Singapore, 29 October 2025 – The Council for Board Diversity (CBD), Charity Council, Ernst & Young Advisory Pte. Ltd. (EY), National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), and Singapore Institute of Directors (SID), today released the Board Appointment Guide for Charities 2025 – a practical resource designed to help charities build future-ready boards equipped to navigate complex challenges and serve communities effectively.
First published in 2021, the Guide has been updated to align with the 2023 Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of a Public Character, which placed stronger emphasis on leadership renewal and strategic board composition.
The refreshed 2025 edition – with foreword by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister of Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies – complements the principles-based Code of Charity Governance. It offers step-by-step guidance and technical know-how to support charities in adopting structured, intentional approaches to board appointments. Key areas include succession planning, tenure, and diversity – encompassing skills, experience, gender, age, and background.
It also introduces practical tools such as a Board Diversity Matrix to help charities assess gaps in board composition, and a sample Board Performance Evaluation Form to support regular performance reviews and development.
The publication of the Guide is part of broader efforts to equip charities with practical tools to strengthen their impact, while fostering leadership that draws on a diversity of capabilities, perspectives and experiences for enhanced effectiveness.
The Board Appointment Guide for Charities 2025 is available for download at:
- https://nvpc.org.sg/resources/board-appointment-guide
- https://www.councilforboarddiversity.sg/resources/reports/
- https://www.charities.gov.sg/Pages/Resource-and-Training/Guides-Templates-Awards/Guide-Templates-Awards.aspx
- https://www.sid.org.sg/Web/Web/Resources/Codes_Guides_and_Collaborations.aspx
Annex A – Foreword by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister of Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies
Annex B – About the collaborators for the Board Appointment Guide for Charities 2025
For media enquiries, please contact:
Secretariat to Council for Board Diversity
Lauren Tan
Tel: +65 9100 3642 / +65 9835 4370
Email: [email protected]
Annex A
Board Appointment Guide for Charities 2025
Foreword by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister of Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies
Charities have and will remain anchors of care, service and connection in our community. They carry their work with empathy and support, and strengthen Singapore’s social fabric by reaching out to and bringing people of diverse backgrounds together. We are encouraged by the steady number of registered charities and the growing spirit of collective responsibility.
Trust is the bedrock of charitable work. Any lapse, no matter how minor, can erode it. Good governance and responsible stewardship are therefore essential for the running of charities. The 2023 revisions to the Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of Public Characters, alongside initiatives such as the GovernWell: Excellence in Charity Leadership Programme and the Safer Giving Campaign, reflect our shared commitment to transparency, integrity, ethical leadership and effective governance.
The success of charities therefore depends not only on goodwill, but also on the strength of their institutions and the trust they earn. With enhanced governance, we combine passion and purpose with professionalism to deliver meaningful collective impact.
There are many good practices that more charities can adopt. Diverse boards bring together a wider range of perspectives, experiences and skills, leading to better decisions and deeper connections with the communities they serve. Board members can develop the capabilities to harness technology responsibly – ensuring that innovation strengthens, rather than replaces, human connection and trust.
Stewardship is, ultimately, an intergenerational endeavour. Each board builds upon the work of those before it, while preparing the next generation to lead with integrity and courage. The Board Appointment Guide is an initiative to facilitate this process. It is a product of close collaboration between the public, private and people sectors. By constantly enhancing governance of charities, we ensure that they remain pillars of trust and compassion for generations to come.
Annex B
Council for Board Diversity (CBD)
Established by the Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2019, and with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam as Patron, the Council for Board Diversity spearheads efforts to encourage organisations across the private, public and people sectors on their journey of leveraging board diversity for business value.
CBD believes a range of diversities best suited to an organisation’s needs and ambitions provides a broad-based judgement of risks and opportunities and access to fresh perspectives for better decision-making; in turn, building strong boards and resilient organisations. Recognising the contribution of women – the most visible and measurable aspect of diversity – as a powerful lead-in to the consideration of broader diversity, CBD’s long-term ambition is for organisations to draw on diverse strengths in the boardroom and contribute to a thriving and vibrant Singapore.
Charity Council
The Charity Council was first established in 2007 and members to the Council for each term are appointed by the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.
Roles of the Council
- Promoter – the Council advocates and works to inculcate good governance standards and best practices, to enhance public confidence in the charity sector;
- Enabler – the Council helps build capabilities and competencies of charities and IPCs, enhancing both their conformance and performance while strengthening public trust; and
- Advisor – the Council will advise the Commissioner of Charities (COC) on key regulatory issues and significant cases, so that the COC can make more informed and robust decisions.
EY
EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.
Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.
EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.
All in to shape the future with confidence.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young Advisory Pte. Ltd., a member of the global EY organization.
National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC)
NVPC is the national agency dedicated to growing a culture of volunteerism and philanthropy in Singapore. By engaging individuals, organisations, communities and leaders across the people, private and public sectors, it seeks to create a more caring, inclusive, and compassionate society. Together, NVPC envisions Singapore as a City of Good, where everyone is able to give every day and everywhere (3Es), contributing their time, talent, treasure, ties, and testimony (5Ts).
Singapore Institute of Directors
Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) is the national association for company directors. Established in 1998, its mission is to transform boards and empower board directors to be champions of good governance. It serves as the voice for directors and facilitates consultation on regulatory matters. SID advocates for good governance through its thought leadership and research, and builds director competencies and capabilities through professional development. Its accreditation programme sets standards to uplift good governance, supported by its courses, workshops and forums. SID connects and strengthens the ecosystem through networking, mentoring and board opportunities. The SID Governance for Good Alliance brings together key stakeholders to advance its vision for every board director to be a champion of good governance.