Form 485APOS NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FUNDS

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October 15, 2026 1:36 PM EDT

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AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 15, 2026

1933 Act File No. 333-40455

1940 Act File No. 811-08495

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

☒

Post-Effective Amendment No. 297

☒

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

☒

Amendment No. 324

☒

(Check appropriate box or boxes)

NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FUNDS

(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN CHARTER)

ONE NATIONWIDE PLAZA

MAIL CODE 1-18-102

COLUMBUS, OHIO 43215

(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE) (ZIP CODE)

(614) 435-5787

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code

Send Copies of Communications to:
ALLAN J. OSTER, ESQ.	PRUFESH R. MODHERA, ESQ.
ONE NATIONWIDE PLAZA	STRADLEY RONON STEVENS & YOUNG, LLP
COLUMBUS, OHIO 43215	2000 K STREET, N.W., SUITE 700
(NAME AND ADDRESS OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)	WASHINGTON, DC 20006

It is proposed that this filing will become effective: (check appropriate box)

☐ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

☐ on [date] pursuant to paragraph (b)

☐ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

☐ on [date] pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

☒ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

☐ on [date] pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

☐ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

Nationwide Mutual Funds

Prospectus __________, 2027

Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund

Class A ( ) / Class R6 ( )

Institutional Service Class ( ) / Eagle Class ( )

As with all mutual funds, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved this Fund's shares or determined whether this Prospectus is complete or accurate. To state otherwise is a crime.

nationwide.com/mutualfunds

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Table of Contents

2	Fund Summary
	Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund
6	How the Fund Invests
	Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund
7	Risks of Investing in the Fund
11	Fund Management
12	Investing with Nationwide Funds
	Share Classes
	Sales Charges and Fees
	Revenue Sharing
	Contacting Nationwide Funds
	Fund Transactions
	Buying Shares
	Fair Value Pricing
	Exchanging Shares
	Selling Shares
	Excessive or Short-Term Trading
23	Distributions and Taxes
26	Additional Information
27	Financial Highlights
28	Appendix A
	Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers

Fund Summary: Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund

Objective

The Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Investing with Nationwide Funds” commencing on page 12 of this Prospectus and in “Additional Information on Purchases and Sales” commencing on page 54 of the Statement of Additional Information. In addition, if you purchase shares through a specific intermediary, you may be subject to different sales charges including reductions in or waivers of such charges. More information about these intermediary-specific sales charge variations is available in Appendix A to the Fund’s Prospectus.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
	Class A Shares	Class R6 Shares	Institutional Service Class Shares	Eagle Class Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	5.75%	None	None	None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
	Class A Shares	Class R6 Shares	Institutional Service Class Shares	Eagle Class Shares
Management Fees	0.55%	0.55%	0.55%	0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%	None	None	None
Other Expenses1	[___]%	[___]%	[___]%	[___]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	[___]%	[___]%	[___]%	[___]%

(1) “Other Expenses” is based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

Example

This Example is intended to help you to compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those time periods. It assumes a 5% return each year and no change in expenses, and any expense limitation or fee waivers that may apply for the periods indicated above under “Fees and Expenses.” Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

	1 Year	3 Years
Class A Shares	$[__]	$[__]
Class R6 Shares	[__]	[__]
Institutional Service Class Shares	[__]	[__]
Eagle Class Shares	[__]	[__]

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. No portfolio turnover rate is disclosed as the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus.

Fund Summary: Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund (cont.)

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of issuers in emerging markets countries. Emerging markets include countries that have an emerging stock market as defined by MSCI, countries or markets with low- to middle-income economies as classified by the World Bank, and other countries that the subadviser identifies as having similar emerging market characteristics. Emerging markets tend to have relatively low gross national product per capita compared to the world’s major economies and may have the potential for rapid economic growth. An emerging markets issuer is one that is located in, that derives at least 50% of its earnings or revenues from, or that maintains at least 50% of its assets in, emerging markets countries. The Fund typically maintains investments in at least six countries. The Fund may invest in companies of any size, including smaller companies. Many securities in which the Fund invests are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

In selecting stocks for the Fund’s portfolio, the subadviser employs a quantitative investment process which utilizes the subadviser’s proprietary security identification and portfolio construction investment model technology. The model seeks to emphasize stocks with characteristics that the subadviser believes investors are currently seeking and underweights stocks with characteristics that investors are currently avoiding. The subadviser believes these investor risk preferences change over time, so its model seeks to dynamically adapt to reflect these changes. Although the subadviser aims to keep the Fund’s overall portfolio characteristics similar to those of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, certain factors, such as market capitalization size, sector weights and style often may differ from the Index as the subadviser seeks to control for risk. The Fund may engage in active and frequent portfolio trading.

Principal Risks

The Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective.

As with any fund, the value of the Fund’s investments—and therefore, the value of Fund shares—may fluctuate. These changes may occur because of:

Equity securities risk – stock markets are volatile. The price of an equity security fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions.

Market risk – the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. This occurs due to numerous factors, including interest rates, the outlook for corporate profits, the health of the

national and world economies, and the fluctuation of other securities markets around the world. These risks may be magnified if certain social, political, economic and other conditions and events (such as natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts, trade disputes and social unrest or rapid technological developments such as artificial intelligence) adversely interrupt the global economy.

Selection risk – the risk that the securities selected by the Fund’s subadviser will underperform the markets, the relevant indexes or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies.

Foreign securities risk – foreign securities often are more volatile, harder to price and less liquid than U.S. securities. The prices of foreign securities may be further affected by other factors, such as changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which the securities are traded.

Foreign currencies – foreign securities may be denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars.

Emerging markets risk – emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. Investments in emerging markets are considered speculative. Emerging markets are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging securities markets have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than developed markets. Since these markets are smaller than developed markets, they may be more likely to suffer sharp and frequent price changes or long-term price depression because of adverse publicity, investor perceptions or the actions of a few large investors. Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because the Fund will need to use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries are unreliable compared to developed markets. Companies in emerging market countries generally are subject to less stringent financial reporting, accounting and auditing standards than companies in more developed countries. In addition, information about such companies may be less available and reliable. Many emerging markets also have

Fund Summary: Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund (cont.)

histories of political instability and abrupt changes in policies, and the ability to bring and enforce actions may be limited. Certain emerging markets also face other significant internal or external risks, including the risk of war, nationalization of assets, unexpected market closures and ethnic, religious and racial conflicts.

Smaller company risk – smaller companies are usually less stable in price and less liquid than larger, more established companies. Smaller companies are more vulnerable than larger companies to adverse business and economic developments and may have more limited resources. Therefore, they generally involve greater risk.

Country or sector risk – if the Fund emphasizes one or more countries or economic sectors, it will be more susceptible to the financial, market or economic events affecting the particular issuers in which it invests than funds that do not emphasize particular countries or sectors.

Model and data risk – the Fund’s subadviser relies heavily on quantitative models and information and data supplied or made available by third parties (“Models and Data”). Models and Data are used to construct sets of transactions and investments and, to provide risk management insights.

When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, including because data is stale, missing or unavailable, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks. Some of the models used by the subadviser for the Fund are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. Because predictive models are usually constructed based on historical data supplied by third parties, the success of relying on such models depends heavily on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data. The Fund bears the risk that the quantitative models used by the subadviser will not be successful in selecting companies for investment or in determining the weighting of investment positions that will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

The subadviser, in its sole discretion, will continue to test, evaluate and add new models, which may result in the modification of existing models from time to time. There can

be no assurance that model modifications will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

Liquidity risk – when there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities or instruments, or specific securities are restricted or privately-offered, it can become more difficult to sell the securities or instruments at or near their perceived value. An inability to sell a portfolio position can adversely affect the Fund's value or prevent the Fund from being able to take advantage of other investment opportunities. Liquidity risk also includes the risk that the Fund will experience significant net redemptions of its shares at a time when it cannot find willing buyers for its portfolio securities or instruments or can sell its portfolio securities or instruments only at a material loss. To meet redemption requests, the Fund may be forced to sell other securities or instruments that are more liquid, but at unfavorable times and conditions. Investments in restricted securities, foreign securities and high-yield bonds tend to have more exposure to liquidity risk than registered or domestic securities and higher-rated bonds.

Quantitative analysis strategy risk – the success of the Fund's investment strategy depends in part on the effectiveness of the subadviser's quantitative tools for screening securities. These strategies may incorporate factors that are not predictive of a security's value. Additionally, a previously successful strategy may become outdated or inaccurate, possibly resulting in losses.

Portfolio turnover risk – a higher portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, may adversely impact the Fund’s performance, and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

New fund risk – the Fund is newly formed. The Fund’s investment strategy may not be successful under all future market conditions, which could result in the Fund being liquidated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders.

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Performance

Performance information gives some indication of the risks of an investment in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s performance with a broad measure of market performance. Performance information is not provided because the Fund is new and did not complete one full calendar year of operations.

Fund Summary: Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund (cont.)

Portfolio Management

Investment Adviser

Nationwide Fund Advisors

Subadviser

[________________]

Portfolio Managers

Portfolio Manager	Title	Length of Service with Fund
[____________]	[____________]	Since 2027
[____________]	[____________]	Since 2027
[____________]	[____________]	Since 2027

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum Initial Investment

Class A: $2,000

Class R6: $1,000,000

Institutional Service Class and Eagle Class: $50,000

Automatic Asset Accumulation Plan (Class A): $0*

*Provided each monthly purchase is at least $50

Minimum Additional Investment

Class A: $100

Class R6, Institutional Service Class and Eagle Class: no minimum

Automatic Asset Accumulation Plan (Class A): $50

In general, you can buy or sell (redeem) shares of the Fund through your broker-dealer or financial intermediary, or by mail or phone on any business day. You can generally pay for shares by check or wire.

To Purchase and Sell (Redeem) Fund Shares
Mail: Nationwide Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services P.O. Box 219336 Kansas City, MO 64121-9336	Overnight: Nationwide Funds c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services 801 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 219336 Kansas City, MO 64105-1307	Website: nationwide.com/ mutualfunds
Phone: 800-848-0920 (toll free). Representatives are available 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions are taxable, and generally will be taxed as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, in which case your distributions may be taxed as ordinary income when withdrawn from the tax-advantaged account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

How the fund invests: Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund

Objective

The Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. This objective may be changed by Nationwide Mutual Fund’s (the “Trust’s”) Board of Trustees (“Board of Trustees”) without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of issuers in emerging markets countries. Emerging markets include countries that have an emerging stock market as defined by MSCI, countries or markets with low- to middle-income economies as classified by the World Bank, and other countries that the subadviser identifies as having similar emerging market characteristics. Emerging markets tend to have relatively low gross national product per capita compared to the world’s major economies and may have the potential for rapid economic growth. An emerging markets issuer is one that is located in, that derives at least 50% of its earnings or revenues from, or that maintains at least 50% of its assets in, emerging markets countries. The Fund typically maintains investments in at least six countries. The Fund may invest in companies of any size, including smaller companies. Many securities in which the Funds invest are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

In selecting stocks for the Fund’s portfolio, the subadviser employs a quantitative investment process which utilizes the subadviser’s proprietary security identification and portfolio construction investment model technology. The model seeks to emphasize stocks with characteristics that the subadviser believes investors are currently seeking and underweights stocks with characteristics that investors are currently avoiding. The subadviser believes these investor risk preferences change over time, so its model seeks to dynamically adapt to reflect these changes. Although the subadviser aims to keep the Fund’s overall portfolio characteristics similar to those of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, certain factors, such as market capitalization size, sector weights and style, often may differ from the Index as the subadviser seeks to control for risk. The Fund may engage in active frequent portfolio trading.

Key Terms:

Emerging market countries – typically are developing

and low- or middle-income countries such as those

identified by MSCI or the World Bank. Emerging market

countries may be found in regions such as Asia, Latin

America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Equity securities – represent an ownership interest in the

issuer. Common stocks are the most common type of

equity securities.

Market capitalization – a common way of measuring the

size of a company based on the price of its common

stock times the number of outstanding shares.

Quantitative models – mathematical and statistical

models used in the investment process to evaluate

market conditions and to identify securities of issuers for

possible purchase or sale by the Fund.

Principal Risks

The Fund is subject to the same risks that apply to all mutual funds that invest in equity securities. For instance, the value of the Fund’s investments—and therefore, the value of Fund shares—may fluctuate.

In addition, the Fund is subject to COUNTRY or SECTOR RISK, EMERGING MARKETS RISK, EQUITY SECURITIES RISK, FOREIGN SECURITIES RISK, LIQUIDITY RISK, MARKET RISK, MODEL and DATA RISK, NEW FUND RISK, PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RISK, QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS STRATEGY RISK, SELECTION RISK and SMALLER COMPANY RISK, each of which is described in the section “Risks of Investing in the Funds” beginning on page 7.

The Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objectives. Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

Risks of Investing in the Fund

As with all mutual funds, investing in Nationwide Funds involves certain risks. There is no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective or that the Fund will perform as it has in the past. Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The following information relates to the principal risks of investing in the Fund, as identified in the “Fund Summary” and “How the Fund Invests” sections for the Fund. The Fund may invest in or use other types of investments or strategies not shown below that do not represent principal strategies or raise principal risks. More information about these non-principal investments, strategies and risks is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Emerging markets risk – the risks of foreign investments are usually much greater for emerging markets. Investments in emerging markets are considered to be speculative. Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. They are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging markets have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than developed markets and are more expensive to trade in. Since these markets are often small, they may be more likely to suffer sharp and frequent price changes or long-term price depression because of adverse publicity, investor perceptions or the actions of a few large investors. In addition, traditional measures of investment value used in the United States, such as price-to-earnings ratios, may not apply to certain small markets. Also, there may be less publicly available and reliable information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. Therefore, the ability to conduct adequate due diligence in emerging markets may be limited.

Many emerging markets have histories of political instability and abrupt changes in policies. As a result, their governments are more likely to take actions that are hostile or detrimental to private enterprise or foreign investment than those of more developed countries, including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the Fund could lose the entire value of its investments in the affected market. Some countries have pervasiveness of corruption and crime that may hinder investments. Certain emerging markets also face other significant internal or external risks, including the nationalization of assets, unexpected market closures, risk

of war, and ethnic, religious and racial conflicts. In addition, governments in many emerging market countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets, which may impair investment and economic growth. National policies that limit the Fund’s investment opportunities include restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests.

Emerging markets may also have differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments. Sometimes, they may lack or be in the relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. The ability to bring and enforce actions in emerging market countries may be limited and shareholder claims may be difficult or impossible to pursue. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors.

Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because the Fund will need to use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries are unreliable compared to developed markets. The possibility of fraud, negligence, or undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize that ownership exists in some emerging markets, and, along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being completely lost. The Fund would absorb any loss resulting from such registration problems and may have no successful claim for compensation. In addition, communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates.

Equity securities risk – the Fund could lose value if the individual equity securities in which the Fund has invested and/or the overall stock markets on which the stocks trade decline in price. Stocks and stock markets often experience short-term volatility (price fluctuation) as well as extended periods of price decline or little growth. Individual stocks are affected by many factors, including:

Investing for growth – common stocks and other equity-type securities that seek growth often involve larger price swings and greater potential for loss than other types of investments. These risks often are even greater in the case of smaller capitalization stocks.

Investing for income – income provided by the Fund may be reduced by changes in the dividend policies of, and the capital resources available for dividend payments at, the companies in which the Fund invests.

Risks of Investing in the Fund (cont.)

Foreign securities risk – foreign securities may be more volatile, harder to price and less liquid than U.S. securities. Foreign investments involve some of the following risks:

●political and economic instability;

●the impact of currency exchange rate fluctuations;

●sanctions imposed by other foreign governments, including the United States;

●reduced information about issuers;

●higher transaction costs;

●less stringent regulatory and accounting standards and

●delayed settlement.

Additional risks include the possibility that a foreign jurisdiction will impose or increase withholding taxes on income payable with respect to foreign securities; the possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of the issuer or foreign deposits (in which the Fund could lose its entire investment in a certain market); and the possible adoption of foreign governmental restrictions such as exchange controls.

Foreign currencies – foreign securities often are denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect the value of the Fund's portfolio. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars.

Regional – adverse conditions in a certain region can adversely affect securities of issuers in other countries whose economies appear to be unrelated. To the extent that a Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region, a Fund will generally have more exposure to regional economic risks. In the event of economic or political turmoil or a deterioration of diplomatic relations in a region or country where a substantial portion of a Fund’s assets are invested, the Fund may experience substantial illiquidity or losses.

Foreign custody – a Fund that invests in foreign securities may hold such securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business, and there may be limited or no regulatory oversight of their operations. The laws of certain countries put limits on a Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank, depository or issuer of a security, or any of their agents, goes bankrupt. In addition, it is often more expensive for a Fund to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount a Fund can earn on its investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for a Fund holding assets outside the United States.

Depositary receipts – investments in foreign securities may be in the form of depositary receipts, such as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), which typically are issued by local financial institutions and evidence ownership of the underlying securities. Depositary receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted.

Depositary receipts may or may not be jointly sponsored by the underlying issuer. The issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose information that is, in the United States, considered material. Therefore, there may be less information available regarding these issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts. Certain depositary receipts are not listed on an exchange and therefore may be considered to be illiquid securities.

Market risk – the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. In particular, market risk, including political, regulatory, market, economic and social developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, can affect the value of the Fund's investments. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in the markets negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund. These risks will be magnified if certain social, political, economic and other conditions and events (such as natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts, trade disputes and social unrest or rapid technological developments such as artificial intelligence) adversely interrupt the global economy. Increasingly strained relations between countries, including between the U.S. and traditional allies and/or adversaries, could adversely affect U.S. issuers as well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the United States for trade. In addition, any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the economies of the affected country and other countries with which it does business, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund's investments in that country and other affected countries. In these and other circumstances, such events or developments might affect companies world-wide and therefore can affect the value of the Fund's investments.

