter also invited members of ICF Charlotte to participate in the initiative to provide wider geographic coverage. Geia Williams, director of member assistance for the Center, said, “The coaching initiative enables us to achieve our primary goal of helping nonprofits achieve their missions.”
The Foundation recognized ICF Central Florida with a 2015 Gift of Coaching honorable mention for its partnership with the MBA program at the University of Tampa’s Sykes College of Business.
Hope for the Future
The ICF Foundation is committed to the goal of fostering a coaching mindset worldwide.
“The Foundation aspires to nurture the innate desire in coaches and ICF Chapters to give back to their communities,” said Foundation Board of Trustees President Janet Harvey, MCC. “We challenge you to ask the question of how you can create social action in your realm of influence.”
The Foundation will build on the success of its inaugural awards program by encouraging ICF Chapters and individuals to engage with pro bono initiatives at both the local and global levels. This investment, combined with a continued commitment to supporting education and advancing research, will ensure that the Foundation is uniquely positioned to impact the nonprofit industry, the coaching profession and society.
Amy Friskney
Amy Friskney is the Director of Marketing and Outreach for the ICF Foundation. She has experience in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, and is passionate about bringing the two together in winning partnerships. She is charged with designing, planning and implementing the Foundation’s marketing and development strategies. She can be reached at amy.friskney@foundationoficf.org.
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Nice one!
This looks like a great foundation. I do hope that this foundation continues because of the many things they offer.
Hello Amy My name is Fiona Fraser and I am the President of ICF Chile Chapter South America.. I was wondering if we could connect at GLF Summit.? We have a programme acredited for CCUES, wokring towards an ASCTh that is designed and administered by an educational foundation here. I would love to share some of this work and see how this work could be shared with the ICF Global community as a whole.! Looki forward to hearing from you!
Best Wishes Fiona
Hello Fiona,
We would love to connect with you at Global Leaders Forum. We will have several opportunities available for leaders to connect with us and you can also contact us directly at information@foundationoficf.org. We look forward to learning more about your chapter! For the most current information about the Foundation visit our website at http://www.foundationoficf.org.
Cheers,
Amy Friskney
ICF Foundation