Because we’re only in the initial stages of organizing, we don’t have a proper board yet. Everyone involved is simply a volunteer organizer at this point. You might think of us as a steering committee.

We are actively seeking more volunteers to join this committee so that we can flesh out more of our goals and better understand the direction the organization should take.

You can learn more about or initial goals in the “Our Goals” section above as well as see our current organizers list.

A number of people have cycled in and out of the organizing group since EFC’s inception as their time constraints have allowed. The current organizing group that you see on the call is only the people who are volunteering their time and expertise to help get the initiative off the ground. As we become more established, we will definitely expand and diversify the group. If you are a coach who is passionate about creating a safer industry and you’re interested in volunteering your time, we would love to hear from you.

Keep checking back for updates, or get on our email list (signup in footer).

Everyone currently working with Ethics for Coaching is a volunteer. No one receives any compensation for their time and all expenses, such as website hosting, are out-of-pocket by the founding members. There is no revenue stream and funding is not currently being sought because we are not officially incorporated, so there is no place for money to go.

As far as incorporating, we are exploring the various options available and trying to determine which model is the best fit for our long term goals. There’s a number of possibilities, such as a nonprofit or not-for-profit, both of which have sub models like business league, or association.

Another avenue we are exploring is a B Corp. B Corps are considered an organization that works to address a social issue through strategies commonly used by businesses and typically operate with social missions similar to that of a nonprofit. While a B Corp is for-profit, it is certified by an independent nonprofit organization and has rigorous criteria which must be met to maintain certification, including higher standards of funding transparency than nonprofits which are not required to publicly disclose their funding sources. This avenue would offer EFC more stringent and continued external regulatory oversight of our operations than the nonprofit route. Here’s information about the difference between a B-corp and a nonprofit.

Because coaching is an unregulated industry, we’re concerned about whether having another unregulated entity would be helpful. We believe it’s important to be accountable to some type of regulatory oversight outside of ourselves, so that’s why we’re interested in learning more about the B Corp model. Here’s information about the criteria and process required to become a certified B-Corp.

Ultimately we have not made a decision and would like to gauge industry interest and support for the initiative before moving forward with incorporation. Once we have enough interest, we may even bring it to another town hall meeting for discussion. Keep checking back for updates.

Ethics for Coaching does not have a course for sale, or any other materials. As explained in the previous question, we are not currently incorporated so there is no ability for us to sell anything or accept funding.

Our only resource available at the moment is our free handbook, downloadable from the homepage.

We do have a long term goal of providing continuing educational opportunities, but that is currently in year five of our strategic plan. This could happen sooner depending on the momentum we are able to build. Continue checking back for updates.

No one currently organizing with EFC is affiliated with an MLM.

Full disclosure: One of our leaders was involved with an MLM company over two years ago.

We understand that MLMs are controversial and want to be clear that EFC does not endorse or support MLMs. Our stance remains steadfast about the potential risks and pitfalls associated with MLMs, and we are allied with consumer rights groups that are actively advocating for tighter regulations for MLMs.

The individual in question terminated their contract with the MLM in 2021 and is no longer affiliated with any MLM activities. Since then, they have been dedicated to our initiative’s mission of promoting ethical business models.

We wouldn’t be forming a professional association for coaches if we didn’t!
We believe in the potential of coaching as a valuable tool for personal development and growth. Acknowledging the value of coaching highlights the importance of practicing it responsibly and ethically. It is because we value coaching as a modality that we care about improving the standards of care within the industry.

Rather than focusing solely on whether life coaching is a valuable modality or profession, it’s more constructive at this point in time to address the need for ethical standards in the industry. Advocating for these standards can help to protect both consumers seeking coaching services and coaching themselves as business owners.

Ultimately, the aim should be to transform the culture of the coaching industry by encouraging ethical conduct, accountability, and constructive dialogue.

The ultimate goal of Ethics for Coaching is to become a professional organization for coaches. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense for the people organizing or running a professional association for coaches to not be coaches themselves.

The American Marketing Association is made up of marketers. The American Society of Engineering Educators is made up of engineering educators. The American Chemical Society is made up of chemists. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is made up of electrical engineers, etc.

As stated above on the About page, the purpose of a professional society is to improve the profession and we can’t do that if we’re not involving people who are a part of the profession.

That said, we recognize that there’s a a bubble in the online space of the coaching industry with a lot of people who have little-to-no experience beyond coaching coaches to coach coaches. This is why we’ve engaged outside consultants who are experts in their fields to help us launch the organization and all of the founding members involved in our organizing efforts have experience in other industries that aren’t coaching related, but are directly related to making the coaching industry safer.

With this in mind, our criteria for coaches who want to be involved in the Ethics for Coaching leadership is as follows:

- Must be currently involved in the coaching industry as their profession

- Must have professional experience in industries outside of coaching

- Must be values-aligned with the organization’s stated mission and purpose

Since the intention of Ethics for Coaching is to be a professional organization for coaches, pretty much everyone who is or ever will be involved, including members, will be a coach and most likely offer coaching services in some capacity just like in other professional organizations.

The only exceptions are the volunteer consultants working with us to help launch the organization who are not coaches, do not offer coaching services, and will not be “members” of the organization.

Most organizations have a “no solicitations” policy to prevent members from annoying one another with sales pitches. EFC is no different.

The organization is not intended to be a “business group” but rather, maintains a focus on safe and ethical business practices. As such, business growth is not an emphasis. In many cases, the safest, most ethical way to do business is to eschew forced growth.