Strong board leadership is central to the effectiveness, stewardship, and accountability of charities in Singapore.
Building on NVPC’s foundational 2020 study A Handbook on Effective Non-Profit Boards, the Charity Board Leadership Study 2025 (CBLS 2025) deepens understanding of how charity boards perform by examining how specific board qualities influence board functions.
The study forms the basis of the new Charity Board Performance Framework and its complementary self-assessment tool, CNPL BoardPulse2.0. Together, they equip charity leaders with a clear roadmap for board performance, enabling them to understand and prioritise high-impact areas for development.
About the CBLS 2025 study
The CBLS 2025 study draws from a sample of 1,140 board members across 114 Singapore charities of different causes and financial sizes.
The Charity Board Performance Framework was developed with reference to:
- the Charity Council’s Code of Governance,
- the Commissioner of Charities’ compliance framework for boards,
- the Charities Act 1994,
- and a review of global academic literature on charity boards.
Who the CBLS 2025 study is for
CBLS 2025 supports charity leaders seeking clearer governance priorities, better board–management partnership, and a more future-ready people sector:
- Board chairs and members
- Charity CEOs and executive directors
- Senior management teams
- Policymakers, regulators, and intermediaries
- Funders and capacity-builders
Key findings
CBLS 2025 identifies five board qualities that collectively account for up to 59.6% of differences in charity board performance:
- Bandwidth
- Board culture
- Expertise
- Social capital
- Independence
These influence how boards fulfil three core functions of advocacy, oversight, and strategic direction – also reflected in the Charity Board Performance Framework. The five core board qualities are further supported by specific sub-qualities that charities may wish to examine when strengthening board capability.
Takeaways for Singapore charity boards
The board culture sub-quality of personal motivation and passion to serve the charity’s cause stands out as the strongest driver of board performance, having an influence approximately five times greater than the average of all other sub-qualities.
To build on intrinsic motivation, boards should prioritise fostering internal social capital after independent recruitment, while being mindful of members’ bandwidth to ensure quality contributions.
By conducting regular, self-initiated checks using the CNPL BoardPulse2.0 self-assessment tool, charities gain the insight needed to focus development precisely on the highest-impact qualities, building a more resilient and mission-aligned board.
Get the CBLS 2025 Report
Equip your board and leadership team with insights to enhance governance capabilities and strengthen strategic stewardship.
For enquiries, please contact [email protected].