Model and data risk – given the complexity of the investments and strategies of the Fund, the Fund’s subadviser relies heavily on quantitative models and information and data supplied or made available by third parties (“Models and Data”). Models and Data are used to construct sets of transactions and investments, to provide

Risks of Investing in the Fund (cont.)

risk management insights, and to assist in hedging the Fund’s investments.

When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks. For example, by relying on Models and Data, the subadviser may be induced to buy certain investments at prices that are too high, to sell certain other investments at prices that are too low, or to miss favorable opportunities altogether. Similarly, any hedging based on faulty Models and Data may prove to be unsuccessful. The Fund bears the risk that the quantitative models used by the subadviser will not be successful in selecting companies for investment or in determining the weighting of investment positions that will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

Some of the models used by the subadviser for the Fund are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. For example, such models may incorrectly forecast future behavior, leading to potential losses on a cash flow and/or a mark-to-market basis. In addition, in unforeseen or certain low-probability scenarios (often involving a market disruption of some kind), such models may produce unexpected results, which can result in losses for the Fund. Furthermore, because predictive models may be constructed based on historical data supplied by third parties, the success of relying on such models may depend heavily on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data.

All models rely on correct data inputs. If incorrect data is entered into even a well-founded model, the resulting information will be incorrect. However, even if data is inputted correctly, “model prices” will often differ substantially from market prices, especially for instruments with complex characteristics, such as derivative instruments. Model prices can differ from market prices as model prices are typically based on assumptions and estimates derived from recent market data that may not remain realistic or relevant in the future. To address these issues, the subadviser evaluates model prices and outputs versus recent transactions or similar securities. In addition, models may be modified or enhanced from time to time as a result of new research or changes in market conditions.

The Fund is unlikely to be successful unless the assumptions underlying the models are realistic and either remain realistic and relevant in the future or are adjusted to account for changes in the overall market environment. If such assumptions are inaccurate or become inaccurate and are not promptly adjusted, it is likely that profitable trading signals will not be generated. If and to the extent that the models do not reflect certain factors, and the subadviser does not successfully address such omissions through its testing and evaluation and modify the models accordingly, major losses may result. The subadviser, in its sole discretion, will continue to test, evaluate and add new models, which may result in the

modification of existing models from time to time. Any modification of the models or strategies will not be subject to any requirement that shareholders receive notice of the change or that they consent to it. There can be no assurance that model modifications will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

Portfolio turnover risk – the Fund’s investment strategy may involve high portfolio turnover (such as 100% or more). A portfolio turnover rate of 100%, for example, is equivalent to the Fund buying and selling all of its securities once during the course of the year. A high portfolio turnover rate could result in high brokerage costs and an increase in taxable capital gains distributions to the Fund’s shareholders.

Country or sector risk – investments in particular industries sectors or countries may be more volatile than the overall equity or fixed-income markets. Therefore, if the Fund emphasizes one or more industries, economic sectors or countries, it will be more susceptible to financial, market, political or economic events affecting the particular issuers, industries and countries participating in such sectors than funds that do not emphasize particular industries, sectors or countries.

Selection risk – the risk that the securities or other instruments selected by the Fund's subadviser will underperform the markets, the relevant indexes or the securities or other instruments selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies.

Smaller company risk – in general, stocks of smaller companies trade in lower volumes, are less liquid, and are subject to greater or more unpredictable price changes than stocks of larger companies or the market overall. Smaller companies may have limited product lines or markets, be less financially secure than larger companies or depend on a smaller number of key personnel. If adverse developments occur, such as due to management changes or product failures, the Fund's investment in a smaller company may lose substantial value. Investing in smaller companies requires a longer-term investment view and may not be appropriate for all investors.

* * * * * *

Temporary defensive positions – the Fund generally will be fully invested in accordance with its objective and

Risks of Investing in the Fund (cont.)

strategies. However, pending investment of cash balances, in anticipation of possible redemptions, or if the Fund's management believes that business, economic, political or financial conditions warrant, the Fund may invest without limit in high-quality debt securities, cash or money market cash equivalents. The use of temporary defensive positions therefore is not a principal strategy, as it prevents the Fund from fully pursuing its investment objective, and the Fund may miss potential market upswings.

Selective Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

The Fund posts onto the internet site for the Trust (nationwide.com/mutualfunds) substantially all of its securities holdings as of the end of each month. For the Fund, such portfolio holdings are available no earlier than 15 calendar days after the end of the previous month, and generally remain available on the internet site until the Fund files its next portfolio holdings report on Form N-CSR or Form N-PORT with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. A description of the Fund's policies and procedures regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is available in the Fund's SAI.

Fund Management

Investment Adviser

Nationwide Fund Advisors (“NFA” or “Adviser”), located at One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215, manages the investment of the Fund's assets and supervises the daily business affairs of the Fund. Subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees, NFA also selects the subadvisers for the Fund, determines the allocation of Fund assets among one or more subadvisers and evaluates and monitors the performance of the subadvisers. Organized in 1999 as an investment adviser, NFA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.

Subadvisers

Subject to the oversight of NFA and the Board of Trustees, a subadviser will manage all or a portion of the Fund's assets in accordance with the Fund's investment objective and strategies. With regard to the portion of the Fund's assets allocated to it, the subadviser makes investment decisions for the Fund and, in connection with such investment decisions, places purchase and sell orders for securities. NFA pays the subadviser from the management fee it receives from the Fund.

[To Be Provided]

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the investment advisory and subadvisory agreements for the Fund will be in the Fund's reports filed on Form N-CSR, which will cover the period ending April 30, 2027. The reports are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, portions of which are available on the Fund's website.

Management Fees

The Fund pays NFA a management fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets. The total management fee that can be paid by the Fund, expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and not taking into account any applicable fee waivers or reimbursements, is as follows:

Fund	Assets	Management Fee
Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund	Up to $[____] million;	[____] %
Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund	$[____] million and more	[____] %

Portfolio Management

The portfolio managers for the Fund are [___________], [__________], and [__________]. This team is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

[__________] is __________ and has been with the firm since [____].

Additional Information about the Portfolio Managers

The SAI provides additional information about each portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by each portfolio manager and each portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund managed by the portfolio manager, if any.

Manager-of-Managers Structure

The Adviser and the Trust have received two exemptive orders from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a manager-of-managers structure. The first order allows the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to hire, replace or terminate a subadviser (excluding hiring a subadviser which is an affiliate of the Adviser) without the approval of shareholders. The first order also allows the Adviser to revise a subadvisory agreement with an unaffiliated subadviser with the approval of the Board of Trustees but without shareholder approval. The second order allows the aforementioned approvals to be taken at a Board of Trustees meeting held via any means of communication that allows the Trustees to hear each other simultaneously during the meeting.

If a new unaffiliated subadviser is hired for the Fund, shareholders will receive information about the new subadviser within 90 days of the change. The exemptive orders allow the Fund greater flexibility, enabling it to operate more efficiently.

Pursuant to the exemptive orders, the Adviser monitors and evaluates any subadvisers, which includes the following:

●performing initial due diligence on prospective Fund subadvisers;

●monitoring subadviser performance, including ongoing analysis and periodic consultations;

●communicating performance expectations and evaluations to the subadvisers;

●making recommendations to the Board of Trustees regarding renewal, modification or termination of a subadviser’s contract and

●selecting Fund subadvisers.

The Adviser does not expect to recommend subadviser changes frequently. The Adviser periodically provides written reports to the Board of Trustees regarding its evaluation and monitoring of each subadviser. Although the Adviser monitors each subadviser’s performance, there is no certainty that any subadviser or the Fund will obtain favorable results at any given time.

Investing with Nationwide Funds

Share Classes

When selecting a share class, you should consider the following:

●which share classes are available to you;

●how much you intend to invest;

●total costs and expenses associated with a particular share class and

●whether you qualify for any reduction or waiver of sales charges.

The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Trust or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or contingent deferred (backend) sales charge (“CDSC”) waivers. More information about purchasing shares through certain financial intermediaries appears in Appendix A to this Prospectus.

In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify Nationwide Funds or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts.

Your financial intermediary can help you to decide which share class is best suited to your needs. In addition to the sales charges and fees discussed in this section, your financial intermediary also may charge you a fee when you purchase or redeem a Fund’s shares.

The Nationwide Funds (also referred to as the “Funds”) offer several different share classes, each with different price and cost features. Class A shares are available to all investors. Class R6, Institutional Service Class and Eagle Class shares are available only to certain investors. For eligible investors, these share classes may be more suitable than Class A.

Before you invest, compare the features of each share class, so that you can choose the class that is right for you. We describe each share class in detail on the following pages. Your financial intermediary can help you with this decision.

Class A Shares

Class A shares are subject to a front-end sales charge of 5.75% of the offering price, which declines based on the size of your purchase as shown below. A front-end sales charge

means that a portion of your investment goes toward the sales charge and is not invested.

Amount of Purchase	Sales Charge as a Percentage of		Dealer Commission as a Percentage of Offering Price
Amount of Purchase	Offering Price	Net Amount Invested (approximately)	Dealer Commission as a Percentage of Offering Price
Less than $50,000	5.75 %	6.10 %	5.00 %
$50,000 to $99,999	4.75	4.99	4.00
$100,000 to $249,999	3.50	3.63	3.00
$250,000 to $499,999	2.50	2.56	2.00
$500,000 to $999,999	2.00	2.04	1.75
$1 million or more	None	None	None*

Dealer may be eligible for a finder’s fee as described in “Purchasing Class A Shares without a Sales Charge” below.

No front-end sales charge applies to Class A shares that you buy through reinvestment of Fund dividends or capital gains.

Waiver of Class A Sales Charges

Front-end sales charges on Class A shares are waived for the following purchasers:

●registered investment advisers, trust companies and bank trust departments exercising discretionary investment authority with respect to the amounts to be invested in the Fund;

●investors who participate in a self-directed investment brokerage account program offered by a financial intermediary that may or may not charge its customers a transaction fee;

●current shareholders of a Nationwide Fund who, as of February 28, 2017, owned their shares directly with the Trust in an account for which Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) was identified as the broker-dealer of record;

●directors, officers, full-time employees, and sales representatives and their employees of a broker-dealer that has a dealer/selling agreement with the Distributor;

●employer-sponsored 401(k) plans, 457 plans, 403(b) plans, health savings accounts, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit plans and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans;

●owners of individual retirement accounts (“IRA”) investing assets formerly in retirement plans that were subject to the automatic rollover provisions under Section 401(a)(31)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

●any investor who purchases Class A shares of a Fund (the “New Fund”) with proceeds from sales of Class K or Eagle Class shares of another Nationwide Fund, where the New Fund does not offer Class K or Eagle Class shares;

Investing with Nationwide Funds (cont.)

●investment advisory clients of the Adviser and its affiliates;

●Trustees and retired Trustees of the Trust and

●directors, officers, full-time employees (and their spouses, children or immediate relatives) of the Adviser or its affiliates, and directors, officers, full-time employees (and their spouses, children or immediate relatives) of any current subadviser to the Trust.

The SAI lists other investors eligible for sales charge waivers.

Reduction of Class A Sales Charges

Investors may be able to reduce or eliminate front-end sales charges on Class A shares through one or more of these methods:

●A larger investment. The sales charge decreases as the amount of your investment increases.

●Rights of accumulation (“ROA”). To qualify for the reduced Class A sales charge that would apply to a larger purchase than you are currently making (as shown in the table above), you and other family members living at the same address can add the current value of any Class A shares in all Nationwide Funds (except the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund) that you currently own or are currently purchasing to the value of your Class A purchase.

●Share repurchase privilege. If you redeem Fund shares from your account, you may qualify for a one time reinvestment privilege (also known as a Right of Reinstatement). Generally, you may reinvest some or all of the proceeds in shares of the same class without paying an additional sales charge within 30 days of redeeming shares on which you previously paid a sales charge. (Reinvestment does not affect the amount of any capital gains tax due. However, if you realize a loss on your redemption and then reinvest all or some of the proceeds, all or a portion of that loss may not be tax deductible.)

●Letter of Intent discount. If you declare in writing that you or a group of family members living at the same address intend to purchase and hold at least $100,000 in Class A shares (except the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund) during a 13-month period, your sales charge is based on the total amount you intend to invest. Your accumulated holdings (as described and calculated under “Rights of Accumulation” above) are eligible to be aggregated as of the start of the 13-month period and will be credited toward satisfying the Letter of Intent. You are not legally required to complete the purchases indicated in your Letter of Intent. However, if you do not fulfill your Letter of Intent, additional sales charges may be due and shares in your account would be liquidated to cover those sales charges. These additional

sales charges would be equal to any applicable front-end sales charges that would have been paid on the shares already purchased, had there been no Letter of Intent.

The value of cumulative-quantity-discount-eligible-shares equals the current value of those shares. The current value of shares is determined by multiplying the number of shares by their current public offering price. In order to obtain a sales charge reduction, you may need to provide your financial intermediary or the Fund’s transfer agent, at the time of purchase, with information regarding shares of the Fund held in other accounts which may be eligible for aggregation. Such information may include account statements or other records regarding shares of the Fund held in (i) all accounts (e.g., retirement accounts) with the Fund and your financial intermediary; (ii) accounts with other financial intermediaries; and (iii) accounts in the name of immediate family household members (spouse and children under 21). You should retain any records necessary to substantiate historical costs because the Fund, its transfer agent, and financial intermediaries may not maintain this information. Otherwise, you may not receive the reduction or waivers. This information regarding breakpoints is also available free of charge at nationwide.com/mutual-funds-sales-charges.jsp.

Purchasing Class A Shares without a Sales Charge

Purchases of $1 million or more of Class A shares of the Fund have no front-end sales charge. You can purchase $1 million or more in Class A shares in one or more of the Funds offered by the Trust (including the Fund in this Prospectus) at one time, or you can utilize the ROA discount and Letter of Intent discount as described above. However, a CDSC applies (as shown below) if a “finder’s fee” is paid by the Distributor to your financial advisor or intermediary and you redeem your shares within 18 months of purchase.

The CDSC does not apply:

●if you are eligible to purchase Class A shares without a sales charge because of a waiver identified in “Waiver of Class A Sales Charges” above;

●if no finder’s fee was paid or

●to shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions.

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions of Class A Shares

Amount of Purchase	$1 million or more
If sold within	18 months
Amount of CDSC	1.00%

Any CDSC is based on the original purchase price or the current market value of the shares being redeemed, whichever is less. If you redeem a portion of your shares, shares that are not subject to a CDSC are redeemed first,

Investing with Nationwide Funds (cont.)

followed by shares that you have owned the longest. This minimizes the CDSC you pay. Please see “Waiver of Contingent Deferred Sales Charges—Class A Shares” for a list of situations where a CDSC is not charged.

The CDSC for Class A shares of the Fund is described above; however, the CDSC for Class A shares of other Nationwide Funds may be different and is described in their respective Prospectuses. If you purchase more than one Nationwide Fund and subsequently redeem those shares, the amount of the CDSC is based on the specific combination of Nationwide Funds purchased and is proportional to the amount you redeem from each Nationwide Fund.

Waiver of Contingent Deferred Sales Charges—Class A Shares

The CDSC is waived on:

●the redemption of Class A shares purchased through reinvested dividends or distributions;

●Class A shares redeemed following the death or disability of a shareholder, provided the redemption occurs within one year of the shareholder’s death or disability and

●mandatory withdrawals of Class A shares from traditional IRAs after age 70 1∕2 (for shareholders who reached the age of 70 1∕2 on or prior to December 31, 2019) or the age of 72 (for shareholders who turned 70 1∕2 after December 31, 2019) and for other required distributions from retirement accounts.

If you qualify for a waiver of a CDSC, you must notify the Fund's transfer agent, your financial advisor or other intermediary at the time of purchase and also must provide any required evidence showing that you qualify. For more complete information, see the SAI.

Share Classes Available Only to Institutional Accounts

The Fund offers Institutional Service Class, Class R6 and Eagle Class shares. Only certain types of entities and selected individuals are eligible to purchase shares of these classes.

If an institution or retirement plan has hired an intermediary and is eligible to invest in more than one class of shares, the intermediary can help determine which share class is appropriate for that retirement plan or other institutional account. Plan fiduciaries should consider their obligations under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) when determining which class is appropriate for the retirement plan. Other fiduciaries also should consider their obligations in determining the appropriate share class for a customer including:

●the level of distribution and administrative services the plan or account requires;

●the total expenses of the share class and

●the appropriate level and type of fee to compensate the intermediary.

An intermediary may receive different compensation depending on which class is chosen.

Class R6 Shares

Class R6 shares are sold without a sales charge, and are not subject to Rule 12b-1 fees or administrative services fees. Therefore, no administrative services fees, sub-transfer agency payments or other service payments are paid to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries either from Fund assets or the Distributor’s or an affiliate’s resources with respect to sales of or investments in Class R6 shares, although such payments may be made by the Distributor or its affiliate from its own resources pursuant to written contracts entered into by the Distributor or its affiliate prior to April 1, 2014.

