This September through December, Exponent Philanthropy will offer a new Coaching for Effective Philanthropy program to equip funders with coaching skills, enabling them to help trustees, staff, and grantees gain awareness, discover new ways of thinking, and focus their energy on solutions. Our Stephen Alexander recently talked with Jen Lachman, executive coach and faculty for the program, to learn more about coaching in the context of philanthropy. 

For those who aren’t familiar with coaching, what’s the most important thing to know? Whether you have a formal coaching relationship or are bringing a coaching mindset to other relationships (think fellow board members, colleagues, grantees, partners, or your spouse), coaching will transform how you’re in relationships with others. You’ll be able to support people in a new and powerful way by helping them reach their own insights and more deeply fulfill their own potential. 

What’s one value you see in coaching for funders? It’s not surprising that funders working with few or no staff can feel isolated at times; whether a board member, staff, or donor, it can easily feel as though you’re going at it alone. Coaching relationships help funders find partners in their work, someone who believes in them 100% and can both support and challenge them to be their best. Feeling deeply supported by another person can make a huge difference to how fulfilled and effective you are in your role.

How else can the coaching mindset and skills serve funders? Deep listening can strengthen individuals’ relationships with others and help them become much more graceful and at-ease in their leadership. I’ve seen individuals transform their leadership by tapping into a deeper level of listening, which builds deeper partnerships with others. They learn to quiet their inner dialogue, tune into another person, and trust that through deep listening they’ll be able to reach a solution together. It has a huge impact. They less frequently find themselves wondering, “What am I going to say next?” or worrying, “How am I going to solve this problem?” Instead, they begin to rely more on collaborating with others to come up with solutions together.

What’s so special about peer coaching? It can be a powerful experience to coach your peers, receive coaching from them, and feel deeply listened to and supported as you’re overcoming and working through challenges. I’ve seen groups stay together long after their formal peer coaching engagement ended because the group gave them such a sense of support and a safe space, and enabled them to cultivate meaningful relationships, all of which helped them tremendously in their work and lives.

As a faculty member of Coaching for Effective Philanthropy, what are you looking forward to most about the program? As a sector, I believe that we won’t be successful if we aren’t supporting the sustainability of our leaders. I find that many nonprofit professionals give themselves so fully to the cause(s) they care about, that oftentimes they become overwhelmed, stressed, and burned out, and that’s not good for anyone.

In the Coaching for Effective Philanthropy program, we’re creating dedicated time and space where individual participants can give back to their peers, as well as to themselves. I’m really excited and honored to be part of a program that is helping to develop stronger, more fulfilled, and more sustainable philanthropic leaders.

To learn how coaching can help you become a more effective, intentional, and results-focused funder:

• Join us this Thursday (May 5, 2 pm ET) for the webinar Coaching as a Tool for Effective Philanthropy.

• Apply now for the new Coaching for Effective Philanthropy program; space is limited!

• Read these related posts: The Power of Our Peer Coaching Circle and Peer Coaching: The Gift of Deep Listening

Jen Lachman, founder of Lachman Consulting, is an organizational consultant and executive coach who supports nonprofit leaders and organizations to act with greater purpose, authenticity, and impact. She serves as faculty for Exponent Philanthropy’s new Coaching for Effective Philanthropy program. 

Stephen Alexander, Exponent Philanthropy program manager, develops programs and resources on philanthropy and foundation administration, and guides and connects members throughout Exponent Philanthropy’s network. He manages Exponent Philanthropy’s new Coaching for Effective Philanthropy program.