The Nationwide Foundation
The Nationwide Foundation (the Foundation) is a registered charity (number 1065552) established in 1997 and capable of carrying out all charitable purposes under English law.
The Foundation is the beneficiary of the charitable assignment scheme put in place by the Society with effect from 3 November 1997. The scheme was put in place in order to address the disruption caused to the Society’s business from persons seeking to make short term gains from a demutualisation of the Society.
Customers who have become members of the Society since 3 November 1997 have (with certain exceptions) been required under the scheme to assign their rights to conversion benefits to the Foundation in the event that the Society’s business is transferred to a company. It is intended that each of the Society and the Foundation has the right independently to enforce the scheme against such members.
The Charity 
The Foundation is principally funded by the Society which makes lump sum donations to the charity from time to time. It is independent from the Nationwide Group and is run by a Board of Trustees which operates the Foundation in accordance with its charitable objects; these are to promote such purposes being exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales as the Trustees shall from time to time determine.
The Foundation carries out its objects by making grants to registered charities in the UK, in accordance with its strategic aims. The Trustees of the Foundation are committed to ensuring that the Foundation’s funds are deployed for maximum benefit and develop its grants programmes from detailed strategic reviews, incorporating research, feedback from charities about their funding needs, grant making experience and good practice.
The Foundation’s grants, in accordance with the charitable purposes of the Charities Act 2006, are designed to provide relief to people in need by reason of disadvantage and focus on causes which are not well supported by others.
Current Grant Making Activities
The Foundation aims to be a leading funder. It provides grants which address all sides of a social issue, from research into root causes through to practical ways to tackle them, and finally raising awareness to promote change.
Central to the Nationwide Foundation's work is a focus on housing and finance. All of the charities it currently funds tackle housing and finance issues affecting disadvantaged people in the UK and aim to improve quality of life. 
The Foundation has researched how best to focus its grants on groups which are less well supported than others. This research identified vulnerable older people and survivors of domestic abuse as specific beneficiaries of its funding from 2009-12.
Money Matters
The Foundation funds charities which help the target beneficiaries to:
access benefits
manage their finances, including debts
open bank accounts and access other financial products
manage their budgets household bills
be protected from financial abuse
Homes Matter
The Foundation aims to address housing issues and homelessness among its target beneficiary groups. It does this by funding:
projects to tackle the housing challenges faced by older people who live in rurally isolated areas
support services to help people live independently
resettlement projects which move people from temporary accommodation into permanent accommodation
The Foundation provides its support via two grant programmes:
The Investor Programme which has shared £3 million between 10 charities tackling housing and finance issues. These are substantial three-year grants, enhanced by ongoing support from the Foundation
The Small Grants Programme which awarded grants of up to £5,000 to smaller charities
Further information about the Foundation’s work can be found on its website
Trustees
The Foundation’s Board comprises 10 Trustees who meet quarterly, with sub-committees which meet more regularly. The Trustees are drawn from a wide variety of professional backgrounds including from the voluntary, public, private and commercial sectors. The Trustees are all members of the Nationwide Foundation and serve a maximum term of six years.
When vacancies arise, Trustees are recruited via open advertisement on the Foundation’s website and usually in relevant press, e.g. Third Sector magazine, The Times, The Guardian.
Feedback from Members
The Trustees of the Foundation continually welcome feedback on its work, particularly from Foundation Members.
How can I contact the Foundation?
Telephone: 01793 655113
Fax: 01793 652409
Address: The Nationwide Foundation, Nationwide House, Pipers Way, Swindon, Wilts, SN38 2SN
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who are Foundation members?
If you joined the Society after 2 November 1997, you will automatically have become a charity member of The Foundation and, in the unlikely event of conversion, any conversion benefits you would have received will be given to The Foundation instead to support its charitable objectives.
Members who joined the Society before 3 November 1997 can also join The Foundation, but must give up their right to any potential conversion benefits. If you would like to know more about this, ask at your local branch, or telephone the Society on 08457 30 20 10.
2. Who are Society members?
There are two types of Society member:
Investing members - those who hold a FlexAccount or savings account
Borrowing members - those who have a Society mortgage
The following accounts do not carry membership rights:
3. Can I be a member of both organisations?
Yes, you will be a member of both organisations if:
you became a member of the Society after 2 November 1997
you became a member of the Society before that date, but have chosen to give up any potential conversion benefits, and have therefore joined The Foundation
you were a member of Cheshire Building Society or Derbyshire Building Society after 2 November 1997. This is because both societies have now merged with Nationwide
you were an investing member of Dunfermline Building Society or have since 30 March 2009 when Nationwide acquired certain assets from Dunfermline taken up a Nationwide mortgage