Northern Rock Foundation was an independent charity and company limited by guarantee in the United Kingdom.

The Northern Rock Foundation aimed to tackle disadvantage and improve quality of life in the North East and Cumbria.

[5] In April 1996, when the Building Society was considering demutualisation, plans were announced by the then chairman, Robert Dickinson, for the creation of the foundation.

Nationalisation ended the covenant requiring Northern Rock to remit a share of profits to the Foundation.

Instead, for the next three years the Foundation was to receive an annual £15 million payment from Northern Rock, whether it remained publicly owned or returned to the private sector.