The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) has unveiled findings from its Charity Board Leadership Study 2025, revealing that board culture is the most significant factor influencing charity board performance in Singapore. The study, which assessed 1,140 board members from 114 charities, identified five key qualities—Bandwidth, Board Culture, Expertise, Social Capital, and Independence—that collectively account for nearly 60% of performance variance.
The study’s insights have led to the development of the Charity Board Performance Framework, which aims to guide charities in enhancing their board effectiveness. This framework focuses on three core functions: Advocacy, Oversight, and Strategic Direction. NVPC’s Chairman, Seah Chin Siong, emphasised the importance of board leadership in maintaining charity effectiveness and accountability, stating, “CBLS 2025 reflects the collective effort between NVPC and our charity partners.”
To support charities in applying these findings, NVPC has launched CNPL BoardPulse2.0, a free self-assessment tool. This tool allows charity boards to evaluate their performance across the identified qualities and functions, offering benchmarks against other boards for a comprehensive understanding of their relative performance. NVPC CEO Tony Soh encouraged charities to adopt the tool, noting, “CNPL BoardPulse2.0 provides a robust tool that equips charity boards with practical insights to lead effectively.”
The study and its accompanying tools aim to foster a culture of purpose-driven leadership within Singapore’s charity sector, promoting continuous development and improvement. For further details, the full technical report is available on NVPC’s website.
