I want to help. How can I get involved in the work of The Foundation of Coaching?
The Foundation of Coaching is a nonprofit organization with a very small staff. That’s why people like you make The Foundation of Coaching’s programs possible. The most important way to help is to become a Friend of the Foundation. (Click here) As we have talked with hundreds of you all over the world, you have encouraged us to create this independent resource for coaching. We hope to raise our entire operating budget through the passionate interest of small contributors who share The Foundation of Coaching’s ideals.

I want to do more than become a Friend – I want to join your team.
That’s great, because we need you. Whether you’re a world-renowned author, a first-year coaching student, a coaching client, or you’re just plain interested, we’ve got a way for you be a part of the exciting work we’re doing around the globe. (Click here)

You may be surprised to learn that the respected scholars who comprise The Foundation of Coaching Research Advisory Panel all volunteer their time and talent.

Are you a citizen journalist? Perhaps you’d like to write for The Chronicle of Coaching.

There’s always room for leadership. If you have an interest in serving on the Board of Advisors or the Board of Directors, or if you’d like to introduce us to someone we should know, please contact us.

We welcome your creativity – what would you like to contribute? What are your special skills? We value, respect, and honor our volunteers and contributors. (Don’t forget, most of us are volunteers too.)

For information about volunteering or contributing, contact us at info@thefoundationofcoaching.org

How is The Foundation of Coaching (TFoC) different from other non-profit coaching organizations?
TFoC is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development of coaching as a profession and as a way of making a positive difference in the world through the lives of individuals. There are many fine not-for-profit organizations in the world that have similar missions. However, there is a distinction between a “business league” and a “public charity.”

Organizations like the International Coach Federation and the International Association of Coaches are designed to serve their members. They operate under Internal Revenue Service guidelines and function as “professional associations” They are not-for-profit organizations with a purpose of serving specific interests.

The Foundation of Coaching serves no specific business interests, does not accredit schools, certify coaches, endorse books or products. TFoC provides an open community for researchers, universities, schools, corporations, practitioners, recipients of coaching and many others. TFoC is not aligned with or a part of any other coaching organization. Staff members, volunteers, supporters and friends are free to belong to other organizations. TFoC works as a partner with numerous professional organizations worldwide on various projects.

How is The Foundation of Coaching funded?
The Foundation of Coaching is currently a project of The Harnisch Family Foundation. Ruth Ann Harnisch, president of The Harnisch Family Foundation, is one of the founders of The Foundation of Coaching. It was her intent to provide 100% of the initial funding for an independent resource for coaching, and to allow the coaching community to embrace and support it. TFoC is now an independently chartered corporation and is currently awaiting its nonprofit designation from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. It is intended that TFoC will be a fully independent, not-for-profit organization with its own Board of Directors in 2008.

What is The Foundation of Coaching’s relationship to the Global Convention on Coaching (GCC)?
One of the purposes of The Foundation of Coaching is to convene international conversations about coaching. TFoC serves as a neutral facilitator of discussions in which a variety of stakeholders whose interests may be aligned or competing, may talk frankly in an atmosphere of respect.

In that spirit, TFoC helped to convene the leaders of an international event scheduled to take place in Dublin in 2008. TFoC provided staff support and initial funding for the initiative. John Bennett, TFoC’s Chief Executive Officer, is a member of the GCC Steering Committee. The GCC is a non-partisan, non-profit forum which seeks to bring together key coaching stakeholders (consumers, practitioners, educators and industry bodies) created to consider the future of coaching. The inclusive, neutral stance of the GCC is aligned with the values of TFoC, and the work to discover what is possible for coaching is aligned with our mission. For more information about the GCC: www.coachingconvention.org

Do you certify coaches? Can you give me some coaching credentials?
The Foundation of Coaching does not certify or accredit coaches, coach training programs, coach education programs, or coaching service providers. We support the professionalization of coaching as well as the development and use of coaching as a skill-set that can be applied in a variety of settings and by a variety of people—not just “professional coaches.”

