How to ask your employer to cover coaching sessions
90% of my clients have their employer cover the cost
Most companies and organizations have professional development budgets. If you’re in a leadership or management role, many are willing to go beyond conferences and trainings for 1:1 coaching, especially when you make a solid case for how it will benefit them.
Here’s a compelling stat: 30-40% of Director-level leaders and above are actively working with a coach. Data on nonprofit, NGO, and social enterprise leaders is less abundant, but there is evidence of coaching gaining traction in these sectors as a way to address the unique challenges leaders face, including resource constraints, burnout, and complex stakeholder management.*
Why Coaching Is a Win-Win
When you work with a coach, you gain tools to:
Lead with greater clarity, confidence, and resilience.
Tackle challenges proactively instead of reactively.
Strengthen your influence and relationships at work.
It’s not just about leveling up for you. Investing in your highest-impact people pays off big time—boosting culture, retention rates, and overall outcomes.
an email template to get the ball rolling 👇
Hi [manager name],
I would like to work with an Executive Coach, and am wondering if [company/organization name] is open to covering the cost of my coaching sessions?
Lisa Higgins runs a coaching practice where she works with leaders and teams to unlock doors to growth, cultivate relationships that work, and grow the inner skills required for long-term success and impact.
Lisa’s 1-on-1 coaching program spans 6 months and includes:
2 private (60 min) coaching calls/month
Unlimited email support between sessions
Enneagram assessment and CliftonStrengths assessment
Each session is customized to my goals and has action items between sessions. It’s designed to improve my skills as a leader [might state a goal or 2] and to benefit [company/organization in X ways].
The cost of the program is [$x,xxx]. You can read more about Lisa’s offerings here.
What do you think?
Thank you,
[Your name]
*Many fellowships and grantee programs are incorporating coaching and emphasizing its transformative impact on well-being, human capacity, and mission advancement. If you want support advocating for funder support contact me.
