The Nationwide Foundation

Charity Number: 1065552

Annual Expenditure: £3.9M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £3.87 million (donation from Nationwide Building Society in 2023/24)
  • Success Rate: 25% (approx. one in four applications)
  • Decision Time: Not specified (varies by programme)
  • Grant Range: £10,000 - £60,000 (Community Grants Programme)
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

Contact Details

  • Website: www.nationwidefoundation.org.uk
  • Email: enquiries@nationwidefoundation.org.uk
  • Phone: 01793 655113 / 0330 460 0709
  • Community Grants Portal: nationwidecommunitygrants.co.uk

Overview

The Nationwide Foundation is an independent charitable foundation established in 1997 by Nationwide Building Society. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over £40 million to more than 3,000 UK charitable causes. The Foundation's vision is for everyone in the UK to have access to a decent home they can afford. It operates with a long-term strategic approach through its Decent Affordable Homes strategy, which launched in 2013 and is set to run until at least 2031, now in its third phase. The Foundation receives annual funding from Nationwide Building Society (at least 0.25% of pre-tax profits, amounting to £3.87 million in 2023/24) but operates independently with its own board of trustees making all strategic and funding decisions. The Foundation takes a systemic approach to addressing the UK's housing crisis, focusing on testing innovative solutions, building evidence, and influencing policy change.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Community Grants Programme

  • Amount: £10,000 - £60,000
  • Duration: Typically two-year grants
  • Focus: Local housing projects supporting people in housing need
  • Application Method: Fixed deadline, online application
  • Historic Data: In 2022, £4.7 million was awarded to 94 charities. Since 2017, £17.7 million has been awarded to 444 housing projects

Note: As of late 2024, the Foundation is not accepting unsolicited funding applications outside of specific programmes, focusing instead on strategic partnerships with existing organizations to build deeper understanding of systemic changes required.

Three Strategic Programmes

  1. Nurturing Ideas to Change the Housing System - Supporting new and emerging solutions that could help create truly decent, affordable homes through research, pilot projects, and innovation
  1. Backing Community-Led Housing - Strengthening, supporting and championing the growth of community-led housing, including Community Land Trusts, housing co-operatives, and community-led developments
  1. Transforming the Private Rented Sector - Making sure private tenants have secure, affordable and decent homes through research, policy work, and advocacy

Priority Areas

  • Helping people into a home
  • Preventing people from losing their home
  • Supporting people to thrive within the home environment
  • Community-led housing infrastructure and capacity building
  • Research into systemic housing issues and innovative solutions
  • Projects supporting people in housing need through original or creative approaches
  • Initiatives demonstrating sustainability beyond the grant period
  • Projects with potential to inspire and scale across the UK

What They Don't Fund

The search did not reveal specific exclusions, but the Foundation's tight focus on housing-related projects means non-housing initiatives are unlikely to be funded. The Foundation prioritizes systemic change and strategic partnerships over individual project funding.

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Governance and Leadership

Chair

Saphié Ashtiany - Lawyer and consultant specializing in equality law, also trustee of Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust. On the Foundation's strategy, she stated: "I look forward to continuing to drive and deliver the Nationwide Foundation's Decent Affordable Homes strategy."

Chief Executive Officer

Kate Markey - Joined in 2024 to lead the Foundation's strategic development. Key quotes include:

  • "The UK's housing crisis is having a devastating impact on families and communities."
  • “Millions of people are living in unsafe, insecure, unaffordable homes – or in some cases without a home at all. This impacts childhoods and family life, our communities and the wider economy.”
  • "Successive UK governments have failed to address issues within housing systemically, leaving the UK housing sector in crisis. It's now time for bold, systemic action and urgent change, there is no time to waste."

Vice Chair

Judith McNeill - Chief executive of KPMG Foundation, previously worked at Comic Relief and Macmillan Cancer Support

Other Trustees

  • Terrie Alafat - Former chief executive of Chartered Institute of Housing
  • Tony Burton - Founder of Civic Voice
  • Kit Beazley - Chartered accountant, previously at Triodos Bank
  • Steve Evenden - Chief Internal Auditor at Nationwide Building Society
  • Robert Gardner - Chief economist at Nationwide Building Society
  • Baroness Alicia Kennedy - Chief Operating Officer at The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation
  • Gill Leng - Freelance policy and strategy consultant specializing in homes, communities, health
  • Damian Thompson - Commercial director of landlord at Nationwide Building Society

Trustees serve a maximum term of six years, except for the chair who can serve up to nine years.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Current Status: The Foundation is currently not accepting unsolicited funding applications. They are focusing on strategic partnerships with existing organizations to build deeper understanding of systemic changes required in the UK housing system.