Class R6 shares are available for purchase only by the following:

●funds-of-funds;

●retirement plans for which no third-party administrator or other financial intermediary receives compensation from the Fund, the Distributor or the Distributor’s affiliates;

●a bank, trust company or similar financial institution investing for its own account or for trust accounts for which it has authority to make investment decisions as long as the accounts are not part of a program that requires payment of Rule 12b-1 or administrative services fees to the financial institution;

●clients of registered investment advisers who derive compensation for advisory services exclusively from such clients;

●high-net-worth individuals or corporations who invest directly with the Trust without using the services of a broker, investment adviser or other financial intermediary;

●current or former Trustees of the Trust or

●current holders of Class R6 shares of any Nationwide Fund.

Except as noted below, Class R6 shares are not available to retail accounts or to broker-dealer fee-based wrap programs.

Institutional Service Class Shares

Institutional Service Class shares are sold without a sales charge, and are not subject to Rule 12b-1 fees. Institutional Service Class shares are subject to a maximum annual administrative services fee of 0.25%. Institutional Service Class shares are available for purchase only by the following:

●retirement plans advised by financial professionals;

●retirement plans for which third-party administrators provide recordkeeping services and are compensated by the Funds for these services;

Investing with Nationwide Funds (cont.)

●a bank, trust company or similar financial institution investing for trust accounts for which it has authority to make investment decisions;

●fee-based accounts of broker-dealers and/or registered investment advisers investing on behalf of their customers;

●unregistered life insurance separate accounts using the investment to fund benefits for variable annuity contracts issued to governmental entities as an investment option for 457 or 401(k) plans or

●current holders of Institutional Service Class shares of any Nationwide Fund

Eagle Class Shares

Eagle Class shares are sold without a sales charge, and are not subject to Rule 12b-1 fees. Eagle Class shares are subject to a maximum administrative services fee of 0.10%. Eagle Class shares are available for purchase only by the following:

●retirement plans advised by financial professionals;

●retirement plans for which third-party administrators provide recordkeeping services and are compensated by the Fund for these services;

●fee-based accounts of registered investment advisers investing on behalf of their customers;

●current holders of Eagle Class shares of any Nationwide Fund.

Institutional Service Class , Eagle Class and Class R6 shares also may be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Distributor to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Institutional Service Class , Eagle Class or Class R6 shares through one of these programs, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker.

Sales Charges and Fees

Sales Charges

Sales charges, if any, are paid to the Distributor. These fees are either kept by the Distributor or paid to your financial advisor or other intermediary.

Distribution and Service Fees

The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, which permits Class A shares of the Fund to compensate the Distributor through distribution and/or service fees (“Rule 12b-1 fees”) for expenses associated with distributing and selling shares and maintaining shareholder accounts. These Rule 12b-1

fees are paid to the Distributor and are either kept or paid to your financial advisor or other intermediary for distribution and shareholder services and maintenance of customer accounts. Institutional Service Class shares, Eagle Class shares and Class R6 shares pay no Rule 12b-1 fees.

These Rule 12b-1 fees are in addition to any applicable sales charges and are paid from the Fund's assets on an ongoing basis. (The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly.) As a result, Rule 12b-1 fees increase the cost of your investment and over time may cost more than other types of sales charges. Under the Distribution Plan, Class A shares pay the Distributor annual amounts not exceeding the following:

Class	as a % of Daily Net Assets
Class A shares	0.25% (distribution or service fee)

Administrative Services Fees

Class A, Eagle Class and Institutional Service Class shares of the Fund are subject to fees pursuant to an Administrative Services Plan (the “Plan”) adopted by the Board of Trustees. These fees, which are in addition to Rule 12b-1 fees for Class A shares as described above, are paid by the Fund to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries (including those that are affiliated with NFA) who provide administrative support services to beneficial shareholders on behalf of the Fund and are based on the average daily net assets of the applicable share class. Under the Plan, a Fund may pay a broker-dealer or other intermediary a maximum annual administrative services fee of 0.25% for Class A and Institutional Service Class shares and 0.10% for Eagle Class shares; however, many intermediaries do not charge the maximum permitted fee or even a portion thereof and the Board of Trustees has implemented limits on the amounts of payments under the Plan for certain types of shareholder accounts.

For the current fiscal year, administrative services fees are estimated to be as follows:

Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund Class A, Institutional Service Class and Eagle Class shares: 0.25%, 0.25% and 0.10%, respectively.

Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s Class A, Eagle Class and Institutional Service Class assets on an ongoing basis, these fees will increase the cost of your investment in such share classes over time and may cost you more than paying other types of fees.

Revenue Sharing

The Adviser and/or its affiliates (collectively, “Nationwide Investment Management Group” or “NIMG”) often make payments for marketing, promotional or related services provided by broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries that sell shares of the Trust or which include them as investment options for their respective customers.

Investing with Nationwide Funds (cont.)

These payments are often referred to as “revenue sharing payments.” The existence or level of such payments may be based on factors that include, without limitation, differing levels or types of services provided by the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the expected level of assets or sales of shares, the placing of some or all of the Funds on a recommended or preferred list, and/or access to an intermediary’s personnel and other factors. Revenue sharing payments are paid from NIMG’s own legitimate profits and other of its own resources (not from the Funds’) and may be in addition to any Rule 12b-1 payments or administrative services payments that are paid to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries. Because revenue sharing payments are paid by NIMG, and not from the Funds’ assets, the amount of any revenue sharing payments is determined by NIMG.

In addition to the revenue sharing payments described above, NIMG may offer other incentives to sell shares of the Funds in the form of sponsorship of educational or other client seminars relating to current products and issues, assistance in training or educating an intermediary’s personnel, and/or entertainment or meals. These payments also may include, at the direction of a retirement plan’s named fiduciary, amounts to a retirement plan intermediary to offset certain plan expenses or otherwise for the benefit of plan participants and beneficiaries.

The recipients of such payments may include:

●the Adviser’s affiliates;

●broker-dealers;

●financial institutions and

●other financial intermediaries through which investors may purchase shares of a Fund.

Payments may be based on current or past sales, current or historical assets or a flat fee for specific services provided. In some circumstances, such payments may create an incentive for an intermediary or its employees or associated persons to sell shares of a Fund to you instead of shares of funds offered by competing fund families.

Contact your financial intermediary for details about revenue sharing payments it may receive.

Notwithstanding the revenue sharing payments described above, the Adviser and all subadvisers to the Trust are prohibited from considering a broker-dealer’s sale of any of the Trust’s shares in selecting such broker-dealer for the execution of Fund portfolio transactions.

Fund portfolio transactions nevertheless may be effected with broker-dealers who coincidentally may have assisted customers in the purchase of Fund shares, although neither such assistance nor the volume of shares sold of the Trust or any affiliated investment company is a qualifying or disqualifying factor in the Adviser’s or a subadviser’s selection of such broker-dealer for portfolio transaction execution.

Contacting Nationwide Funds

Representatives are available 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, at 800-848-0920.

Automated Voice Response Call 800-848-0920, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for easy access to mutual fund information. Choose from a menu of options to:

●make transactions;

●hear fund price information and

●obtain mailing and wiring instructions.

Internet Go to nationwide.com/mutualfunds 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for easy access to your mutual fund accounts. The website provides instructions on how to select a password and perform transactions. On the website, you can:

●download Fund Prospectuses;

●obtain information on the Nationwide Funds;

●access your account information and

●request transactions, including purchases, redemptions and exchanges.

By Regular Mail Nationwide Funds, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 219336,
Kansas City, MO 64121-9336.

By Overnight Mail Nationwide Funds, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
801 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 219336,

Kansas City, MO 64105-1307.

Investing with Nationwide Funds (cont.)

Fund Transactions

Unless you qualify for a Class A sales charge waiver, as described in “Waiver of Class A Sales Charges” above, or you otherwise qualify to purchase either Institutional Service Class shares, Eagle Class shares or Class R6 shares (and meet the applicable minimum investment amount), you may buy Fund shares only through a broker-dealer or financial intermediary that is authorized to sell you shares of Nationwide Funds. All transaction orders must be received by the Funds’ transfer agent or an authorized intermediary prior to the calculation of each Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) to receive that day’s NAV.

How to Buy Shares	How to Exchange* or Sell** Shares
Be sure to specify the class of shares you wish to purchase. Each Fund may reject any order to buy shares and may suspend the sale of shares at any time.	* Exchange privileges may be amended or discontinued upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
	**A signature guarantee may be required. See “Signature Guarantee” below.
Through an authorized intermediary. The Distributor has relationships with certain brokers and other financial intermediaries who are authorized to accept purchase, exchange and redemption orders for the Funds. Your transaction is processed at the NAV next calculated after the Funds’ agent or an authorized intermediary receives your order in proper form.	Through an authorized intermediary. The Distributor has relationships with certain brokers and other financial intermediaries who are authorized to accept purchase, exchange and redemption orders for the Funds. Your transaction is processed at the NAV next calculated after the Funds’ agent or an authorized intermediary receives your order in proper form.
By mail. Complete an application and send with a check made payable to: Nationwide Funds. You must indicate the broker or financial intermediary that is authorized to sell you Fund shares. Payment must be made in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank. The Funds do not accept cash, starter checks, third-party checks, travelers’ checks, credit card checks or money orders. The Funds may, however, under circumstances they deem to be appropriate, accept cashier’s checks. Nationwide Funds reserves the right to charge a fee with respect to any checks that are returned for insufficient funds.	By mail. You may request an exchange or redemption by mailing a letter to Nationwide Funds. The letter must include your account number(s) and the name(s) of the Fund(s) you wish to exchange from and to. The letter must be signed by all account owners.
By telephone. You will have automatic telephone transaction privileges unless you decline this option on your application. The Funds follow procedures to seek to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine and will not be liable for any loss, injury, damage or expense that results from executing such instructions. The Funds may revoke telephone transaction privileges at any time, without notice to shareholders.	By telephone. You will have automatic telephone transaction privileges unless you decline this option on your application. The Funds follow procedures to seek to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine and will not be liable for any loss, injury, damage or expense that results from executing such instructions. The Funds may revoke telephone transaction privileges at any time, without notice to shareholders. Additional information for selling shares. A check made payable to the shareholder(s) of record will be mailed to the address of record. The Funds may record telephone instructions to redeem shares and may request redemption instructions in writing, signed by all shareholders on the account.
Online. Transactions may be made through the Nationwide Funds’ website. However, the Funds may discontinue online transactions of Fund shares at any time.	Online. Transactions may be made through the Nationwide Funds’ website. However, the Funds may discontinue online transactions of Fund shares at any time.
By bank wire. You may have your bank transmit funds by federal funds wire to the Funds’ custodian bank. (The authorization will be in effect unless you give the Funds written notice of its termination.) ●if you choose this method to open a new account, you must call our toll-free number before you wire your investment and arrange to fax your completed application. ●your bank may charge a fee to wire funds. ●the wire must be received by the close of regular trading (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) in order to receive the current day’s NAV.	By bank wire. The Funds can wire the proceeds of your redemption directly to your account at a commercial bank. A voided check must be attached to your application. (The authorization will be in effect unless you give the Funds written notice of its termination.) ●your proceeds typically will be wired to your bank on the next business day after your order has been processed. ●Nationwide Funds deducts a $20 service fee from the redemption proceeds for this service. ●your financial institution also may charge a fee for receiving the wire. ●funds sent outside the U.S. may be subject to higher fees. Bank wire is not an option for exchanges.
By Automated Clearing House (ACH). You may fund your Nationwide Funds’ account with proceeds from a domestic bank via ACH. To set up your account for ACH purchases, a voided check must be attached to your application. Your account will be eligible to receive ACH purchases 15 days after you provide your bank’s routing number and account information to the Fund’s transfer agent. Once your account is eligible to receive ACH purchases, the purchase price for Fund shares is the net asset value next determined after your order is received by the transfer agent, plus any applicable sales charge. There is no fee for this service. (The authorization will be in effect unless you give the Funds written notice of its termination.)	By Automated Clearing House (ACH). Your redemption proceeds can be sent to your bank via ACH. A voided check must be attached to your application. Money sent through ACH should reach your bank in two business days. There is no fee for this service. (The authorization will be in effect unless you give the Funds written notice of its termination.) ACH is not an option for exchanges.
Retirement plan participants should contact their retirement plan administrator regarding transactions. Retirement plans or their administrators wishing to conduct transactions should call our toll-free number.	Retirement plan participants should contact their retirement plan administrator regarding transactions. Retirement plans or their administrators wishing to conduct transactions should call our toll-free number.

Investing with Nationwide Funds (cont.)

Buying Shares

Share Price

The net asset value per share or “NAV” per share is the value of a single share. A separate NAV is calculated for each share class of a Fund. The NAV is:

●calculated at the close of regular trading (usually 4 p.m. Eastern time) each day the New York Stock Exchange is open and

●generally determined by dividing the total net market value of the securities and other assets owned by a Fund allocated to a particular class, less the liabilities allocated to that class, by the total number of outstanding shares of that class.

The purchase or “offering” price for Fund shares is the NAV (for a particular class) next determined after the order is received by a Fund or its agent or authorized intermediary, plus any applicable sales charge.

The Funds generally are available only to investors residing in the United States. Each Fund may reject any order to buy shares and may suspend the sale of shares at any time.

Fair Value Pricing

The Board of Trustees and the Adviser have adopted joint Valuation Procedures governing the method by which individual portfolio securities held by the Funds are valued in order to determine each Fund’s NAV. The Valuation Procedures provide that Fund assets for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued at current market value. Equity securities generally are valued at the last quoted sale price, or if there is no sale price, the last quoted bid price provided by a third-party pricing service. Securities traded on NASDAQ generally are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Prices are taken from the primary market or exchange in which each security trades. Debt and other fixed-income securities are generally valued at the bid evaluation price provided by a third-party pricing service.

In addition, fair value determinations are required for securities whose value is affected by a significant event (as defined below) that will materially affect the value of a security and which occurs subsequent to the time of the close of the principal market on which such security trades but prior to the calculation of the Funds’ NAVs. A

“significant event” is defined by the Valuation Procedures as an event that materially affects the value of a security that occurs after the close of the principal market on which such security trades but before the calculation of a Fund’s NAV. Significant events that could affect individual portfolio securities may include corporate actions such as reorganizations, mergers and buy-outs, corporate announcements on earnings, significant litigation, regulatory news such as government approvals and news relating to natural disasters affecting an issuer’s operations. Significant events that could affect a large number of securities in a particular market may include significant market fluctuations, market disruptions or market closings, governmental actions or other developments, or natural disasters or armed conflicts that affect a country or region.

By fair valuing a security whose price may have been affected by significant events or by news after the last market pricing of the security, each Fund attempts to establish a price that would be received to sell the security (or paid to transfer a liability) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value of one or more of the securities in a Fund’s portfolio which is used to determine a Fund’s NAV could be different from the actual value at which those securities could be sold in the market. Thus, fair valuation may have an unintended dilutive or accretive effect on the value of shareholders’ investments in a Fund.

Due to the time differences between the closings of the relevant foreign securities exchanges and the time that the Fund’s NAV is calculated, the Fund may fair value its foreign investments more frequently than it does other securities. When fair value prices are utilized, these prices will attempt to reflect the impact of the financial markets’ perceptions and trading activities on the Fund’s foreign investments since the last closing prices of the foreign investments were calculated on their primary foreign securities markets or exchanges. The fair values assigned to the Fund’s foreign investments may not be the quoted or published prices of the investments on their primary markets or exchanges. Because certain of the securities in which the Fund may invest may trade on days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the Fund’s investments may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem their shares.

These procedures are intended to help ensure that the prices at which a Fund’s shares are purchased and redeemed are fair, and do not result in dilution of shareholder interests or other harm to shareholders. In the event a Fund fair values its securities using the fair valuation procedures described above, the Fund’s NAV may be higher or lower than would have been the case if the Fund had not used such procedures.

Subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees, the Adviser, as “valuation designee,” performs fair value determinations

Investing with Nationwide Funds (cont.)

of Fund investments. In addition, the Adviser, as the valuation designee, is responsible for periodically assessing any material risks associated with the determination of the fair value of a Fund's investments; establishing and applying fair value methodologies; testing the appropriateness of fair value methodologies; and overseeing and evaluating third-party pricing services. The Adviser has established a fair value committee to assist with its designated responsibilities as valuation designee.

In-Kind Purchases

Each Fund may accept payment for shares in the form of securities that are permissible investments for the Fund.

The Funds do not calculate NAV on days when the New York Stock Exchange is closed.

●New Year’s Day

●Martin Luther King Jr. Day

●Presidents’ Day

●Good Friday

●Memorial Day

●Juneteenth National Independence Day

●Independence Day

●Labor Day

●Thanksgiving Day

●Christmas Day

●Other days when the New York Stock Exchange is closed.

Minimum Investments

Class A Shares
To open an account	$2,000 (per Fund)
To open an IRA account	$1,000 (per Fund)
Additional Investments	$100 (per Fund)
To start an Automatic Asset Accumulation Plan	$0 (provided each monthly purchase is at least $50)
Additional Investments (Automatic Asset Accumulation Plan)	$50
Class R6 Shares
To open an account	$1 million (per Fund)
Additional Investments	No Minimum
Institutional Service Class Shares and Eagle Class Shares
To open an account	$50,000 (per Fund)
Additional Investments	No Minimum
Minimum investment requirements do not apply to purchases by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates (or to their spouses, children or immediate relatives), or to certain retirement plans, fee-based programs or omnibus accounts. If you purchase shares through an intermediary, different minimum account requirements may apply. The Distributor reserves the right to waive the investment minimums under certain circumstances.

Customer Identification Information

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person that opens a new account, and to determine whether such person’s name appears on government lists of known or suspected terrorists and terrorist organizations.