I want to become a coach. Where should I study?
The Foundation of Coaching does not recommend specific schools or courses of study.
You may choose to take a rigorous academic approach to coaching through an accredited university, culminating in a Ph.D. Or you may decide to pursue an independent course of self-directed study. Not all coaches are certified, but if you wish to become a certified coach, you should choose a school that will help you prepare for the specific certification you want. Different certifying bodies have different academic requirements. All schools are not held in equal regard by all certifiers. Listed below are several good places to start your research about coach training.

The International Association of Coaching (IAC)
www.certifiedcoach.org/certify/certification.html
The Peer Resources Network
www.peer.ca/coachingschools.html
The International Coach Federation (ICF)
www.coachfederation.org/ICF/For+Current+Members/Coach+Training/
Graduate School Alliance for Executive Coaching (GSAEC)
www.gsaec.org/curriculum.html
Academy of Coach Training Organizations (ACTO)
www.acto1.com

How does The Foundation of Coaching define “coaching”?
It doesn’t!
That’s one of the most frequently asked questions, and nobody at The Foundation of Coaching presumes to have the definitive answer. This is an excellent example of what distinguishes The Foundation of Coaching. We aren’t the answer. We don’t presume to know the answer. We provide the resources and information to enable you to find the answers you need.

So, while we don’t provide an authoritative definition, coaching usually involves a conversation designed to help another person achieve goals.

Here are a few other opinions (in alphabetical order of the sources:

“Goal-directed, results-oriented, systematic process in which one person facilitates sustained change in another individual or group through fostering the self-directed learning and personal growth of coachee encompassing attributes along a continuum.
(Anthony Grant, 2003)

“Coaching is a collaborative process that amplifies and accelerates self-discovery, promotes clarity, creativity and choice, and helps people achieve--and often exceed--their goals more quickly and more efficiently than they would without the partnership of a coach." The Academy for Coaching Training

"Coaching Psychology is for enhancing well-being and performance in personal life and work domains, underpinned by models of coaching grounded in established adult learning or psychological approaches," (adapted Grant and Palmer, 2002). British Psychological Society

“Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaching is an ongoing relationship which focuses on clients taking action toward the realization of their visions, goals or desires. Coaching uses a process of inquiry and personal discovery to build the client's level of awareness and responsibility and provides the client with structure, support and feedback. The coaching process helps clients both define and achieve professional and personal goals faster and with more ease than would be possible otherwise.” International Coach Federation

“Coaching is a development process designed to help individuals and teams achieve and sustain top performance in ways that are linked to the organization’s needs and measurable business results.” Lee Hecht Harrison

Do you regulate coaches? Can you sanction a coach for unethical behavior? What if a coach is doing something that might be harmful or illegal?
The Foundation of Coaching does not regulate, certify, recommend, endorse, or sanction coaches. We are not aware of any governmental regulations or formal licensing requirements for coaches at this time.

Most professional coaching organizations have a code of ethics for their members. If the coach is a member of a professional organization, such as the International Coach Federation, the International Association of Coaching, European Mentoring and Coaching Council, Worldwide Association of Business Coaches and others, you may contact that organization and report the behavior you have experienced/observed.

If you feel that someone has broken laws concerning personal conduct or business practices that apply to all professionals, not just coaches, contact appropriate law enforcement authorities.

Are members of the TFoC team (Board, staff, volunteer) permitted to advocate for a candidate for a leadership role in another organization?
While the TFoC desires to remain neutral, we don't ask our board, staff and volunteers to give up their "rights" to advocate or vote for a candidate for a leadership role in other coaching associations that they may belong to. We believe that there is a difference between what "Sally Staff Member" does in her capacity as a representative for the TFoC and what she does as a member of a particular association. As long as that distinction is clear, there is no issue.