Through the ActionCOACH global pro bono business coaching initiative, U.K. charity will raise funds and better its management to become more businesslike.

Coaching for a Cause is an innovative, new program from ActionCOACH, the world’s number one business and executive coaching firm that makes pro-bono coaching available to charities and non-profits worldwide.

When ActionCOACH founder and CEO Brad Sugars launched the company’s first-ever global pro bono business coaching program for the non-profit and charitable sectors of the economy, SAFA became the obvious choice for U.K. Business Coach Ian Petty

SAFA (Self-harm Awareness for the Furness Area) was established in July 2006 with the commitment to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals who self-harm as well as to those who support them.

Having had personal contact with people who attempted self-harm, Ian is a huge supporter of this cause.

“I have seen first-hand two young individuals driven to the point of attempted or actual self harm and it was amazing to see how with the right support and guidance, they made it through this period,” he said. “Not everyone is as fortunate and the scale of the problem is much larger than many of us realise. The services provided by SAFA are there to help just such people and to educate professionals to identify the signs of people at risk and prevent them from harming themselves.”

According to SAFA Chair, Val Robinson, like many non-profits and charities, fundraising is one of the biggest challenges facing SAFA. However, some other issues seem to take precedence.

“For us, perhaps a bigger issue is the secretive nature of self-harming, the difficulty professionals face regarding this complex issue and the issue and its image in terms of would-be funders,” Val said. “This in turn makes it difficult to recruit and develop qualified and specialised human resources.”

Ian will now help the organisation develop a systemised approach to fundraising through grant-assisted programs and foundations.

“I will also be working on a clear vision, mission and culture statement for the team so as to maximize productivity and efficiency,” he said.

Val expects the coaching process to help her team not only focus on fundraising initiatives but also insetting company objectives as well as identifying alternative strategies to promote such a critical, yet “difficult to understand” cause.

Val said. “The organisation began in order to address this need, and our long-term vision is to become the recognised centre of excellence for counselling, support and training in the field of self-harming in South Cumbria.”

Assisting them in this vision is Ian through the Coaching for a Cause campaign.

“This is an excellent initiative, which is providing the much needed coaching in a sector that is still coming to terms with the phrase ‘enterprise’ and will give it more insight into developing their organisations in becoming more business like,” Val said.