As a result, unless such information is collected by the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary pursuant to an agreement, the Funds must obtain the following information for each person that opens a new account:

●name;

●date of birth (for individuals);

●residential or business street address (although post office boxes are still permitted for mailing) and

●Social Security number, taxpayer identification number or other identifying number.

You also may be asked for a copy of your driver’s license, passport or other identifying document in order to verify your identity. In addition, it may be necessary to verify your identity by cross-referencing your identification information with a consumer report or other electronic database. Additional information may be required to open accounts for corporations and other entities. Federal law prohibits the Funds and other financial institutions from opening a new account unless they receive the minimum identifying information listed above. After an account is opened, the Funds may restrict your ability to purchase additional shares until your identity is verified. The Funds may close your account or take other appropriate action if they are unable to verify your identity within a reasonable time. If your account is closed for this reason, your shares will be redeemed at the NAV next calculated after the account is closed.

Accounts with Low Balances

Maintaining small accounts is costly for the Funds and may have a negative effect on performance. Shareholders are encouraged to keep their accounts above each Fund’s minimum.

●If the value of your account falls below $2,000 ($1,000 for IRA accounts), you generally are subject to a $5 quarterly fee, unless such account actively participates in an Automatic Asset Accumulation Plan. Shares from your account are redeemed each quarter/month to cover the fee, which is returned to the Fund to offset small account expenses. Under some circumstances, a Fund may waive the low-balance fee.

●Each Fund reserves the right to redeem your remaining shares and close your account if a redemption of shares brings the value of your account below the minimum. In such cases, you will be notified and given 60 days to

Investing with Nationwide Funds (cont.)

purchase additional shares before the account is closed. A redemption of your remaining shares may be a taxable event for you. See “Distributions and Taxes—Selling or Exchanging Shares” below.

Exchanging Shares

You may exchange your Fund shares for shares of any Nationwide Fund that is currently accepting new investments as long as:

●both accounts have the same registration;

●your first purchase in the new fund meets its minimum investment requirement and

●you purchase the same class of shares.

No minimum investment requirement shall apply to holders of Institutional Service Class shares seeking to exchange such shares for Institutional Service Class shares of another Fund, or to holders of Class R6 shares seeking to exchange such shares for Class R6 shares of another Fund, where such Institutional Service Class or Class R6 shares (as applicable) had been designated as Class D shares at the close of business on July 31, 2012.

The exchange privileges may be amended or discontinued upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.

Generally, there are no sales charges for exchanges of shares. However,

●if you exchange from Class A shares of a Fund to a Fund with a higher sales charge, you may have to pay the difference in the two sales charges.

●if you exchange Class A shares that are subject to a CDSC, and then redeem those shares within 18 months of the original purchase, the CDSC applicable to the original purchase is charged.

For purposes of calculating a CDSC, the length of ownership is measured from the date of original purchase and is not affected by any permitted exchange (except exchanges to the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund).

Exchanges into the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund

You may exchange between Class R6 shares of the Funds and Class R6 shares of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund. You may exchange between all other share classes of the Funds and the Investor Shares of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund. If your original investment was in Investor Shares, any exchange of Investor Shares you make for Class A shares of another Nationwide Fund may require you to pay the sales charge applicable to such new shares. In addition, if you exchange shares subject to a CDSC, the length of time you own Investor Shares of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund is not included for purposes of determining the CDSC. Redemptions from the Nationwide Government

Money Market Fund are subject to any CDSC that applies to the original purchase.

Selling Shares

You can sell or, in other words, redeem your Fund shares at any time, subject to the restrictions described below. The price you receive when you redeem your shares is the NAV (minus any applicable sales charges) next determined after the Fund’s authorized intermediary or an agent of the Fund receives your properly completed redemption request. The value of the shares you redeem may be worth more than or less than their original purchase price, depending on the market value of the Fund’s investments at the time of the redemption.

You may not be able to redeem your Fund shares or Nationwide Funds may delay paying your redemption proceeds if:

●the New York Stock Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings);

●trading is restricted or

●an emergency exists (as determined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission).

In addition, in accordance with applicable legal requirements, the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund may suspend redemptions if:

●the Fund, at the end of a business day, has invested less than ten percent of its total assets in weekly liquid assets or the Fund’s price per share as computed for the purpose of distribution, redemption and repurchase, rounded to the nearest one percent, has deviated from the stable price established by the Board of Trustees or the Board of Trustees, including a majority of its non-interested Trustees, determines that such a deviation is likely to occur;

●the Board of Trustees, including a majority of non-interested Trustees, irrevocably has approved the liquidation of the Fund; and

●the Fund, prior to suspending redemptions, notifies the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of its decision to liquidate and suspend redemptions.

Generally, a Fund will pay you for the shares that you redeem within two days after your redemption request is received by check or electronic transfer, except as noted below. Payment for shares that you recently purchased may be delayed up to 10 business days from the purchase date to allow time for your payment to clear. If you are selling shares that were recently purchased by check or through ACH, redemption proceeds may not be available until your check has cleared or the ACH transaction has been completed (which may take 10 business days from your date of purchase). A Fund may delay forwarding redemption proceeds for up to seven days if the account holder:

Investing with Nationwide Funds (cont.)

●is engaged in excessive trading or

●if the amount of the redemption request would disrupt efficient portfolio management or adversely affect the Fund.

Under normal circumstances, a Fund expects to satisfy redemption requests through the sale of investments held in cash or cash equivalents. However, a Fund may also use the proceeds from the sale of portfolio securities or a bank line of credit to meet redemption requests if consistent with management of the Fund, or in stressed market conditions. Under extraordinary circumstances, a Fund, in its sole discretion, may elect to honor redemption requests by transferring some of the securities held by the Fund directly to an account holder as a redemption in-kind. If an account holder receives securities in a redemption in-kind, the account holder may incur brokerage costs, taxes or other expenses in converting the securities to cash. Securities received from in-kind redemptions are subject to market risk until they are sold. For more about Nationwide Funds’ ability to make a redemption in-kind as well as how redemptions in-kind are effected, see the SAI.

The Board of Trustees has adopted procedures for redemptions in-kind of affiliated persons of a Fund. Affiliated persons of a Fund include shareholders who are affiliates of the Adviser and shareholders of a Fund owning 5% or more of the outstanding shares of that Fund. These procedures provide that a redemption in-kind shall be effected at approximately the affiliated shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s current net assets, and are designed so that such redemptions will not favor the affiliated shareholder to the detriment of any other shareholder.

Automatic Withdrawal Program

You may elect to automatically redeem shares in a minimum amount of $50. Complete the appropriate section of the Mutual Fund Application for New Accounts or contact your financial intermediary or the Funds’ transfer agent. Your account value must meet the minimum initial investment amount at the time the program is established. This program may reduce, and eventually deplete, your account. Generally, it is not advisable to continue to purchase Class A shares subject to a sales charge while redeeming shares using this program. An automatic withdrawal plan for Class A shares will be subject to any applicable CDSC.

Signature Guarantee

A signature guarantee is required for sales of shares of the Funds in any of the following instances:

●your account address has changed within the last 30 calendar days;

●the redemption check is made payable to anyone other than the registered shareholder;

●the proceeds are mailed to any address other than the address of record;

●the redemption proceeds are being wired or sent by ACH to a bank for which instructions currently are not on your account or

●the redemption amount is $500,000 or more.

No signature guarantee is required under normal circumstances where redemption proceeds are transferred directly to another account maintained by a Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. company.

A signature guarantee is a certification by a bank, brokerage firm or other financial institution that a customer’s signature is valid. We reserve the right to require a signature guarantee in other circumstances, without notice.

Excessive or Short-Term Trading

The Nationwide Funds seek to discourage excessive or short-term trading (often described as “market timing”). Excessive trading (either frequent exchanges between Nationwide Funds or redemptions and repurchases of Nationwide Funds within a short time period) may:

●disrupt portfolio management strategies;

●increase brokerage and other transaction costs and

●negatively affect fund performance.

Each Fund may be more or less affected by short-term trading in Fund shares, depending on various factors such as the size of the Fund, the amount of assets the Fund typically maintains in cash or cash equivalents, the dollar amount, number and frequency of trades in Fund shares and other factors. A Fund that invests in foreign securities may be at greater risk for excessive trading. Investors may attempt to take advantage of anticipated price movements in securities or derivatives held by a Fund based on events occurring after the close of a foreign market that may not be reflected in a Fund’s NAV (referred to as “arbitrage market timing”). Arbitrage market timing also may be attempted in funds that hold significant investments in small-cap securities, commodity-linked investments, high-yield (junk) bonds and other types of investments that may not be frequently traded. There is the possibility that arbitrage market timing, under certain circumstances, may dilute the value of Fund shares if redeeming shareholders receive proceeds (and buying shareholders receive shares) based on NAVs that do not reflect appropriate fair value prices.

The Board of Trustees has adopted the following policies with respect to excessive or short-term trading in the Funds.

Investing with Nationwide Funds (cont.)

Fair Valuation

The Funds have fair value pricing procedures in place as described above in “Investing with Nationwide Funds: Fair Value Pricing.”

Monitoring of Trading Activity

The Funds, through the Adviser, their subadvisers and their agents, monitor selected trades and flows of money in and out of the Funds in an effort to detect excessive short-term trading activities. Further, in compliance with Rule 22c-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, Nationwide Investment Management Group, on behalf of the Funds, has entered into written agreements with the Funds’ financial intermediaries, under which the intermediary must, upon request, provide a Fund with certain shareholder identity and trading information so that the Fund can enforce its market timing policies. If a shareholder is found to have engaged in excessive short-term trading, the Funds may, at their discretion, ask the shareholder to stop such activities or refuse to process purchases or exchanges in the shareholder’s account.

Despite its best efforts, a Fund may be unable to identify or deter excessive trades conducted through intermediaries or omnibus accounts that transmit aggregate purchase, exchange and redemption orders on behalf of their customers. In short, a Fund may not be able to prevent all market timing and its potential negative impact.

Restrictions on Transactions

Whenever a Fund is able to identify short-term trades and/or traders, such Fund has broad authority to take discretionary action against market timers and against particular trades and apply the short-term trading restrictions to such trades that the Fund identifies. It also has sole discretion to:

●restrict or reject purchases or exchanges that the Fund or its agents believe constitute excessive trading and

●reject transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies or its exchange limits.

Distributions and Taxes

The following information is provided to help you understand the income and capital gains you may earn while you own Fund shares, as well as the federal income taxes you may have to pay. The amount of any distribution varies and there is no guarantee a Fund will pay either income dividends or capital gain distributions. For advice about your personal tax situation, please speak with your tax advisor.

Income and Capital Gain Distributions

The Fund has elected, and intends to qualify each year, as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. As a regulated investment company, a Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. The Fund expects to declare and distribute its net investment income, if any, to shareholders as dividends quarterly. The Fund will distribute net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. The Fund may distribute income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. All income and capital gain distributions are automatically reinvested in shares of the Fund. You may request a payment in cash by contacting the Funds’ transfer agent or your financial intermediary.

If you choose to have dividends or capital gain distributions, or both, mailed to you and the distribution check is returned as undeliverable or is not presented for payment within six months, the Trust reserves the right to reinvest the check proceeds and future distributions in shares of the applicable Fund at the Fund’s then-current NAV until you give the Trust different instructions.

Tax Considerations

If you are a taxable investor, dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from a Fund, whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash, are subject to federal income tax, state taxes and possibly local taxes:

●distributions are taxable to you at either ordinary income or capital gains tax rates;

●distributions of short-term capital gains are paid to you as ordinary income that is taxable at applicable ordinary income tax rates;

●distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares;

●for individual shareholders, a portion of the income dividends paid may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation at long-term capital gains tax rates, provided that certain holding period requirements are met;

●for corporate shareholders, a portion of the income dividends paid may be eligible for the corporate dividend-received deduction, subject to certain limitations and

●distributions declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record in such month, but paid in January, are taxable as if they were paid in December.

The federal income tax treatment of a Fund’s distributions and any taxable sales or exchanges of Fund shares occurring during the prior calendar year are reported on Form 1099, which is sent to you annually during tax season (unless you hold your shares in a qualified tax-advantaged plan or account or are otherwise not subject to federal income tax or applicable tax reporting). A Fund may reclassify income after your tax reporting statement is mailed to you. This can result from the rules in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, that effectively prevent mutual funds, such as the Funds, from ascertaining with certainty, until after the calendar year end, and in some cases a Fund’s fiscal year end, the final amount and character of distributions the Fund has received on its investments during the prior calendar year. Prior to issuing your statement, each Fund makes every effort to reduce the number of corrected forms mailed to shareholders. However, a Fund will send you a corrected Form 1099 if the Fund finds it necessary to reclassify its distributions or adjust the cost basis of any shares sold or exchanged after you receive your tax statement.

Distributions from the Funds (both taxable dividends and capital gains) normally are taxable to you when made, regardless of whether you reinvest these distributions or receive them in cash (unless you hold your shares in a qualified tax-advantaged plan or account or are otherwise not subject to federal income tax).

At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund’s NAV may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in the value of portfolio securities held by the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in a Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as “buying a dividend.”

The use of derivatives by a Fund may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of ordinary income or short-term capital gain, distributions from which are taxable to individual shareholders at ordinary income tax rates rather than at the more favorable tax rates for long-term capital gain.

If a Fund qualifies to pass through to you the tax benefits from foreign taxes it pays on its investments, and elects to

Distributions and Taxes (cont.)

do so, then any foreign taxes it pays on these investments may be passed through to you pro rata as a foreign tax credit.

Selling or Exchanging Shares

Selling or exchanging your shares may result in a realized capital gain or loss, which is subject to federal income tax. For tax purposes, an exchange from one Nationwide Fund to another is the same as a sale. For individuals, the long-term capital gains tax rates generally are 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your taxable income and the nature of the capital gain. If you redeem Fund shares for a loss, you may be able to use this capital loss to offset any other capital gains you have.

Each Fund is required to report to you and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) annually on Form 1099-B not only the gross proceeds of Fund shares you sell or redeem but also their cost basis. Cost basis will be calculated using the Fund’s default method of average cost, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different calculation method. Shareholders should review carefully the cost basis information provided by a Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. If your account is held by your investment representative (financial advisor or other broker), please contact that representative with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. Cost basis reporting is not required for certain shareholders, including shareholders investing in a Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement account.

Medicare Tax

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount. This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

Other Tax Jurisdictions

Distributions and gains from the sale or exchange of your Fund shares may be subject to state and local taxes, even if not subject to federal income taxes. State and local tax laws vary; please consult your tax advisor. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% or lower treaty rate and U.S. estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits. Exemptions from U.S. withholding tax are provided for certain capital gain

dividends paid by a Fund from net long-term capital gains, interest-related dividends paid by the Fund from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources, and short- term capital gain dividends, if such amounts are reported by the Fund. However, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding at the source, any such dividends and distributions of income and capital gains will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 24% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

Tax Status for Retirement Plans and Other Tax-Advantaged Accounts

When you invest in a Fund through a qualified employee benefit plan, retirement plan or some other tax-advantaged account, income dividends and capital gain distributions generally are not subject to current federal income taxes. In general, these plans or accounts are governed by complex tax rules. You should ask your tax advisor or plan administrator for more information about your tax situation, including possible state or local taxes.

Backup Withholding

By law, you may be subject to backup withholding on a portion of your taxable distributions and redemption proceeds unless you provide your correct Social Security or taxpayer identification number and certify that (1) this number is correct, (2) you are not subject to backup withholding, and (3) you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). You also may be subject to withholding if the IRS instructs us to withhold a portion of your distributions and proceeds. When withholding is required, the amount is 24% of any distributions or proceeds paid.

Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), a Fund will be required to withhold a 30% tax on income dividends made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions or nonfinancial foreign entities, that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. After December 31, 2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares; however, based on proposed regulations issued by the IRS, which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). A Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA or similar laws. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the Fund with

Distributions and Taxes (cont.)

appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.

This discussion of “Distributions and Taxes” is not intended or written to be used as tax advice. Because everyone’s tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax advisor about federal, state, local or foreign tax consequences before making an investment in a Fund.

Additional Information

The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties (collectively, “service providers”), including, among others, the Fund's investment adviser, subadviser(s), shareholder service providers, custodian(s), securities lending agent, fund administration and accounting agents, transfer agent and distributor, who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended (or “third-party”) beneficiaries of, any of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any individual shareholder or group of shareholders any right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.

This Prospectus provides information concerning the Trust and the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of the Fund. Neither this Prospectus, nor the related Statement of Additional Information, is intended, or should be read, to be or to give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Fund and any shareholder or to give rise to any rights to any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.

Financial Highlights

Financial information is not provided because the Fund did not commence operations as of the date of this Prospectus.

Appendix A: Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers

The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Trust or through a financial intermediary. Specific intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify Nationwide Funds or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. To qualify for waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, purchasers will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Trust or through another intermediary by which such waivers and discounts are available. Please see the section of this Prospectus entitled “Share Classes” commencing on page 12 of this Prospectus for more information on sales charges and waivers available for Class A shares. In addition to the sales charges and fees discussed below, your financial intermediary also may charge you a fee when you purchase or redeem a Fund’s shares.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“Merrill”)

Waiver of Class A Sales Charges for Fund Shares Purchased through Merrill

Shareholders who are customers of Merrill purchasing or selling Fund shares through a Merrill platform or account will be eligible only for the following sales charge waivers, which may differ from those stated in this Prospectus or the SAI. Additional information on waivers and discounts is available in the Merrill Sales Load Waiver and Discounts Supplement (the “Merrill SLWD Supplement”) and in the Mutual Fund Investing at Merrill pamphlet at ml.com/funds. Merrill clients are encouraged to review these documents and speak with their financial advisor to determine whether a transaction is eligible for a waiver or discount.

●employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans;

●shares purchased through a Merrill investment advisory program;

●brokerage class shares (i.e., Class A) exchanged from advisory class shares due to the holdings moving from a Merrill investment advisory program to a Merrill brokerage account;

●shares purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform;

●shares purchased through the systematic reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund in the same account;

●shares purchased by eligible employees of Merrill or its affiliates and their family members who purchase shares in accounts within the employee’s Merrill Household (as defined in the Merrill SLWD Supplement);

●shares purchased by eligible persons associated with the Fund as defined in this Prospectus (e.g. the Fund's officers or Trustees) and

●shares purchased from the proceeds of a mutual fund redemption in Class A shares of any Nationwide Fund, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 calendar days from the redemption trade date, and (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Automated transactions (i.e., systematic purchases and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay Merrill’s account maintenance fees are not eligible for Rights of Reinstatement.

Front-End Load Discounts Available at Merrill: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation and Letters of Intent

●Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus, where the sales load is at or below the maximum sales load permitted by Merrill, as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement;

●Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”), as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement, which entitle clients to breakpoint discounts based on the aggregated holding of mutual fund family assets held in their Merrill Household. Effective May 1, 2026, assets not held at Merrill will no longer be included in the ROA calculation. For more detail on the timing and calculation, please refer to the Merrill SLWD Supplement; and

●Letters of Intent (“Letter of Intent”) which allow for breakpoint discounts on eligible new purchases based on anticipated future eligible purchases within a fund family at Merrill, in accounts within the purchaser’s Merrill Household, as further described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement. On or about May 1, 2026, Merrill will no longer accept new Letters of Intent. For more details on the timing, please refer to the Merrill SLWD Supplement.

Waivers of Contingent Deferred Sales Charges

Shareholders redeeming Class A shares through a Merrill platform or account will be eligible for only the following CDSC waivers:

●shares sold due to the client’s death or disability (as defined by Section 22e(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

●shares sold pursuant to a systematic withdrawal program subject to Merrill’s maximum systematic withdrawal limits as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement;

Appendix A: Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers (cont.)

●shares sold due to return of excess contributions from an IRA account;

●shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the investor reaching the qualified age based on applicable regulations pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and

●shares held in commission-based, non-taxable retirement brokerage accounts (e.g., traditional, Roth, rollover, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans) that are transferred to fee-based accounts or platforms and exchanged for a lower cost shares class of the same mutual fund.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley Wealth Management”)

Waiver of Class A Sales Charges for Fund Shares Purchased through Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management transactional brokerage account will be eligible only for the following front-end sales charge waivers with respect to Class A shares, which may differ from and may be more limited than those disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus or the SAI:

●employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans;

●Morgan Stanley Wealth Management employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s account linking rules;

●shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund;

●shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management self-directed brokerage account and

●shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions of any Nationwide Fund, provided (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services and each entity’s affiliates (“Raymond James”)

Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance and/or custody services, will be eligible only for

the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus or the SAI.

Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Raymond James

●shares purchased in an investment advisory program;

●shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions;

●employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James and

●shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., Rights of Reinstatement).

CDSC Waivers on Class A shares available at Raymond James

●shares redeemed from the death or disability of the shareholder;

●shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in this Prospectus;

●a return of excess contributions from an IRA account;

●shares redeemed as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on the applicable IRS regulations as described in this Prospectus;

●shares redeemed to pay Raymond James fees, but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James and

●shares redeemed where the redemption proceeds are used to purchase shares of the same Fund or a different Fund within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., Rights of Reinstatement).

Front-end load discounts available at Raymond James: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation and/or Letters of Intent

●Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus;

●Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the rights of accumulation calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets; and

Appendix A: Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers (cont.)

●Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. (“Edward Jones”)

Shareholders who are clients of Edward Jones purchasing Fund shares through Edward Jones commission and fee-based platforms are eligible only for the following sales charge discounts (also referred to as “breakpoints”) and waivers, which can differ from discounts and waivers described elsewhere in this Prospectus or the SAI, or through another broker-dealer. In all instances, it is the shareholder's responsibility to inform Edward Jones, at the time of purchase, of any relationship, holdings of fund family assets, or other facts qualifying the purchaser for discounts or waivers. Edward Jones can ask for documentation of such circumstance. Shareholders should contact Edward Jones if they have questions regarding their eligibility for these discounts and waivers.

Waiver of Class A Sales Charges for Fund Shares Purchased through Edward Jones

●associates of Edward Jones, its affiliates and other accounts in the same pricing group (as determined by Edward Jones under its policies and procedures) as the associate. This waiver will continue for the remainder of the associate's life if the associate retires from Edward Jones in good-standing and remains in good standing pursuant to Edward Jones' policies and procedures;

●shares purchased in an Edward Jones fee-based program;

●shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment;

●shares purchased from the proceeds of redeemed shares of the same fund family so long as the following conditions are met: (1) the proceeds are from the sale of shares within 60 days of the purchase, and (2) the sale and purchase are made from a share class that charges a front-end sales load and one of the following (known as a Right of Reinstatement):

●the redemption and repurchase occur in the same account; or

●the redemption proceeds are used to process an: IRA contribution, excess contributions, conversion recharacterizing of contributions, or distribution, and the repurchase is done in an account within the same Edward Jones grouping for Rights of Accumulation, as described below.

The Right of Reinstatement excludes systematic or automatic transactions including, but not limited to, purchases made through payroll deductions, liquidations to cover account fees, and reinvestments from non-mutual fund products;

●shares exchanged into Class A shares from another share class so long as the exchange is into the same Fund and was initiated at the discretion of Edward Jones. Edward Jones will be responsible for any remaining CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable. Any future purchases are subject to the applicable sales charge as disclosed in the Prospectus;

●purchases of 529 Plan Class A shares through a rollover from either another education savings plan or a security used for qualified distributions and

●purchases of 529 Plan Class A shares made for recontribution of refunded amounts.

Front-End Load Discounts Available at Edward Jones: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation and Letters of Intent

●Breakpoint pricing, otherwise known as volume pricing, at dollar thresholds as described in this Prospectus;

●Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts is determined by taking into account all share classes (except certain money market funds and any assets held in group retirement plans) of fund family assets held by the shareholder or in an account grouped by Edward Jones with other accounts for the purpose of providing certain pricing considerations (“pricing groups”). If grouping assets as a shareholder, this includes all share classes held on the Edward Jones platform and/or held on another platform. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the ROA calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Money market funds are included only if such shares were sold with a sales charge at the time of purchase or acquired in exchange for shares purchased with a sales charge. The employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan may elect to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping as opposed to including all share classes at a shareholder or pricing group level. ROA is determined by calculating the higher of cost minus redemptions or market value (current shares x NAV) and

●Letters of Intent (“LOI”) which allow for sales charge and breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Edward Jones, over a 13-month period of time. The LOI is determined by calculating the higher of cost or market value of qualifying holdings at the LOI initiation in combination with the value that the shareholder intends to buy over a 13-month period to calculate the front-end sales charge and any breakpoint discounts. Each purchase the shareholder makes during that 13-month period will receive the sales charge and breakpoint discount that applies to the total amount. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the LOI calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Purchases made before the LOI is received by Edward Jones are not adjusted under the LOI

Appendix A: Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers (cont.)

and will not reduce the sales charge previously paid. Sales charges will be adjusted if the LOI is not met. If the employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan has elected to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping, LOIs will also be at the plan-level and may only be established by the employer.

CDSC Waivers on Class A shares available at Edward Jones

If the shareholder purchases shares that are subject to a CDSC and those shares are redeemed before the CDSC is expired, the shareholder is responsible to pay the CDSC except in the following conditions:

●shares redeemed from the death or disability of the shareholder;

●shares sold as part of systematic withdrawals with up to 10% per year of the account value;

●a return of excess contributions from an IRA account;

●shares redeemed as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts if the redemption is taken in or after the year the shareholder reaches the qualified age based on the applicable IRS regulations, as described in this Prospectus;

●shares redeemed to pay Edward Jones fees or costs, but only if the transaction is initiated by Edward Jones;

●shares exchanged in an Edward Jones fee-based program;

●shares acquired through NAV reinstatement and

●shares redeemed at the discretion of Edward Jones for Minimum Balances, as described below.

Other Important Information Regarding the Transactions Through Edward Jones

Minimum Purchase Amounts

●Initial purchase minimum: $250

●Subsequent purchase minimum: none

Minimum Balances

●Edward Jones has the right to redeem at its discretion fund holdings with a balance of $250 or less. The following are examples of accounts that are not included in this policy:

●A fee-based account held on an Edward Jones platform

●A 529 account held on an Edward Jones platform

●An account with an active systematic investment plan or LOI

Exchanging Share Classes

At any time it deems necessary, Edward Jones has the authority to exchange at NAV a shareholder’s holding of a Fund’s share class to Class A shares of the same fund.

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (“Janney”)

Shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Janney account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge and CDSC waivers, or back-end sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus or the SAI.

Waiver of Class A Front-end Sales Charges for Fund Shares Purchased through Janney

●shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other Fund within the fund family);

●shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Janney or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Janney and

●shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within ninety (90) days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., Rights of Reinstatement).

CDSC Waivers on Class A shares available at Janney

●shares redeemed from the death or disability of the shareholder;

●shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in this Prospectus;

●shares purchased in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account;

●shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and other retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on the applicable IRS regulations as described in this Prospectus;

●shares sold to pay Janney fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Janney and

Front-End Load Discounts Available at Janney: Breakpoints and/or Rights of Accumulation

●Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus and

●Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Janney. Eligible fund family

Appendix A: Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers (cont.)

assets not held at Janney may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (“OPCO”)

Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an OPCO platform or account are eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus or the SAI.

Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at OPCO

●shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan;

●shares purchased through an OPCO affiliated investment advisory program;

●shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other Fund within the fund family);

●shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same amount, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., Rights of Reinstatement);

●employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members and

●trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund's investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this Prospectus.

CDSC Waivers on Class A shares available at OPCO

●shares redeemed from the death or disability of the shareholder;

●shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in this Prospectus;

●a return of excess contributions from an IRA account;

●shares redeemed to pay OPCO fees, but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO and

redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., Rights of Reinstatement).

Front-end load discounts available at OPCO: Breakpoints and Rights of Accumulation

●Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus and

●Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at OPCO. Eligible fund family assets not held at OPCO may be included in the rights of accumulation calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

Robert W. Baird & Co. (“Baird”)

Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Baird platform or account will only be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus or the SAI.

Front-end sales charge waivers on Class A shares available at Baird

●shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund;

●shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Baird or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Baird;

●shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions from another Nationwide Fund, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur within the purchaser’s Baird household, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (i.e., Rights of Reinstatement) and

●employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SAR-SEPs.

CDSC Waivers on Class A shares available at Baird

●shares redeemed due to the death or disability of the shareholder;

●shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in this Prospectus;

Appendix A: Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers (cont.)

●shares bought due to returns of excess contributions from an IRA account;

●shares redeemed to pay Baird fees, but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird; and

●shares purchased through a Right of Reinstatement.

Front-end sales charge discounts available at Baird: Breakpoints and/or Rights of Accumulation

●Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus;

●Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of Nationwide Funds assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Baird. Eligible Nationwide Funds assets not held at Baird may be included in the rights of accumulation calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets; and

●Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within Nationwide Funds, through Baird, over a 13-month period of time.

Stifel Financial Corp. (“Stifel”)

Shareholders purchasing or holding Fund shares, including existing fund shareholders, through a Stifel or affiliated platform that provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible for the following sales charge load waivers (including front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, (CDSC) sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the Fund’s SAI.

Class A Shares

Stifel may receive compensation out of the front-end sales charge if you purchase Class A shares through Stifel.

Front-end sales charge discounts available at Stifel: Breakpoints and Rights of Accumulation

Rights of accumulation (ROA) that entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts on front-end sales charges will be calculated by Stifel based on the aggregated holding of eligible assets in the Fund held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Stifel. Ineligible assets include Class A Money Market Funds not assessed a sales charge. Fund Family assets not held at Stifel may be included in the calculation of ROA only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

The employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan may elect to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping

as opposed to including all share classes at a shareholder or pricing group level.

Front-end sales charge waivers on Class A shares available at Stifel

●shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Stifel or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Stifel;

●shares purchased in a Stifel fee-based advisory program, often referred to as a “wrap” program;

●shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same or other Fund within the same fund family;

●shares purchased from the proceeds of redeemed shares of the Fund so long as the proceeds are from the sale of shares from an account with the same owner/beneficiary within 90 days of the purchase. For the absence of doubt, automated transactions (i.e., systematic purchases, including salary deferral transactions and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are sold to cover Stifel Nicolaus’ account maintenance fees are not eligible for rights of reinstatement;

●shares from rollovers into Stifel from retirement plans to IRAs;

●shares exchanged into Class A shares from another share class so long as the exchange is into the same fund and was initiated at the direction of Stifel. Stifel is responsible for any remaining CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable. Any future purchases are subject to the applicable sales charge as disclosed in this prospectus;

●employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SAR-SEPs and

●charitable organizations and foundations, notably 501(c)(3) organizations.

CDSC Waivers on Class A shares available at Stifel

●death or disability of the shareholder or, in the case of 529 plans, the account beneficiary;

●shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan not to exceed 12% annually;

●return of excess contributions from an IRA account;

●shares redeemed as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on the applicable IRS regulations;

●shares acquired through a right of reinstatement;

●shares sold to pay Stifel fees or costs in such cases where the transaction is initiated by Stifel and

●shares exchanged or sold in a Stifel fee-based program.

Appendix A: Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers (cont.)

Share Class Conversions in Advisory Accounts

●Stifel continually looks to provide our clients with the lowest cost share class available based on account type. Stifel reserves the right to convert shares to the lowest cost share class available at Stifel upon transfer of shares into an advisory program.

Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (collectively, “Wells Fargo Advisors”)*

Effective April 1, 2026, clients of Wells Fargo Advisors purchasing Fund shares through Wells Fargo Advisors are eligible for the following sales charge discounts (also referred to as “breakpoints”) and waivers, which can differ from discounts and waivers described elsewhere in the Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). In all instances, it is the investor's responsibility to inform Wells Fargo Advisors at the time of purchase of any relationship, holdings, or other facts qualifying the investor for discounts or waivers. Wells Fargo Advisors can ask for documentation supporting the qualification.

Wells Fargo Advisors Class A shares front-end sales charge waivers information

Wells Fargo Advisors clients purchasing or converting to Class A shares of a Fund in a Wells Fargo Advisors brokerage account are entitled to a waiver of the front-end load in the following circumstances:

●Wells Fargo Advisors employee and employee-related accounts according to Wells Fargo Advisor’s employee account linking rules. Legacy accounts and positions receiving affiliate discounts prior to the effective date will continue to receive discounts. Going forward employees of affiliate businesses will not be offered NAV; and

●Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same Fund.

WellsTrade, the firm’s online self-directed brokerage account, generally offers no-load share classes but there could be instances where a Class A share is offered without a front-end sales charge.

Wells Fargo Advisors Class 529-A share front-end sales charge waivers information

Wells Fargo Advisors clients purchasing or converting to Class 529-A shares of a Fund through Wells Fargo Advisors transactional brokerage accounts are entitled to a waiver of the front-end load in the following circumstances:

●Shares purchased through a rollover from another 529 plan; and

●Recontribution(s) of distributed funds are only allowed during the NAV reinstatement period as dictated by the sponsor’s specifications outlined by the plan.

Wells Fargo Advisors is not able to apply the NAV Reinstatement privilege for 529 Plan account purchases placed directly at the fund company. Investors wishing to utilize this privilege outside of Wells Fargo systems will need to do so directly with the Plan or a financial intermediary that supports this feature.

Unless specifically described above, other front-end load waivers are not available on mutual fund purchases through Wells Fargo Advisors.

Wells Fargo Advisors Contingent Deferred Sales Charge information

●Contingent deferred sales charges (CDSC) imposed on Fund redemptions will not be rebated based on future purchases.

Wells Fargo Advisors Class A front-end load discounts

Wells Fargo Advisors Clients purchasing Class A shares of Fund through Wells Fargo Advisors brokerage accounts will follow the following aggregation rules for breakpoint discounts:

●Effective April 1, 2026, SEP or SIMPLE IRAs will not be aggregated as a group plan. They will aggregate with the client’s personal accounts based on Social Security Number. Previously established SEP and SIMPLE IRAs may still be aggregated as a group plan;

●Effective April 1, 2026, employer-sponsored retirement plan (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans) accounts will aggregate with other plan accounts under the same Tax ID and will not be aggregated with other retirement plan accounts under a different Tax ID or personal accounts. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans; and

●Gift of shares will not be considered when determining breakpoint discounts.

*Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC operates a First Clearing business, but these rules are not intended to include First Clearing firms.

For Additional Information Contact:

By Regular Mail
Nationwide Funds
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 219336
Kansas City, MO 64121-9336

By Overnight Mail
Nationwide Funds
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
801 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 219336
Kansas City, MO 64105-1307

For 24-Hour Access
Call 800-848-0920 (toll free). Representatives are available 9 a.m.– 8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Call after 7 p.m. Eastern time for closing share prices. Also, visit the website at nationwide.com/mutualfunds.

Information from Nationwide Funds

Please read this Prospectus before you invest, and keep it with your records. Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR filed with the SEC. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Funds’ annual and semiannual financial statements.

