Coach Me! Your Personal Board of Directors

25 Letting Go: One Founder’s Journey from Doing to Dreaming

Magdalena Nowicka Mook

Magdalena Nowicka Mook brings experience in fundraising, coaching, and consulting and association management. She is the CEO and executive director of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), where she acts as a partner to the ICF’s Global Board of Directors. Magdalena is a trained professional coach and systems’ facilitator.

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations are registered in the United States. This number includes public charities, private foundations, and other types of nonprofit organizations, including chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations, and civic leagues. One out of every 10 people in the United States works for one of these organizations. Thus, the NGO workforce is the third largest among US industries, behind only retail trade and manufacturing.

Looking at the world, there are estimated to be over 10 million nonprofit organizations out there. John Hopkins University research suggests that if NGOs were a country, they would have been the fifth largest economy in the world!

Yet, few of the leaders of such organizations seek coaching although they often struggle to deliver on their mission, expand their reach and strengthen their impact. Some simply do not know much about coaching; others do not believe they can afford it; many conclude that they do not have time to engage in a coaching relationship. ...