At its core, Corporate Purpose is understood as the reason for a company’s existence and the broader role it plays in society.
 

National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), in partnership with the Singapore Business Federation Foundation (SBFF), seeks to nurture and connect organisations to do good strategically, sustainably, and impactfully. In the last decade, the concept of stakeholder capitalism has gained momentum, with many businesses pivoting from a shareholder-focused model to a stakeholder-focused approach.
 

This impetus for companies to rethink existing business practices and reframe their role and purpose in society was brought to the fore during the Covid-19 pandemic.
 

Despite businesses facing immense economic challenges over the last two years, NVPC saw businesses in Singapore not only increasing efforts to do good but also aligning their corporate giving objectives with company values.
 

This highlights the close nexus between business and society. Businesses can thrive only when society is thriving, cohesive and resilient, and vice versa.
 

As Singapore emerges from a “crisis of a generation,” the challenge is to help businesses make strategic shifts based on a well-defined Corporate Purpose aligned across five impact areas – People, Society, Governance, Environment and Economic.

The Corporate Purpose Framework and Blueprint  were created to enable systems-level change by establishing a set of principles, guidance and indicators co-developed by, with and for companies.
 

With the framework in place, your business – no matter how big or small – can select the most appropriate methods to embark on or advance your Corporate Purpose journey from wherever your starting point is, supported by indicators to track progress and development.

The Company of Good is a recognition for a company meeting robust standards of doing good across the 5 Impact Areas.

Eligible Companies of Good may enjoy these value-added services by NVPC:
 

National recognition
Accolades presented by senior government representatives.
 

Media coverage
Access to media features (e.g. broadcast, print, social media) secured by NVPC.
 

Organisational goodwill
Collaborations with other organisations and improvement in overall corporate standing.
 

Services & programmes
Engagement in signature programmes that enable participating organisations to progress on their respective journeys.

Company of Good is undergoing a strategic refresh to better guide and recognise businesses in the adoption of corporate purpose. This is aligned to the Forward Singapore exercise where businesses in Singapore must contribute to a better nation by bringing their capabilities and assets to support national development. This is best achieved when companies adopt corporate purpose.

By embracing corporate purpose, companies can achieve heightened business outcomes such as business resilience, talent attraction and retention, creativity and innovation, and trust from customers and investors.

The refreshed Company of Good will offer a new recognition model, guiding companies' purpose-related efforts to undertake and consider holistically the 5 impact areas, specifically – People, Society, Environment, Governance, Economic

NVPC will also provide greater support to companies through our programmes and partnerships, with the goals of:

1. encouraging companies to adopt a more purpose-driven business model;
2. building Companies of Good that will be assessed more holistically along the 5 Impact areas; and
3. building Champions of Good committed to being strong ecosystem partners.

To be a Company of Good (Bronze, Silver and Gold), a company must:

Apply in December each year and start your assessment
Your company will be required to articulate its commitment to adopt Corporate Purpose, and demonstrate Purpose in alignment with your business's strategy, products, and initiatives across the 5 impact areas. As you complete the assessment, keep a record of your supporting documentation for verification later.
Note: Your company will need to begin the re-application process before the recognition expires.

Submit your assessment online
Be transparent in sharing information about purpose-related efforts measured against the Company of Good recognition standards.
 

Get evaluated and verified
Complete request for further information and documentation for review (if required).
 

Be conferred
In the new recognition model, companies will be assessed by a robust judging panel and tiered at 3 distinct levels of achievement, i.e., Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Company will also receive a Company of Good digital certificate and Trust Mark upon doing so.

Company of Good (Bronze, Silver and Gold) is valid for two (2) years upon issuance.

Yes, Champions of Good (2017, 2018, 2020) are welcome to reapply for Company of Good, so the company can be assessed across the 5 impact areas and be tiered according to level of achievement.

Champions of Good (2022) are welcome to reapply in December 2023 for recognition as Company of Good (2024).

No membership fees are required to apply to be a Company of Good.

Yes, companies can provide supporting documents and details of relevant recognition awards/certifications /programmes that may support the Company of Good application and assessment. The central principle for our recognition system is harmonisation. All existing standards, marks and awards given to a company by Singapore government institutions and reputable global institutions will be considered.

Yes, companies considered for Champions of Good or Presidents' Award will be invited for clarification interviews with the judging panel.

Champions of Good was launched in 2017 as a national recognition initiative under the Company of Good. It recognises organisations that are exemplary in doing good and have also been a multiplier by engaging their partners and stakeholders on a collaborative journey. With the successful launch of the “Corporate Purpose: A Framework and Blueprint for Businesses in Singapore”, which will guide businesses in Singapore to initiate and progress in their respective corporate purpose journeys, the Champions of Good benchmark will continue to evolve to reflect and recognise organisations that have demonstrated exemplary efforts across the five impact areas – People, Society, Governance, Environment and Economic.

No, a company will only be required to submit ONE application and complete the assessment to be a Company of Good in December each year. Our judging panel will then assess the applications and invite the shortlisted companies for clarification interviews to be prequalified as Champions of Good.

Champions of Good is valid for three (3) years upon issuance.

The President’s Award is a designation that a company is meeting robust standards of doing good across the five impact areas and has demonstrated national ecosystem contributions in a variety of ways.