Club Coach FAQ

For the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 program years, the option for District Leader credit was an interim exception approved by the Board of Directors. The requirements to earn District Leader credit for the 2021 -2022 program year were as follows:

• Serve as a coach for at least six months
• Have the club earn a designation of Distinguished or better
• Have at least 20 paid members on the club’s roster regardless of its qualifying requirement

All club coach program guidelines, including the new changes have been outlined in Protocol 2.3. Please review this section of Policy and Protocol to view the latest requirements. Any questions on the program requirements may be emailed to the Club Quality and Service team, clubcoach@toastmasters.org.

A club coach is an experienced Toastmaster who partners with a club to help rebuild membership and restore quality to member experience. One focus for the coach is to help the club achieve recognition in the Distinguished Club Program. To learn more visit the Club Coach Program webpage or complete the Club Coach Training Module in Base Camp.

To be eligible for an appointment, you must:

• Be a paid member in good standing with Toastmasters International.
• Not be an existing paid member of the club at the time of appointment, nor for at least six months prior to appointment
• Have been a member of Toastmasters International for at least one year
• Have served as a club officer for one annual term or two semiannual terms
• Have completed a minimum of Level 2 in a path, or an Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB), or an Advanced Leader Bronze (ALB)
• Have completed the Club Coach Program Training module in Base Camp

Your District Director (or delegated Program Quality Director or Club Growth Director) can appoint a club coach by sending the completed Club Coach Agreement to clubcoach@toastmasters.org. If the club is not located within a District, the Region Advisor, or Club President can appoint a club coach to the club instead.

Upon appointment, you may request a club coach pin to wear during club meetings and will be provided helpful resources to aid you in performing your duties.

If you successfully coach the club to achieve recognition in the Distinguished Club Program, you will also receive credit in the education program and will be sent a digital certificate of accomplishment. Additionally, members have a chance to earn optional credit towards service as a District Leader, if the correct requirements are met. Note: Credit is not received until after year-end results are final.

You can be appointed as a club coach for a club outside of your District, so long as the request is coming from the District Director or Club Growth Director of the District (or other designated District Representative) in which the club is located. If the club is not located within a District, the Club President, or Region Advisor can appoint you instead.

A club coach can be removed at the request of the Club President or the appointed club coach themselves. Requests for removal should be sent to clubcoach@toastmasters.org. Club coaches may not be removed at the request of a District representative.

Additionally, a club coach can be removed at any time for any reason with a vote of the club membership. Once the vote has concluded, at that time, the Club President or club coach may contact Toastmasters International.

If by the end of the two-year appointment the club coach is unsuccessful, they can be reappointed by the District Director or Club Growth Director. For clubs not within a District, the Club President, or Region Advisor can reappoint the club coach. All qualification requirements for a club to receive a coach are waived for reappointments.

Reappointment requests must be submitted to clubcoach@toastmasters.org no later than September 30. Requests received after September 30 will be considered new appointments, and all qualification requirements will apply per normal.

Although our club coach program rules do not specifically address this, a club is not required to accept an appointment; the club has the right to refuse the appointment or suggest another member to coach.

A club may have up to two coaches assigned at the same time. If your club has one or fewer coaches and would like an additional coach(es), please contact your Club Growth Director or District Director to have one appointed.

That is correct, however, to receive a lapel pin, it must be requested by the coach. Currently, due to delays with our shipping and fulfillment vendor, the sending of club coach pins has been placed on hold. If you would like to receive a pin, please contact us, and a pin will be sent as soon as shipping resumes.

At this time, District Leaders will not be able to check this. You may accept verbal or written confirmation from the prospective coach. The staff at World Headquarters will ensure all program requirements are met by the prospective coaches when reviewing the Club Coach Agreement Form. If members do not meet the program requirements, the submitting District Leader will be informed of which coach does not meet which requirement(s).

A club coach is only displayed on the Club Coach Daily Report for a period of two calendar years from the date of their appointment. Once that two-year period has ended, the coach’s name is automatically removed by the Daily Report. This does not impact your ability to be recognized as a successful club coach if your assigned club meets the program requirements.

If your name is not currently on the Club Coach Daily Report, and never has been, please contact the Club Quality and Service team, clubcoach@toastmasters.org. They will be happy to review the matter.

During the Board Briefing at the 2022 International Convention, the Board of Directors announced that for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 program years, the qualifying membership requirement for clubs would be lowered from a Net Growth of five members to a Net Growth of three members. This decision recognizes the increased hardships placed on clubs by the ever increasing global difficulties, and the Board of Directors would like clubs to be able to achieve recognition goals despite these difficulties.

A club’s eligibility to receive a coach is determined by the current membership roster. This includes members who have transferred into the club, as these are also members in good standing with this club.

Club coaches are appointed for a maximum of two program years, including the program year in which they are appointed. If unsuccessful in their two-program year assignment, they may be reappointed (before the September 30 after their second unsuccessful term) for an additional two program years.

Clubs are eligible for a club coach appointment provided the following requirements are met:

• The club must have at least three but no more than 12 members in good standing at the time of appointment.
• The club must not be suspended or closed.
• The club must not have more than two coaches appointed at one time.