A message from the Chief Executive

This was a significant year for the Nationwide Foundation, during which the Board of Trustees completed a detailed strategic review and agreed a new three year grant making strategy.

The review involved research into how the Foundation could best focus its support on financial inclusion and housing issues. The work built upon previous research from New Philanthropy Capital and Corporate Citizenship, and identified survivors of domestic abuse and disadvantaged older people as key groups for support, since their needs appeared to have been neglected.

Rural isolation, dementia and being from black and minority ethnic groups can significantly increase financial exclusion for older people. Worries of how to manage finances and a household alone can cause survivors of domestic abuse to remain with their abusive partner. It is particularly difficult if the partner has taken out significant debts in their name and restricted their access to money, both of which are sadly, commonly reported.

The new strategy, 'Money Matters, Homes Matter, Families Matter', will offer three year grants of £300,000 to 10 charities. Our grant-making good practice means that we will also support these charities to build their organisational resilience; for example, through the funding of trustee training, facilitated strategy away days, consultancy on PR, HR or other areas of need. Additionally, the Foundation aims to bring its grantees together, to share learning, experience and expertise. For the third time, we will engage independent evaluators to monitor the Foundation's effectiveness and that of the charities it funds.

The Foundation, as ever, is grateful to Nationwide for its ongoing support and looks forward to implementing its new strategy in 2009-10.

Lisa Parker
Chief Executive
Nationwide Foundation