Coaching World Issue 15: August 2015 | Page 12

The Coaching Case Celebrating Impactful Partnerships ICF Singapore was one of three ICF Chapters recognized with a 2014 I Care For Award at the 2015 ICF Global Leaders Forum in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The I Care For Award recognized ICF Chapters that have established a significant coaching presence in their communities through nonprofit partnerships and/or pro bono coaching initiatives. 12 Coaching World Beginning this year, the ICF Foundation is honoring ICF Chapters that have forged impactful pro bono coaching partnerships with nonprofit organizations in their communities through its new Gift of Coaching Awards Program. The inaugural winners of the award will be profiled in the November 2015 issue of CW. Changing Communities through Coaching Singapore’s social service sector is growing rapidly. According to the Singapore Workforce Development Authority, there are more than 19,000 personnel working in the country’s community and social services sector today. Since 2003, the field has been growing by three percent annually. Although the demand for trained nonprofit professionals is growing in Singapore, most nonprofits and voluntary welfare organizations lack the necessary resources to develop their human capital and nurture the next generation of leaders in the field. Since 2008, the coaches of ICF Singapore have been working to fill this gap through the ICF Charter Chapter’s Coaches for Community (C4C) program, which pairs ICF Member coaches with leaders and beneficiaries of nonprofit organizations. Chapter Leaders report that the pro bono coaching initiative has been a winwin proposition, empowering nonprofit organizations throughout Singapore to facilitate meaningful change and engaging members of ICF Singapore like never before. C4C served four beneficiary organizations in 2014: • The Centre for Non-Profit Leadership, which works to help Singapore’s nonprofit sector create a leadership pipeline and build effective boards through leadership development programs for board members, executive directors and high-potentials. • The Asian Women’s Welfare Association, a family service center that provides casework, counseling, information and a referral service for individuals and families facing challenges in life.