When Open (Community Grants Programme - historical):

  • Online application through nationwidecommunitygrants.co.uk
  • Fixed application windows (e.g., April-May in previous years)
  • Application deadline typically in late May
  • All applicants must attend mandatory training session before submitting applications

Eligibility Requirements (Community Grants)

  • UK registered charities, Community Land Trusts, Community Interest Companies (CICs), or Community Benefit Societies
  • Minimum average annual income of at least £25,000 over the last 3 years
  • Consortia and partnerships encouraged (lead partner must meet organizational requirements)
  • All staff must be paid at least the Real Living Wage
  • Match funding requirement: at least 50% of total project cost sought and secured from other sources

Eligible Costs

  • Staff and volunteer costs (all staff must receive at least Real Living Wage)
  • Core costs up to 20% of grant amount requested
  • Small-scale capital costs (equipment, fixed assets)

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines not publicly disclosed. Historical data shows fixed application windows with decisions announced several months after deadline.

Success Rates

Approximately 25% (one in four applications successful). The Foundation caps applications to preserve this success rate, with quotas per region to ensure geographic spread.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy information was found in public sources. Organizations should contact the Foundation directly for guidance.

Application Success Factors

Priority Given To Projects That:

  1. Support people in housing need in original or creative ways, including both projects already delivering local impact and those carrying out research to find new ways to challenge the housing crisis
  1. Demonstrate sustainability beyond the life of the grant by building skills of staff and volunteers, diversifying funding streams, and providing long-term solutions
  1. Evidence knowledge of local issues and have a network of local connections demonstrating community rootedness
  1. Have robust plans to measure and report on the difference the grant will make, with clear outcomes and evaluation frameworks
  1. Have potential to inspire and be used by others across the country, contributing to systemic learning and change

Examples of Funded Projects

  • Knowle West Media Centre: Expanding the We Can Make project to unlock land plots and build affordable homes on post-war housing estates
  • Leeds Community Homes: Research exploring barriers faced by black and minority ethnic communities in developing community-led housing
  • Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research: Research on co-living as a solution for vulnerable older people
  • Fair Housing Futures (Shelter Greater Manchester): Transforming the private rented sector in Greater Manchester
  • Town and Country Planning Association: Drafting Healthy Homes Bill to legislate for improved decency standards
  • Community Land Trusts: Multiple projects supporting grassroots community-led housing development

Research shows 91% of community-led homes funded were genuinely affordable.

Key Language and Terminology

  • “Decent affordable homes”
  • “Systemic change”
  • “Housing need”
  • “Community-led housing”
  • “Sustainable solutions”
  • “Evidence-based”
  • “Scalable and replicable”

What Makes Applications Stand Out

  • Systemic thinking: Projects that address root causes rather than symptoms
  • Evidence and evaluation: Strong measurement and learning frameworks
  • Match funding secured: Demonstrates broader support and sustainability
  • Local knowledge: Deep understanding of community needs and connections
  • Innovation: Creative approaches to housing challenges
  • Scalability potential: Ideas that could be replicated elsewhere

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Housing focus is absolute: The Foundation exclusively funds housing-related work. Projects must clearly demonstrate how they help people access, maintain, or thrive in decent affordable homes.
  1. Systemic change is the goal: The Foundation prioritizes projects that contribute to long-term systemic change over short-term fixes. Demonstrate how your work influences the broader housing system.
  1. Match funding is expected: Secure at least 50% match funding before applying. This demonstrates broader support and financial sustainability.
  1. Evidence and evaluation matter: Show robust plans for measuring impact and contributing to sector learning. The Foundation values evidence-building.
  1. Check current funding status: The Foundation periodically closes to unsolicited applications. Monitor their website for when programmes reopen, as they focus on strategic partnerships during closed periods.
  1. Success rate context: With a 25% success rate (one in four), applications are competitive. Regional quotas mean local competition varies.
  1. Real Living Wage commitment: All staff must be paid at least the Real Living Wage - budget accordingly and highlight this commitment to fair pay.
  1. Learn from funded projects: Review previously funded projects on their website to understand what types of initiatives resonate with trustees and strategic priorities.

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