The Business Times

How to unlock the power of Singapore non-profits

Non-profit organisations in Singapore must recruit a thriving community of advisers from the private sector, and get the best and brightest to join them.

Von Sebastien Lamy and Usman Akhtar

First published on Februar 14, 2015
Min. Lesezeit


This article originally appeared in The Business Times Singapore (subscription required). Singapore’s non-profit sector is growing up as local non-profit organisations (NPOs) gradually evolve away from reliance on public funds and fill a critical gap, providing education, social services and healthcare to an expanding number of people in need. But as they mature and become more independent, NPOs are also gaining a better understanding of what limits their impact. A fundamental issue: making charitable donations and volunteering is still relatively novel to many in Singapore. Also, NPOs' future success depends on recruiting and accepting help from the private sector as well as on professionals' willingness to step up. Last year, Bain & Company—in collaboration with the Centre for Non-Profit Leadership (CNPL)—conducted its second survey of Singapore's NPOs, generating valuable insights into the state of non-profits and the best strategies to unlock their full power. Four years after our initial 2010 survey, we find NPOs have made strides in key areas. But the sector's expansion is jeopardised by three major challenges: attracting the talent required to sustain expansion goals; tackling a leadership crunch resulting from uneven management and board succession processes; and addressing insufficient disclosure and transparency about organisations and their impact, which undermines private sector confidence and contributions. Read the full article at The Business Times Singapore (subscription required).

This article originally appeared in The Business Times Singapore (subscription required).

Singapore’s non-profit sector is growing up as local non-profit organisations (NPOs) gradually evolve away from reliance on public funds and fill a critical gap, providing education, social services and healthcare to an expanding number of people in need.

But as they mature and become more independent, NPOs are also gaining a better understanding of what limits their impact. A fundamental issue: making charitable donations and volunteering is still relatively novel to many in Singapore. Also, NPOs' future success depends on recruiting and accepting help from the private sector as well as on professionals' willingness to step up.

Last year, Bain & Company—in collaboration with the Centre for Non-Profit Leadership (CNPL)—conducted its second survey of Singapore's NPOs, generating valuable insights into the state of non-profits and the best strategies to unlock their full power.

Four years after our initial 2010 survey, we find NPOs have made strides in key areas. But the sector's expansion is jeopardised by three major challenges: attracting the talent required to sustain expansion goals; tackling a leadership crunch resulting from uneven management and board succession processes; and addressing insufficient disclosure and transparency about organisations and their impact, which undermines private sector confidence and contributions.

Read the full article at The Business Times Singapore (subscription required).