The following documents—which may be obtained free of charge—contain additional information about the Funds:

●Statement of Additional Information (incorporated by reference into this Prospectus)

●Annual Reports (which contain discussions of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance)

●Semiannual Reports

To obtain any of the above documents free of charge, to request other information about a Fund, or to make other shareholder inquiries, contact us at the address or phone number listed or visit the website at nationwide.com/mutualfunds.

To reduce the volume of mail you receive, only one copy of financial reports, prospectuses, other regulatory materials and other communications will be mailed to your household (if you share the same last name and address). You can call us at 800-848-0920, or write to us at the address listed to request (1) additional copies free of charge, or (2) that we discontinue our practice of mailing regulatory materials altogether.

If you wish to receive regulatory materials and/or account statements electronically, you can sign up for our free e-delivery service. Please call 800-848-0920 for information.

Information from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

You can obtain copies of Fund documents from the SEC:

●on the SEC’s EDGAR database via the internet at www.sec.gov or

●by electronic request to [email protected] (the SEC charges a fee to copy any documents).

The Trust’s Investment Company Act File No.: 811-08495

Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, and Nationwide is

on your side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

_________, 2027

NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FUNDS

Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund

Class A ( )

Class R6 ( )

Institutional Service Class ( )

Eagle Class ( )

Nationwide Mutual Funds (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, is a registered open-end investment company currently consisting of 46 series as of the date hereof. This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) relates to the Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund (the “Fund”).

This SAI is not a prospectus but is incorporated by reference into the Prospectus for the Fund dated _______, 2027. It contains information in addition to and more detailed than that set forth in the Prospectus for the Fund and should be read in conjunction with it.

Terms not defined in this SAI have the meanings assigned to them in the Prospectus. The Prospectus is available to eligible investors by writing to Nationwide Mutual Funds, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 219336, Kansas City, MO 64121-9336 or by calling toll free 800-848-0920.

Copies of the Fund’s Annual Report and Semiannual Report will be available without charge upon request by writing the Trust or by calling toll free 800-848-0920. Since the Fund is new, the first Semiannual Report will be available on or about June 30, 2027.

TABLE OF CONTENTS	Page
General Information and History	1
Additional Information on Portfolio Instruments, Strategies and Investment Policies	1
Portfolio Turnover	31
Investment Restrictions	31
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings	33
Trustees and Officers of the Trust	35
Investment Advisory and Other Services	42
Brokerage Allocation	47
Additional Information on Purchases and Sales	55
Valuation of Shares	58
Systematic Investment Strategies	59
Investor Privileges	60
Investor Services	62
Additional Information	63
Additional General Tax Information for the Fund	65
Major Shareholders	78
Appendix A – Debt Ratings	A-1
Appendix B – Proxy Voting Guidelines Summaries	B-1
Appendix C – Portfolio Managers	C-1

General Information and History

Nationwide Mutual Funds (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company organized under the laws of the state of Delaware on October 1, 2004, pursuant to a Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated June 17, 2009 (the “Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust”). The Trust currently consists of 46 separate series, each with its own investment objective.

The Fund is a diversified fund as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

Additional Information on Portfolio Instruments, Strategies and Investment Policies

The Fund invests in a variety of securities and employs a number of investment techniques, which involve certain risks. The Prospectus discusses the Fund’s principal investment strategies, investment techniques and risks. Therefore, you should carefully review the Fund’s Prospectus. This SAI contains information about non-principal investment strategies the Fund may use, as well as further information about certain principal strategies that are discussed in the Prospectus.

Borrowing

The Fund may borrow money from banks, limited by the Fund’s fundamental investment restriction (generally, 33 1∕3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed)), including borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes. In addition to borrowings that are subject to 300% asset coverage and are considered by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to be permitted “senior securities,” the Fund is also permitted under the 1940 Act to borrow for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of its total assets at the time when the loan is made. A loan will be presumed to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 days and is not extended or renewed.

Leverage. The use of leverage by the Fund creates an opportunity for greater total return, but, at the same time, creates special risks. For example, leveraging may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio. Although the principal of such borrowings will be fixed, the Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowings are outstanding. Borrowings will create interest expenses for the Fund which can exceed the income from the assets purchased with the borrowings. To the extent the income or capital appreciation derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest the Fund will have to pay on the borrowings, the Fund’s return will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income or capital appreciation from the securities purchased with such borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of borrowing, the return to the Fund will be less than if leverage had not been used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to shareholders as dividends and other distributions will be reduced. In the latter case, the Fund’s portfolio management in its best judgment nevertheless may determine to maintain the Fund’s leveraged position if it expects that the benefits to the Fund’s shareholders of maintaining the leveraged position will outweigh the current reduced return.

Certain types of borrowings by the Fund may result in the Fund being subject to covenants in credit agreements relating to asset coverage, portfolio composition requirements and other matters. It is not anticipated that observance of such covenants would impede the Fund’s portfolio management from managing the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives and policies. However, a breach of any such covenants not cured within the specified cure period may result in acceleration of outstanding indebtedness and require the Fund to dispose of portfolio investments at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

Derivative Instruments

The Fund may use instruments referred to as derivative instruments (“derivatives”). A derivative is a financial instrument the value of which is derived from a security, a commodity (such as gold or oil), a currency or an index (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500® Index or the prime lending rate). Derivatives allow the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Fund may use derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in a security, a group of securities or a securities index as well as for hedging purposes. The Fund also may use derivatives for speculative purposes to seek to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to achieve gains, rather than offset the risk of other positions.

When the Fund invests in a derivative for speculative purposes, the Fund will be fully exposed to the risks of loss of that derivative, which may sometimes be greater than the derivative’s cost. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to an asset or class of assets that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.

Derivatives generally have investment characteristics that are based upon either forward contracts (under which one party is obligated to buy and the other party is obligated to sell an underlying asset at a specific price on a specified date) or option contracts (under which the holder of the option has the right but not the obligation to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specified price on or before a specified date). Consequently, the change in value of a forward-based derivative generally is roughly proportional to the change in value of the underlying asset. In contrast, the buyer of an option-based derivative generally will benefit from favorable movements in the price of the underlying asset but is not exposed to the corresponding losses that result from adverse movements in the value of the underlying asset. The seller (writer) of an option-based derivative generally will receive fees or premiums but generally is exposed to losses resulting from changes in the value of the underlying asset. Depending on the change in the value of the underlying asset, the potential for loss may be limitless. Derivative transactions may include elements of leverage and, accordingly, the fluctuation of the value of the derivative transaction in relation to the underlying asset may be magnified.

The use of these derivatives is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the several options and futures exchanges upon which they may be traded, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). Nationwide Fund Advisors (“NFA” or the “Adviser”) has claimed exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) with respect to the Fund and, therefore, is not subject to regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA with respect to the Fund.

Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act (“Rule 18f-4”), imposes requirements and restrictions on the Fund's use of derivatives to comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act. Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of leverage risk to which the Fund may be exposed through certain derivative instruments that may oblige the Fund to make payments or incur additional obligations in the future. Under Rule 18f-4, the Fund's investment in such derivatives is limited through a value-at-risk or “VaR” test. Funds whose use of such derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure amount are required to establish and maintain a derivatives risk management program, subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (“Board of Trustees”), and appoint a derivatives risk manager to implement such program. To the extent the Fund’s compliance with Rule 18f-4 affects how the Fund uses derivatives, Rule 18f-4 may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and/or increase costs related to the Fund’s use of derivatives.

Special Risks of Derivative Instruments. The use of derivatives involves special considerations and risks as described below. Risks pertaining to particular instruments are described in the sections that follow.

(1)

Successful use of most derivatives depends upon the Fund’s portfolio management’s ability to predict movements of the overall securities and currency markets, which requires different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed.

(2)

There might be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a derivative and price movements of the investments being hedged. For example, if the value of a derivative used in a short hedge (such as writing a call option, buying a put option, or selling a futures contract) increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investment, the hedge would not be fully successful. Such a lack of correlation might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. The effectiveness of hedges using derivatives on indices will depend on the degree of correlation between price movements in the index and price movements in the investments being hedged, as well as how similar the index is to the portion of the Fund’s assets being hedged in terms of securities composition.

(3)

Hedging strategies, if successful, can reduce the risk of loss by wholly or partially offsetting the negative effect of unfavorable price movements in the investments being hedged. However, hedging strategies also can reduce opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments. For example, if the Fund entered into a short hedge because the Fund’s portfolio management projected a decline in the price of a security in the Fund’s portfolio, and the price of that security increased instead, the gain from that increase might be wholly or partially offset by a decline in the price of the derivative. Moreover, if the price of the derivative declines by more than the increase in the price of the security, the Fund could suffer a loss.

(4)

As described below, the Fund might be required to make margin payments when it takes positions in derivatives involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchased options). If the Fund were unable to close out its positions in such derivatives, it might be required to continue to make such payments until the position expired or

matured. The requirements might impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. The Fund’s ability to close out a position in a derivative prior to expiration or maturity depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the other party to the transaction (“counterparty”) to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Therefore, there is no assurance that any hedging position can be closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Fund.

For a discussion of the federal income tax treatment of the Fund’s derivative instruments, see “Additional General Tax Information for the Fund” in this SAI.

Options. The Fund may purchase or write put and call options on securities and indices, and may purchase options on foreign currencies, and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate an existing position. The purchase of call options can serve as a long hedge (i.e., taking a long position in the underlying security), and the purchase of put options can serve as a short hedge (i.e., taking a short position in the underlying security). Writing put or call options can enable the Fund to enhance income by reason of the premiums paid by the purchaser of such options. Writing call options serves as a limited short hedge because declines in the value of the hedged investment would be offset to the extent of the premium received for writing the option. However, if the security appreciates to a price higher than the exercise price of the call option, it can be expected that the option will be exercised, and the Fund will be obligated to sell the security at less than its market value or will be obligated to purchase the security at a price greater than that at which the security must be sold under the option. All or a portion of any assets used as cover for over-the-counter (“OTC”) options written by the Fund would be considered illiquid to the extent described under “Restricted, Non-Publicly Traded and Illiquid Securities” below. Writing put options serves as a limited long hedge because increases in the value of the hedged investment would be offset to the extent of the premium received for writing the option. However, if the security depreciates to a price lower than the exercise price of the put option, it can be expected that the put option will be exercised, and the Fund will be obligated to purchase the security at more than its market value.

The value of an option position will reflect, among other things, the historical price volatility of the underlying investment, the current market value of the underlying investment, the time remaining until expiration of the option, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price of the underlying investment, and general market conditions. Options that expire unexercised have no value. Options used by the Fund may include European-style options, which can be exercised only at expiration. This is in contrast to American-style options which can be exercised at any time prior to the expiration date of the option.

The Fund may effectively terminate its right or obligation under an option by entering into a closing transaction. For example, the Fund may terminate its obligation under a call or put option that it had written by purchasing an identical call or put option; this is known as a closing purchase transaction. Conversely, the Fund may terminate a position in a put or call option it had purchased by writing an identical put or call option; this is known as a closing sale transaction. Closing transactions permit the Fund to realize the profit or limit the loss on an option position prior to its exercise or expiration.

The Fund may purchase or write both OTC options and options traded on foreign and U.S. exchanges. Exchange-traded options are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed that, in effect, guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option transaction. OTC options are contracts between the Fund and the counterparty (usually a securities dealer or a bank) with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when the Fund purchases or writes an OTC option, it relies on the counterparty to make or take delivery of the underlying investment upon exercise of the option. Failure by the counterparty to do so would result in the loss of any premium paid by the Fund as well as the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction.

The Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions in exchange-listed options depends on the existence of a liquid market. The Fund generally intends to purchase or write only those exchange-traded options for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist at any particular time. Closing transactions can be made for OTC options only by negotiating directly with the counterparty, or by a transaction in the secondary market if any such market exists. Although the Fund will enter into OTC options only with counterparties that are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there is no assurance that the Fund will in fact be able to close out an OTC option at a favorable price prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counterparty, the Fund might be unable to close out an OTC option position at any time prior to its expiration.

If the Fund is unable to effect a closing transaction for an option it had purchased, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit. The inability to enter into a closing purchase transaction for a covered call option written by the Fund could cause material losses because the Fund would be unable to sell the investment used as a cover for the written option until the option expires or is exercised.

The Fund may engage in options transactions on indices in much the same manner as the options on securities discussed above, except that index options may serve as a hedge against overall fluctuations in the securities markets in general.

The writing and purchasing of options is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Imperfect correlation between the options and securities markets may detract from the effectiveness of attempted hedging.

An interest rate option is an agreement with a counterparty giving the buyer the right but not the obligation to buy or sell an interest rate hedging vehicle (such as a Treasury future or interest rate swap) at a future date at a predetermined price. The option buyer would pay a premium at the inception of the agreement. An interest rate option can be used to actively manage the Fund’s interest rate risk with respect to either an individual bond or an overlay of the entire portfolio.

Spread Transactions. The Fund may purchase covered spread options from securities dealers. Such covered spread options are not presently exchange-listed or exchange-traded. The purchase of a spread option gives the Fund the right to put, or sell, a security that it owns at a fixed dollar spread or fixed yield spread in relationship to another security that the Fund does not own, but which is used as a benchmark. The risk to the Fund in purchasing covered spread options is the cost of the premium paid for the spread option and any transaction costs. In addition, there is no assurance that closing transactions will be available. The purchase of spread options will be used to protect the Fund against adverse changes in prevailing credit quality spreads, i.e., the yield spread between high-quality and lower-quality securities. Such protection is only provided during the life of the spread option.

Futures Contracts. The Fund may enter into futures contracts, including interest rate, index, and currency futures and purchase and write (sell) related options. The purchase of futures or call options thereon can serve as a long hedge, and the sale of futures or the purchase of put options thereon can serve as a short hedge. Writing covered call options on futures contracts can serve as a limited short hedge, and writing covered put options on futures contracts can serve as a limited long hedge, using a strategy similar to that used for writing covered options in securities. The Fund’s hedging may include purchases of futures as an offset against the effect of expected increases in securities prices or currency exchange rates and sales of futures as an offset against the effect of expected declines in securities prices or currency exchange rates. The Fund may write put options on futures contracts while at the same time purchasing call options on the same futures contracts in order to create synthetically a long futures contract position. Such options would have the same strike prices and expiration dates. The Fund will engage in this strategy only when the Fund’s portfolio management believes it is more advantageous to the Fund than purchasing the futures contract.

To the extent required by regulatory authorities, the Fund will only enter into futures contracts that are traded on U.S. or foreign exchanges or boards of trade approved by the CFTC and are standardized as to maturity date and underlying financial instrument. These transactions may be entered into for “bona fide hedging” purposes as defined in CFTC regulations and other permissible purposes including increasing return, substituting a position in a security, group of securities or an index, and hedging against changes in the value of portfolio securities due to anticipated changes in interest rates, currency values and/or market conditions. There is no overall limit on the percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be at risk with respect to futures activities. Although techniques other than sales and purchases of futures contracts could be used to obtain or reduce the Fund’s exposure to market, currency, or interest rate fluctuations, the Fund may be able to obtain or hedge its exposure more effectively and perhaps at a lower cost through using futures contracts.

A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific financial instrument (e.g., debt security), asset, commodity or currency for a specified price at a designated date, time, and place. An index futures contract is an agreement pursuant to which the parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified multiplier times the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index futures contract was originally written. Transaction costs are incurred when a futures contract is bought or sold and margin deposits must be maintained. A futures contract may be satisfied by delivery or purchase, as the case may be, of the instrument, the currency, or by payment of the change in the cash value of the index. More commonly, futures contracts are closed out prior to delivery by entering into an offsetting

transaction in a matching futures contract. Although the value of an index might be a function of the value of certain specified securities, no physical delivery of those securities is made. If the offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is more, the Fund realizes a loss. Conversely, if the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is less, the Fund realizes a loss. The transaction costs must also be included in these calculations. There can be no assurance, however, that the Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular futures contract at a particular time. If the Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the futures contract.

No price is paid by the Fund upon entering into a futures contract. Instead, at the inception of a futures contract, the Fund is required to deposit with the futures broker or in a segregated account with its custodian, in the name of the futures broker through whom the transaction was effected, “initial margin” consisting of cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid obligations, in an amount generally equal to 10% or less of the contract value. Margin must also be deposited when writing a call or put option on a futures contract, in accordance with applicable exchange rules. Unlike margin in securities transactions, initial margin on futures contracts does not represent a borrowing, but rather is in the nature of a performance bond or good-faith deposit that is returned to the Fund at the termination of the transaction if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Under certain circumstances, such as periods of high volatility, the Fund may be required by an exchange to increase the level of its initial margin payment, and initial margin requirements might be increased generally in the future by regulatory action.

Subsequent “variation margin” payments are made to and from the futures broker daily as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as “marking to market.” Variation margin does not involve borrowing, but rather represents a daily settlement of the Fund’s obligations to or from a futures broker. When the Fund purchases an option on a future, the premium paid plus transaction costs is all that is at risk. In contrast, when the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract or writes a call or put option thereon, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial in the event of adverse price movements. If the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous. Purchasers and sellers of futures positions and options on futures can enter into offsetting closing transactions by selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument held or written. Positions in futures and options on futures may be closed only on an exchange or board of trade on which they were entered into (or through a linked exchange). Although the Fund generally intends to enter into futures transactions only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be an active market, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist for a particular contract at a particular time.

Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a future or option on a futures contract can vary from the previous day’s settlement price; once that limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. Daily price limits do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of unfavorable positions.

