To liaise with social welfare agencies, provide membership services and professional support, facilitate resource development; promote public understanding of welfare agencies and their services, enhance public accountability; foster strategic cross-sectoral partnership with the business and other professionals, and also pool together the effort of the third sector, to build a cohesive and caring society.

To promote social service development and planning, enhance service quality, promote and encourage agencies to adopt good practices, review service delivery models, provide forums for exchanges and joint endeavours, keep abreast of the overall needs and changes of society.

To co-ordinate training activities organized by the Council, enhance welfare agencies' capability, promote social services efficiency and effectiveness, promote sharing of experience in quality management, the effective use of management systems and tools to improve management and service delivery of social welfare services.

To undertake and support research and other evidence based studies on policies which have impact on welfare and social development, monitor and analyze social development statistics and trends, conduct policy analysis, advocacy and response, maintain regular dialogue with policy makers and communications with the public to promote understanding and influence policy making.

To foster network and exchanges with international and regional counterparts for experience sharing and practice advancement, represent the NGO sector to participate in and contribute to the international and regional social welfare and social development agenda, facilitate the local welfare sector to keep abreast of international agenda on welfare issues and standards of practices, monitor the compliance of the international conventions related to welfare and social development in Hong Kong.