Welcome to ICF Foundation
The ICF Foundation believes in the power of coaching to catalyze change at the individual and the societal level. We empower coaches around the world to extend their impact, strengthening the ability of individuals and organizations to create a thriving society.
Our Mission
Coaching can help uncover hidden solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. It can help people envision a brighter future for their loved ones, communities, and societies. Knowing this, the ICF Foundation is on a mission to accelerate and amplify coaching’s impact on social progress. To create the reality we dream of, we leverage the skills and expertise of professional coaches to foster social good, making coaching accessible to those who may not have the means to access it.
Our Impact
The effects of coaching have the potential to resonate throughout the entire world. Increases in operational efficiency, teamwork, and engagement lead to people and organizations that are living their values and serving their missions more fully — transforming humanity and the planet.
To maximize the social impact of coaching, the ICF Foundation is committed to addressing social challenges and promoting social systemic change.
We accomplish this through initiatives that:
Cultivate frameworks for pro bono coaching.
Seek the proof of coaching’s effectiveness by engaging in and curating research.
Provide scholarships to targeted populations through the support of coaching education organizations.
Ignite Program
The Ignite Initiative leverages the collective power of ICF chapters, members, and credential-holders to accelerate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through the work of our community, six-month coaching engagements are offered at a reduced rate to support organizations aligned with these goals, accelerating their positive impact on humanity and the planet. This year, Ignite projects are focused specifically on the SDGs of No Poverty; Climate Action; and Partnership for the Goals.
Scholarships
The ICF Foundation Scholarship Program empowers the next generation of coaches by connecting individuals from underrepresented communities to the resources they need. Each day we are working towards creating a more diverse, equitable, inclusive and just coaching profession for all professional coaches and clients worldwide. As part of its mission, the ICF Foundation aims to offer coaching education that is culturally relevant and that aligns with the United Nations Global Goals.
Scholarship recipients receive the following benefits:
A tuition scholarship to a Level 1 (60+ hours) ICF-accredited coaching education program.
Complimentary ICF membership for one year.
A waived application fee for the ICF ACC credential.
Access to a mentor coach during completion of the Level 1 education program.
Special Projects
Through special projects, we connect coaches to nonprofit organizations that support the UN SDGs. These coaching engagements focus on the development of leadership and capacity within the organizations that we partner with. Why? We have found — both anecdotally and backed by data — that coaching not only benefits individual nonprofit leaders but also enhances their ability to positively influence their teams, organizations, and communities, ultimately helping to create a better world for us all.
Past special projects include work with Many Hopes, the Obama Foundation, and Special Olympics International.
Waves of Change
Like a stone to a pond, one coaching moment can create a ripple effect in everything a person pursues. Resilience becomes determination. Empathy becomes energy. Ideas become initiatives.
And ripples become waves of change. You can discover how by exploring transformative stories from individuals and organizations that have experienced coaching.