If the Fund were unable to liquidate a futures contract or option on a futures contract position due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses, because it would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, except in the case of purchased options, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain the position being hedged by the future or option or to maintain cash or securities in a segregated account.

Certain characteristics of the futures market might increase the risk that movements in the prices of futures contracts or options on futures contracts might not correlate perfectly with movements in the prices of the investments being hedged. For example, all participants in the futures and options on futures contracts markets are subject to daily variation margin calls and might be compelled to liquidate futures or options on futures contracts positions whose prices are moving unfavorably to avoid being subject to further calls. These liquidations could increase price volatility of the instruments and distort the normal price relationship between the futures or options and the investments being hedged. Also, because initial margin deposit requirements in the futures markets are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets, there might be increased participation by speculators in the future markets. This participation also might cause temporary price distortions. In addition, activities of large traders in both the futures and securities markets involving arbitrage, “program trading” and other investment strategies might result in temporary price distortions.

The Fund that enters into a futures contract is subject to the risk of loss of the initial and variation margin in the event of bankruptcy of the futures commission merchant (“FCM”) with which the Fund has an open futures position. The Fund’s assets may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of the FCM’s customers. If the FCM fails to provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty.

Indexed and Inverse Securities. The Fund may invest in securities the potential return of which is based on an index or interest rate. As an illustration, the Fund may invest in a debt security that pays interest based on the current value of an interest rate index, such as the prime rate. The Fund also may invest in a debt security that returns principal at maturity based on the level of a securities index or a basket of securities, or based on the relative changes of two indices. In addition, the Fund may invest in securities the potential return of which is based inversely on the change in an index or interest rate (that is, a security the value of which will move in the opposite direction of changes to an index or interest rate). For example, the Fund may invest in securities that pay a higher rate of interest when a particular index decreases and pay a lower rate of interest (or do not fully return principal) when the value of the index increases. If the Fund invests in such securities, it may be subject to reduced or eliminated interest payments or loss of principal in the event of an adverse movement in the relevant interest rate, index or indices. Indexed and inverse securities involve credit risk, and certain indexed and inverse securities may involve leverage risk, liquidity risk and currency risk. When used for hedging purposes, indexed and inverse securities involve correlation risk. (Furthermore, where such a security includes a contingent liability, in the event of an adverse movement in the underlying index or interest rate, the Fund may be required to pay substantial additional margin to maintain the position.)

Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into securities index, interest rate, total return, currency exchange rate or single/multiple security swap agreements for any lawful purpose consistent with the Fund’s investment objective, such as (but not limited to) for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular desired return or spread at a lower cost to the Fund than if the Fund had invested directly in an instrument that yielded that desired return or spread. The Fund also may enter into swaps in order to protect against an increase in the price of, or the currency exchange rate applicable to, securities that the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from one or more days to several years. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase or decrease in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a “basket” of securities, such as a selection of particular securities or those representing a particular index. Swap agreements may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between the two parties (for an uncleared swap) or, with respect to swaps that have been designated by the CFTC for mandatory clearing (cleared swaps), through an FCM and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty. See “Uncleared Swaps” and “Cleared Swaps” below for additional explanation of cleared and uncleared swaps. Swap agreements may include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap”; interest rate floors under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level, or “floor”; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor, or vice versa, in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels. “Total return swaps” are contracts in which one party agrees to make payments of the total return from the underlying asset during the specified period, in return for payments equal to a fixed or floating rate of interest or the total return from another underlying asset. See “Swaps regulation” below.

The “notional amount” of the swap agreement is the agreed upon basis for calculating the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. Under most swap agreements entered into by the Fund, the obligations of the parties would be exchanged on a “net basis.” Consequently, the Fund’s obligation (or rights) under a swap agreement generally will be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The Fund’s obligation under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against amounts owed to the Fund). Moreover, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. The swaps market is largely unregulated.

Whether the Fund’s use of swap agreements will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend, in part, on the Fund’s portfolio management’s ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments, replicate a particular benchmark index, or otherwise achieve the intended results. Swap agreements, especially OTC uncleared swap agreements, may be considered to be illiquid.

Swaps regulation. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments have imposed comprehensive regulatory requirements on swaps and swap market participants. The regulatory framework includes: (1) registration and regulation of swap dealers and major swap participants; (2) central clearing and execution of standardized swaps; (3) margin requirements in swap transactions; (4) position limits and large trader reporting requirements; and (5) recordkeeping and centralized and public reporting requirements, on an anonymous basis, for most swaps. The CFTC is responsible for the regulation of most swaps, and has adopted rules implementing most of the swap regulations dictated by the Dodd-Frank Act. The SEC has jurisdiction over a small segment of the market referred to as “security-based swaps,” which includes swaps on single securities or credits, or narrow-based indices of securities or credits.

Uncleared swaps. In an uncleared swap, the swap counterparty is typically a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. The Fund customarily enters into uncleared swaps based on the standard terms and conditions of an International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement. ISDA is a voluntary industry association of participants in the OTC derivatives markets that has developed standardized contracts used by such participants that have agreed to be bound by such standardized contracts.

In the event that one party to a swap transaction defaults and the transaction is terminated prior to its scheduled termination date, one of the parties may be required to make an early termination payment to the other. An early termination payment may be payable by either the defaulting or non-defaulting party, depending upon which of them is “in-the-money” with respect to the swap at the time of its termination. Early termination payments may be calculated in various ways, but are intended to approximate the amount the “in-the-money” party would have to pay to replace the swap as of the date of its termination.

The Fund will enter uncleared swap agreements only with counterparties that the Fund’s portfolio management reasonably believes are capable of performing under the swap agreements. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Fund will have to rely on its contractual remedies (which may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws) pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.

Cleared swaps. Certain swaps have been designated by the CFTC for mandatory central clearing. The Dodd-Frank Act and implementing rules will ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many swaps. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing. To date, the CFTC has designated only certain of the most common types of credit default index swaps and interest rate swaps for mandatory clearing, but it is expected that the CFTC will designate additional categories of swaps for mandatory clearing. Central clearing is intended to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not necessarily eliminate these risks and may involve additional risks not involved with uncleared swaps.

In a cleared swap, the Fund’s ultimate counterparty is a central clearinghouse rather than a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. The Fund initially will enter into cleared swaps through an executing broker. Such transactions will then be submitted for clearing and, if cleared, will be held at regulated FCMs that are members of the clearinghouse that serves as the central counterparty.

When the Fund enters into a cleared swap, it must deliver to the central counterparty (via the FCM) an amount referred to as “initial margin.” Initial margin requirements are determined by the central counterparty, but an FCM may require additional initial margin above the amount required by the central counterparty. During the term of the swap agreement, a “variation margin” amount also may be required to be paid by the Fund or may be received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts, depending upon changes in the price of the underlying reference instrument subject to the swap agreement. At the conclusion of the term of the swap agreement, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If the Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund.

CFTC rules require the trading and execution of certain cleared swaps on Swap Execution Facilities (“SEFs”), which are trading systems on platforms in which multiple participants have the ability to execute or trade swaps by accepting bids and offers made by multiple participants on the facility or system, through any means of interstate commerce. Moving trading to an exchange-type system may increase market transparency and liquidity but may require the Fund to incur increased expenses to access the same types of swaps that it has used in the past.

Rules adopted under the Dodd-Frank Act require centralized reporting of detailed information about many swaps, whether cleared or uncleared. This information is available to regulators and also, to a more limited extent and on an anonymous basis, to the public. Reporting of swaps data is intended to result in greater market transparency. This may be beneficial to funds that use swaps in their trading strategies. However, public reporting imposes additional recordkeeping burdens on these funds, and the safeguards established to protect anonymity are not yet tested and may not provide protection of trader identities as intended.

Certain Internal Revenue Service positions may limit the Fund’s ability to use swap agreements in a desired tax strategy. It is possible that developments in the swap markets and/or the laws relating to swap agreements, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to benefit from using swap agreements, or could have adverse tax consequences.

Risks of cleared swaps. As noted above, certain types of swaps are, and others eventually are expected to be, required to be cleared through a central counterparty, which may affect counterparty risk and other risks faced by the Fund. Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity compared to bilateral swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant’s swap, but it does not eliminate those risks completely. There is also a risk of loss by the Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a swap contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty.

With cleared swaps, the Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable terms as it would be able to negotiate for a bilateral, uncleared swap. In addition, an FCM may unilaterally amend the terms of its agreement with the Fund, which may include the imposition of position limits or additional margin requirements with respect to the Fund’s investment in certain types of swaps. Central counterparties and FCMs generally can require termination of existing cleared swap transactions at any time, and can also require increases in margin above the margin that is required at the initiation of the swap agreement. Additionally, depending on a number of factors, the margin required under the rules of the clearinghouse and FCM may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted by the Fund to support its obligations under a similar uncleared swap. However, regulators are expected to adopt rules imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on uncleared swaps in the near future, which could change this comparison.

Finally, the Fund is subject to the risk that, after entering into a cleared swap with an executing broker, no FCM or central counterparty is willing or able to clear the transaction. In such an event, the Fund may be required to break the trade and make an early termination payment to the executing broker.

Equity Swaps. The Fund may enter into equity swap contracts to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in various circumstances, including (but not limited to) circumstances where direct investment in the securities is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable. Equity swaps may also be used for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. Until equity swaps are designated for central clearing, the counterparty to an equity swap contract will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker/dealer. Equity swap contracts may be structured in different ways. For example, a counterparty may agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the equity swap contract would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks (or an index of stocks), plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. In these cases, the Fund may agree to pay to the counterparty a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the equity swap contract plus the amount, if any, by which that notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to the Fund on the equity swap contract should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid

by the Fund on the notional amount. In other cases, the counterparty and the Fund may each agree to pay the other the difference between the relative investment performances that would have been achieved if the notional amount of the equity swap contract had been invested in different stocks (or indices of stocks).

The Fund will generally enter into equity swaps on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Payments may be made at the conclusion of an equity swap contract or periodically during its term. Equity swaps normally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to equity swaps is normally limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to an equity swap defaults, the Fund's risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any.

Total Return Swaps. The Fund may enter into total return swaps. A total return swap (also sometimes referred to as a synthetic equity swap or “contract for difference”) is an agreement between two parties under which the parties agree to make payments to each other so as to replicate the economic consequences that would apply had a purchase or short sale of the underlying reference instrument taken place. For example, one party agrees to pay the other party the total return earned or realized on the notional amount of an underlying equity security and any dividends declared with respect to that equity security. In return the other party makes payments, typically at a floating rate, calculated based on the notional amount. Total return swaps are subject to illiquidity risk because the liquidity for total return swaps is based on the liquidity of the underlying instrument. Total return swaps also are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the swap transaction may be unable or unwilling to make payments or to otherwise honor its financial obligations under the terms of the swap contract. As is the case with owning any financial instrument, there is the risk of loss associated with entering into a total return swap transaction. For example, if the Fund buys a long total return swap and the underlying security is worth less at the end of the contract, the Fund would be required to make a payment to the counterparty and would suffer a loss. If the Fund sells a short total return swap and the underlying security is worth more at the end of the contract, the Fund would be similarly required to make a payment to the counterparty and would suffer a loss.

Hybrid Instruments. Hybrid instruments combine elements of derivative contracts with those of another security (typically a fixed-income security). All or a portion of the interest or principal payable on a hybrid security is determined by reference to changes in the price of an underlying asset or by reference to another benchmark (such as interest rates, currency exchange rates or indices). Hybrid instruments also include convertible securities with conversion terms related to an underlying asset or benchmark.

The risks of investing in hybrid instruments reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies, and depend upon the terms of the instrument. Thus, an investment in a hybrid instrument may entail significant risks in addition to those associated with traditional fixed-income or convertible securities. Hybrid instruments are also potentially more volatile and carry greater interest rate risks than traditional instruments. Moreover, depending on the structure of the particular hybrid, it may expose the Fund to leverage risks or carry liquidity risks.

Foreign Currency-Related Derivative Strategies— Special Considerations. The Fund may use futures and options on futures on foreign currencies and forward currency contracts to increase returns, to manage the Fund’s average portfolio duration, or to hedge against movements in the values of the foreign currencies in which the Fund’s securities are denominated. Currency contracts also may be purchased such that net exposure to an individual currency exceeds the value of the Fund’s securities that are denominated in that particular currency. The Fund may engage in currency exchange transactions to protect against uncertainty in the level of future exchange rates and also may engage in currency transactions to increase income and total return. Such currency hedges can protect against price movements in a security the Fund owns or intends to acquire that are attributable to changes in the value of the currency in which it is denominated. Such hedges do not, however, protect against price movements in the securities that are attributable to other causes.

The Fund might seek to hedge against changes in the value of a particular currency when no hedging instruments on that currency are available or such hedging instruments are more expensive than certain other hedging instruments. In such cases, the Fund may hedge against price movements in that currency by entering into transactions using hedging instruments on another foreign currency or a basket of currencies, the values of which the Fund’s portfolio management believes will have a high degree of positive correlation to the value of the currency being hedged. The risk that movements in the price of the hedging instrument will not correlate perfectly with movements in the price of the currency being hedged is magnified when this strategy is used.

The value of derivative instruments on foreign currencies depends on the value of the underlying currency relative to the U.S. dollar. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market might involve substantially larger amounts than those involved in the use of such hedging instruments, the Fund could be disadvantaged by having to deal in the odd-lot market (generally consisting of transactions of less than $1 million) for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots.

There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or any regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis. Quotation information generally is representative of very large transactions in the interbank market and thus might not reflect odd-lot transactions where rates might be less favorable. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global, round-the-clock market. To the extent the U.S. options or futures markets are closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, significant price and rate movements might take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the markets for the derivative instruments until they reopen.

Settlement of derivative transactions involving foreign currencies might be required to take place within the country issuing the underlying currency. Thus, the Fund might be required to accept or make delivery of the underlying foreign currency in accordance with any U.S. or foreign regulations regarding the maintenance of foreign banking arrangements by U.S. residents and might be required to pay any fees, taxes and charges associated with such delivery assessed in the issuing country.

Permissible foreign currency options will include options traded primarily in the OTC market. Although options on foreign currencies are traded primarily in the OTC market, the Fund will normally purchase OTC options on foreign currency only when the Fund’s portfolio management believes a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time.

Forward Currency Contracts. A forward currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are entered into in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers.

At or before the maturity of a forward currency contract, the Fund may either sell a portfolio security and make delivery of the currency, or retain the security and fully or partially offset its contractual obligation to deliver the currency by purchasing a second contract. If the Fund retains the portfolio security and engages in an offsetting transaction, the Fund, at the time of execution of the offsetting transaction, will incur a gain or a loss to the extent that movement has occurred in forward currency contract prices.

The precise matching of forward currency contract amounts and the value of the securities involved generally will not be possible because the value of such securities, measured in the foreign currency, will change after the foreign currency contract has been established. Thus, the Fund might need to purchase or sell foreign currencies in the spot (cash) market to the extent such foreign currencies are not covered by forward currency contracts. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain.

Markets for trading foreign forward currency contracts offer less protection against defaults than is available when trading in currency instruments on an exchange. Forward currency contracts are subject to the risk that the counterparty to such contract will default on its obligations. Since a forward foreign currency exchange contract is not guaranteed by an exchange or clearinghouse, a default on the contract would deprive the Fund of unrealized profits or the benefits of a currency hedge, impose transaction costs or force the Fund to cover its purchase or sale commitments, if any, at the current market price. In addition, the institutions that deal in forward currency contracts are not required to continue to make markets in the currencies in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity. To the extent that a substantial portion of the Fund’s total assets, adjusted to reflect the Fund’s net position after giving effect to currency transactions, is denominated or quoted in currencies of foreign countries, the Fund will be more susceptible to the risk of adverse economic and political developments within those countries.

Currency Hedging. While the values of forward currency contracts, currency options, currency futures and options on futures may be expected to correlate with exchange rates, they will not reflect other factors that may affect the value of the Fund’s investments. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a Yen-denominated bond against a decline in the Yen, but

will not protect the Fund against price decline if the issuer’s creditworthiness deteriorates. Because the value of the Fund’s investments denominated in a foreign currency will change in response to many factors other than exchange rates, a currency hedge may not be entirely successful in mitigating changes in the value of the Fund’s investments denominated in that currency over time.

A decline in the dollar value of a foreign currency in which the Fund’s securities are denominated will reduce the dollar value of the securities, even if their value in the foreign currency remains constant. The use of currency hedges does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities, but it does establish a rate of exchange that can be achieved in the future. In order to protect against such diminutions in the value of securities it holds, the Fund may purchase put options on the foreign currency. If the value of the currency does decline, the Fund will have the right to sell the currency for a fixed amount in dollars and will thereby offset, in whole or in part, the adverse effect on its securities that otherwise would have resulted. Conversely, if a rise in the dollar value of a currency in which securities to be acquired are denominated is projected, thereby potentially increasing the cost of the securities, the Fund may purchase call options on the particular currency. The purchase of these options could offset, at least partially, the effects of the adverse movements in exchange rates. Although currency hedges limit the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of a hedged currency, at the same time, they also limit any potential gain that might result should the value of the currency increase.

The Fund may enter into foreign currency exchange transactions to hedge its currency exposure in specific transactions or portfolio positions. Currency contracts also may be purchased such that net exposure to an individual currency exceeds the value of the Fund’s securities that are denominated in that particular currency. Transaction hedging is the purchase or sale of forward currency with respect to specific receivables or payables of the Fund generally accruing in connection with the purchase or sale of its portfolio securities. Position hedging is the sale of forward currency with respect to portfolio security positions. The Fund may not position hedge to an extent greater than the aggregate market value (at the time of making such sale) of the hedged securities.

