We are pleased to offer the Ignite initiative to our ICF chapters, ICF members, and ICF credentialed coaches. Ignite projects can be implemented by any of the mentioned groups listed above but will need to agree to the outlined criteria and register your project globally with the ICF Foundation. We recommend working within an ICF chapter in your region. Should that not be an option, members, and credential-holders can form an Ignite project group.

The Ignite initiative is a call for individual coaches to work as a team to provide pro bono coaching to a partner whose mission is aligned with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goal. Ignite is designed to support the work, provide tools and best practices, and allow coaches to focus on achieving the greatest impact.

ICF members who hold an ICF credential (ACC, PCC, or MCC) may coach with the Ignite initiative.

Through the power of probono coaching projects, the Ignite initiative accelerates the United Nations’ 2030 Global Goals.

Projects associated with the Ignite initiative will concentrate the attention and efforts of ICF coaches so that a powerful global contribution is made toward the Global Goals by ICF. Individuals who sign up for this initiative will establish short-term probono coaching projects that serve the leaders of social change organizations whose purpose is to create social impact in their communities and around the globe.

Project success will be measured locally, and that data will be shared with the ICF Foundation. Data will be transformed into case studies and collated to determine the cumulative effect of our efforts. Through these methods, the ICF Foundation will demonstrate the positive impact of coaching for igniting social progress.

By engaging in probono coaching, you will spark positive change in your community and strengthen engagement with the modality of coaching. As we grow together in the Ignite initiative, we will share your story with other ICF coaches and nonprofit partners. Additionally, we will create a community of Ignite coaches for you and your peers around the globe to share best practices, brainstorm new ideas, access tools and resources, and celebrate success. As the initiative demonstrates the positive impact of coaching, organizations will evolve to add coaching as a future budget line item.

The Ignite initiative will collectively measure project outcomes around the world so that we demonstrate the business case for coaching as an accelerator of results produced by participating NGO/not-for-profit organizations. The case studies will showcase why coaching is an effective solution for leader development in organizations dedicated to social progress. Our measurement tools are reflective of probono coaching best practices and data collected from prior programs. We will collect demographic data about who received coaching services, and quantitative and qualitative impact of coaching data. Ideally, projects will collect Social Return on Investment (SROI) data. However, not all organizations will provide these metrics. Contact information@FoundationofICF.org if your partner organization is open to sharing social impact data.

The ICF Foundation will support you with tools and resources that reflect best practice processes. The ICF Foundation staff and Council of Ambassadors who will guide you at each step of your project. Our Ignite community will answer questions, brainstorm ideas, and help you navigate your projects over time.

Success covers many areas. As we measure projects collectively, we know that our projects will move the UN Global Goal efforts forward in a great way, and we will share a global story of impact. Locally, we know that individuals working with a nonprofit will continue to share the positive impact of coaching in your community, and in particular, social progress in your community aligned with the Global Goals. Success occurs when you change the life of the leaders inside your nonprofit partner. By offering our coaching excellence we strengthen the leaders’ excellence, supporting those organizations to be more efficient in improving lives and impacting people for generations to come through access to quality education. Great success is seen with organizational impact, where coaching aligns with organizational goals and metrics.

No project is too big or too small. New ICF chapters can support a  small, local nonprofit. More mature chapters may have the capacity for a portfolio of probono projects. Consider adding an Ignite project as one of them! You also may already have a probono initiative that meets the criteria and aligns with UN Global Goals we are supporting.