Coaching and Philanthropy Project Toolkit

Posted by on April 05, 2010

Toolkit for coaching nonprofit leaders available

In partnership with Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, BTW informing change, and Leadership that Works, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services launched the Coaching and Philanthropy Project to assess and advance coaching as a strategy for building effective nonprofit organizations.

The CAP Project is a deep dive into learning about the nonprofit sector’s support for and use of coaching, something no one has examined to this extent before, and has resulted in freely available tools and resources on coaching.

Key findings from the project include that among the benefits of coaching for nonprofit leaders are finding a safe space for reflection, increased self-awareness, and higher levels of confidence.  Coaching was also found to have a ripple effect on organizations, leading to better leadership and management, smoother transitions, and stronger leadership teams.

The project also learned that many grantmakers and their partners have created successful systems for ensuring that coaching is delivering results. This includes connecting coaching to specific goals and outcomes for individuals and organizations.

Coaches with nonprofit experience, including those who served as executive directors or board members, are better prepared to help nonprofit leaders and organizations. There is a growing interest among nonprofit leaders and their funders in seeking “bridgers”-that is, coaches who bring both a deep understanding of the nonprofit context and deep knowledge of the core competencies and ethical guidelines of coaching.

The CAP Project has produced action guides for grantmakers, nonprofits, and coaches as well as an online took kit of supporting materials.  The tool kit includes an executive summary with highlights of the CAP Project, a coaching readiness questionnaire, a tool for selecting a nonprofit coach, types of coaching available for nonprofit leaders, competency guidelines for coaches who work with nonprofits, reports that describe how integrating coaching can enhance leadership and organizational capacity initiatives, and action guides.

To obtain a free toolkit, contact Kayte Connelly at Best Principled Solutions by emailing her at [email protected]