Non-Deliverable Forwards. The Fund may, from time to time, engage in non-deliverable forward transactions to manage currency risk or to gain exposure to a currency without purchasing securities denominated in that currency. A non-deliverable forward is a transaction that represents an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty (usually a commercial bank) to buy or sell a specified (notional) amount of a particular currency at an agreed upon foreign exchange rate on an agreed upon future date. Unlike other currency transactions, there is no physical delivery of the currency on the settlement of a non-deliverable forward transaction. Rather, the Fund and the counterparty agree to net the settlement by making a payment in U.S. dollars or another fully convertible currency that represents any differential between the foreign exchange rate agreed upon at the inception of the non-deliverable forward agreement and the actual exchange rate on the agreed upon future date. Thus, the actual gain or loss of a given non-deliverable forward transaction is calculated by multiplying the transaction’s notional amount by the difference between the agreed upon forward exchange rate and the actual exchange rate when the transaction is completed.

Since the Fund generally may only close out a non-deliverable forward with the particular counterparty, there is a risk that the counterparty will default on its obligation under the agreement. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreement related to the transaction, but there is no assurance that contract counterparties will be able to meet their obligations pursuant to such agreements or that, in the event of a default, the Fund will succeed in pursuing contractual remedies. The Fund thus assumes the risk that it may be delayed or prevented from obtaining payments owed to it pursuant to non-deliverable forward transactions.

In addition, where the currency exchange rates that are the subject of a given non-deliverable forward transaction do not move in the direction or to the extent anticipated, the Fund could sustain losses on the non-deliverable forward transaction. The Fund’s investment in a particular non-deliverable forward transaction will be affected favorably or unfavorably by factors that affect the subject currencies, including economic, political and legal developments that impact the applicable countries, as well as exchange control regulations of the applicable countries. These risks are heightened when a non-deliverable forward transaction involves currencies of emerging market countries because such currencies can be volatile and there is a greater risk that such currencies will be devalued against the U.S. dollar or other currencies.

The SEC and CFTC consider non-deliverable forwards as swaps, and they are therefore included in the definition of “commodity interests.” Non-deliverable forwards have historically been traded in the OTC market. However, as swaps, non-deliverable forwards may become subject to central clearing and trading on public facilities. Currency and cross currency forwards that qualify as deliverable forwards are not regulated as swaps for most purposes, and thus are not deemed to be

commodity interests. However, such forwards are subject to some requirements applicable to swaps, including reporting to swap data repositories, documentation requirements, and business conduct rules applicable to swap dealers. CFTC regulation of currency and cross currency forwards, especially non-deliverable forwards, may restrict the Fund’s ability to use these instruments in the manner described above or subject NFA to CFTC registration and regulation as a commodity pool operator.

Foreign Commercial Paper. The Fund may invest in commercial paper which is indexed to certain specific foreign currency exchange rates. The terms of such commercial paper provide that its principal amount is adjusted upward or downward (but not below zero) at maturity to reflect changes in the exchange rate between two currencies while the obligation is outstanding. The Fund will purchase such commercial paper with the currency in which it is denominated and, at maturity, will receive interest and principal payments thereon in that currency, but the amount or principal payable by the issuer at maturity will change in proportion to the change (if any) in the exchange rate between two specified currencies between the date the instrument is issued and the date the instrument matures. While such commercial paper entails the risk of loss of principal, the potential for realizing gains as a result of changes in the foreign currency exchange rate enables the Fund to hedge or cross-hedge against a decline in the U.S. dollar value of investments denominated in foreign currencies while providing an attractive money market rate of return. The Fund will purchase such commercial paper either for hedging purposes or in order to seek investment gain.

Dividend-Paying Stocks

Dividend-paying stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Companies that issue dividend-paying stocks are not required to continue to pay dividends on such stocks. There is no guarantee that the issuers of the stocks held by a Fund will declare dividends in the future or that, if dividends are declared, they will remain at their current levels or increase over time. A Fund’s emphasis on dividend-paying stocks could cause the Fund to underperform similar funds that invest without consideration of a company’s track record of paying dividends or ability to pay dividends in the future. Dividend-paying stocks may not participate in a broad market advance to the same degree as other stocks, and a sharp rise in interest rates or economic downturn could cause a company to unexpectedly reduce or eliminate its dividend. Depending upon market conditions, dividend-paying stocks that meet a Fund’s investment criteria may not be widely available and/or may be highly concentrated in only a few market sectors. High-dividend stocks may not experience high earnings growth or capital appreciation.

Foreign Securities

The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers located outside the United States. Funds that invest in foreign securities offer the potential for more diversification than funds that invest only in the United States because securities traded on foreign markets have often (though not always) performed differently from securities traded in the United States. However, such investments often involve risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. In particular, the Fund is subject to the risk that, because there are generally fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of shares traded each day, it may be difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities on those exchanges. In addition, prices of foreign securities may fluctuate more than prices of securities traded in the United States. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of punitive taxes. In addition, the governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain industries. Any of these actions could severely affect security prices, impair the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell foreign securities or transfer the Fund’s assets or income back into the United States, or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s operations. Other potential foreign market risks include changes in foreign currency exchange rates, exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts, and political and social instability. Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be less extensive than those available to investors in the United States or other foreign countries. Dividends or interest on, or proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes.

Regional Risk. Adverse conditions in a certain region can adversely affect securities of issuers in other countries whose economies appear to be unrelated. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region, the Fund generally will have more exposure to regional economic risks. In the event of economic or political turmoil or a deterioration of diplomatic relations in a region or country where a substantial portion of the Fund’s assets are invested, the Fund may experience substantial illiquidity or losses.

Eurozone-Related Risk. A number of countries in the European Union (the “EU”) have experienced, and may continue to experience, severe economic and financial difficulties. Additional EU member countries may also fall subject to such difficulties. These events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments in euro-denominated securities and derivatives contracts, as well as securities of issuers located in the EU or with significant exposure to EU issuers or countries. If the euro is dissolved entirely, the legal and contractual consequences for holders of euro-denominated obligations and derivative contracts would be determined by laws in effect at such time. Such investments may continue to be held, or purchased, to the extent consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted under applicable law. These potential developments, or market perceptions concerning these and related issues, could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s shares.

Certain countries in the EU have had to accept assistance from supra-governmental agencies such as the International Monetary Fund, the European Stability Mechanism, or other supra-governmental agencies. The European Central Bank has also been intervening to purchase Eurozone debt in an attempt to stabilize markets and reduce borrowing costs. There can be no assurance that these agencies will continue to intervene or provide further assistance, and markets may react adversely to any expected reduction in the financial support provided by these agencies. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks, and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest, and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences.

In June 2016, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” which sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound, short-term declines in global stock markets, and heightened risk of continued worldwide economic volatility. The UK officially left the EU on January 31, 2020, with a transitional period that ended on December 31, 2020. On December 30, 2020, the UK and the EU signed an agreement on the terms governing certain aspects of the EU’s and the UK’s relationship following the end of the transition period, the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (the “TCA”). Notwithstanding the TCA, there is likely to be considerable uncertainty as to the UK’s post-transition framework, and in particular as to the arrangements which will apply to the UK’s relationships with the EU and with other countries, which is likely to continue to develop and could result in increased volatility and illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth. Brexit created and may continue to create an uncertain political and economic environment in the UK and other EU countries. This long-term uncertainty may affect other countries in the EU and elsewhere. Further, the UK’s departure from the EU may cause volatility within the EU, triggering prolonged economic downturns in certain European countries or sparking additional member states to contemplate departing the EU. In addition, the UK’s departure from the EU may create actual or perceived additional economic stresses for the UK, including potential for decreased trade, capital outflows, devaluation of the British pound, wider corporate bond spreads due to uncertainty, and possible declines in business and consumer spending, as well as foreign direct investment.

Foreign Economy Risk. The economies of certain foreign markets often do not compare favorably with that of the United States with respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources, and balance of payments position. Certain such economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures.

Currency Risk and Exchange Risk. Unless the Fund's Prospectus states a policy to invest only in securities denominated in U.S. dollars, the Fund may invest in securities denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. In such case, changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This risk, generally known as “currency risk,” means that a stronger U.S. dollar will reduce returns for U.S. investors while a weak U.S. dollar will increase those returns.

Governmental Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards. Many foreign governments supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities less than does the United States. Some countries may not have laws to protect investors comparable to the U.S. securities laws. For example, some foreign countries may have no laws or rules against insider trading. Insider trading occurs when a person buys or sells a company’s securities based on nonpublic information about that company. Accounting standards in other countries are not necessarily the same as in the United States. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much detail as U.S. accounting standards, it may be harder for Fund management to completely and accurately determine a company’s financial condition. In addition, the

U.S. government has from time to time in the past imposed restrictions, through penalties and otherwise, on foreign investments by U.S. investors such as the Fund. If such restrictions should be reinstituted, it might become necessary for the Fund to invest all or substantially all of its assets in U.S. securities.

Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the United States. The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank or depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. In addition, it is often more expensive for the Fund to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount the Fund can earn on its investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund as compared to investment companies that invest only in the United States.

Settlement Risk. Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically generated by the settlement of U.S. investments. Communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates in markets that still rely on physical settlement. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions; these problems may make it difficult for the Fund to carry out transactions. If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a purchase of securities, it may miss attractive investment opportunities and certain of its assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a sale of securities, it may lose money if the value of the security then declines or, if it has contracted to sell the security to another party, the Fund could be liable to that party for any losses incurred.

Investment in Emerging Markets. The Fund may invest in securities of issuers domiciled in various countries with emerging capital markets. Emerging market countries typically are developing and low- or middle-income countries. Emerging market countries may be found in regions such as Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Investments in the securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets; (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments; (iv) national policies that may limit the Fund’s investment opportunities, such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; and (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors.

Emerging capital markets are developing in a dynamic political and economic environment brought about by events over recent years that have reshaped political boundaries and traditional ideologies. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that any or all of these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities for the Fund. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the Fund could lose the entire value of its investments in the affected market.

Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Emerging market securities may be substantially less liquid and more volatile than those of mature markets, and company shares may be held by a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the Fund’s acquisition or disposal of securities.

Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because the Fund will need to use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable compared to developed countries. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer, or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets, and, along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being completely lost. The Fund would absorb any loss resulting from such registration problems and may have no successful claim for compensation.

Investment in Frontier Markets. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and less developed capital markets than traditional emerging markets, and, as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries. The economies of frontier market countries are less correlated to global economic cycles than those of their more developed counterparts and their markets have low trading volumes and the potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity. This volatility may be further heightened by the actions of a few major investors. For example, a substantial increase or decrease in cash flows of mutual funds investing in these markets could significantly affect local stock prices and, therefore, the price of Fund shares. These factors make investing in frontier market countries significantly riskier than in other countries and any one of them could cause the price of the Fund’s shares to decline.

Governments of many frontier market countries in which the Fund may invest may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. In some cases, the governments of such frontier market countries may own or control certain companies. Accordingly, government actions could have a significant effect on economic conditions in a frontier market country and on market conditions, prices and yields of securities in the Fund’s portfolio. Moreover, the economies of frontier market countries may be heavily dependent upon international trade and, accordingly, have been and may continue to be, adversely affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. These economies also have been and may continue to be adversely affected by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade.

Investment in equity securities of issuers operating in certain frontier market countries may be restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions or controls may at times limit or preclude foreign investment in equity securities of issuers operating in certain frontier market countries and increase the costs and expenses of the Fund. Certain frontier market countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons, limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer, limit the investment by foreign persons only to a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domiciliaries of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. Certain frontier market countries may also restrict investment opportunities in issuers in industries deemed important to national interests.

Frontier market countries may require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors, such as the Fund. In addition, if deterioration occurs in a frontier market country’s balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. Investing in local markets in frontier market countries may require the Fund to adopt special procedures, seek local government approvals or take other actions, each of which may involve additional costs to the Fund.

In addition, investing in frontier markets includes the risk of share blocking. Share blocking refers to a practice, in certain foreign markets, where voting rights related to an issuer’s securities are predicated on these securities being blocked from trading at the custodian or sub-custodian level, for a period of time around a shareholder meeting. These restrictions have the effect of prohibiting securities to potentially be voted (or having been voted), from trading within a specified number of days before, and in certain instances, after the shareholder meeting. Share blocking may prevent the Fund from buying or selling securities for a period of time. During the time that shares are blocked, trades in such securities will not settle. The specific practices may vary by market and the blocking period can last from a day to several weeks, typically terminating on a date established at the discretion of the issuer. Once blocked, the only manner in which to remove the block would be to withdraw a previously cast vote, or to abstain from voting altogether. The process for having a blocking restriction lifted can be very difficult with the particular requirements varying widely by country. In certain countries, the block cannot be removed.

There may be no centralized securities exchange on which securities are traded in frontier market countries. Also, securities laws in many frontier market countries are relatively new and unsettled. Therefore, laws regarding foreign investment in frontier market securities, securities regulation, title to securities, and shareholder rights may change quickly and unpredictably.

The frontier market countries in which the Fund invests may become subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations. The value of the securities issued by companies that operate in, or have dealings with, these countries may be negatively impacted by any such sanction or embargo and may reduce the Fund’s returns. Banks in frontier market countries used to hold the Fund’s securities and other assets in that country may lack the same operating experience as banks in developed markets. In addition, in certain countries there may be legal restrictions or limitations on the ability of the Fund to recover assets held by a foreign bank in the event of the bankruptcy of the bank. Settlement systems in frontier markets may be less well organized than in the developed markets. As a result, there is greater risk than in developed countries that settlement will take longer and that cash or securities of the Fund may be in jeopardy because of failures of or defects in the settlement systems.

Restrictions on Certain Investments. A number of publicly traded closed-end investment companies have been organized to facilitate indirect foreign investment in developing countries, and certain of such countries, such as Thailand, South Korea, Chile and Brazil, have specifically authorized such funds. There also are investment opportunities in certain of such countries in pooled vehicles that resemble open-end investment companies. In accordance with the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of other investment companies, not more than 5% of which may be invested in any one such company. In addition, under the 1940 Act, the Fund may not own more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any investment company. These restrictions on investments in securities of investment companies may limit opportunities for the Fund to invest indirectly in certain developing countries. Shares of certain investment companies may at times be acquired only at market prices representing premiums to their net asset values. If the Fund acquires shares of other investment companies, shareholders would bear both their proportionate share of expenses of the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of such other investment companies.

Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in foreign securities by purchasing depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and non-voting depositary receipts (“NVDRs”) or other securities convertible into securities of issuers based in foreign countries. These securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, GDRs, in bearer form, are issued and designed for use outside the United States and EDRs (also referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts (“CDRs”)), in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in European securities markets. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities. EDRs are European receipts evidencing a similar arrangement. GDRs are receipts typically issued by non-U.S. banks and trust companies that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic securities. For purposes of the Fund’s investment policies, ADRs, EDRs, GDRs and NVDRs are deemed to have the same classification as the underlying securities they represent. Thus, an ADR, EDR, GDR or NVDR representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock.

The Fund may invest in depositary receipts through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. While ADRs issued under these two types of facilities are in some respects similar, there are distinctions between them relating to the rights and obligations of ADR holders and the practices of market participants.

A depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or even necessarily the acquiescence of) the issuer of the deposited securities, although typically the depositary requests a letter of non-objection from such issuer prior to the establishment of the facility. Holders of unsponsored ADRs generally bear all the costs of such facilities. The depositary usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the deposited securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to pass through voting rights to ADR holders in respect of the deposited securities. In addition, an unsponsored facility is generally not obligated to distribute communications received from the issuer of the deposited securities or to disclose material information about such issuer in the U.S. and thus there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts. Unsponsored ADRs tend to be less liquid than sponsored ADRs.

Sponsored ADR facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that the issuer of the deposited securities enters into a deposit agreement with the depositary. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the issuer, the depositary, and the ADR holders. With sponsored facilities, the issuer of the deposited securities generally will bear some of the costs relating to the facility (such as dividend payment fees of the depositary), although ADR holders continue to bear certain other costs (such as deposit and withdrawal fees). Under the terms of most sponsored arrangements, depositaries agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings and voting instructions, and to provide shareholder communications and other information to the ADR holders at the request of the issuer of the deposited securities.

Euro Bonds. Euro bonds are securities denominated in U.S. dollars or another currency and sold to investors outside of the country whose currency is used. Euro bonds may be issued by government or corporate issuers, and are typically underwritten by banks and brokerage firms in numerous countries. While Euro bonds often pay principal and interest in U.S. dollars held in banks outside of the United States (“Eurodollars”), some Euro bonds may pay principal and interest in other currencies. Euro bonds are subject to the same risks as other fixed income securities.

Foreign Sovereign Debt. To the extent that the Fund invests in obligations issued by governments of developing or emerging market countries, these investments involve additional risks. Sovereign obligors in developing and emerging market countries are among the world’s largest debtors to commercial banks, other governments, international financial organizations and other financial institutions. These obligors have in the past experienced substantial difficulties in servicing their external debt obligations, which led to defaults on certain obligations and the restructuring of certain indebtedness. Restructuring arrangements have included, among other things, reducing and rescheduling interest and principal payments by negotiating new or amended credit agreements or converting outstanding principal and unpaid interest to Brady Bonds, and obtaining new credit for finance interest payments. Holders of certain foreign sovereign debt securities may be requested to participate in the restructuring of such obligations and to extend further loans to their issuers. There can be no assurance that the foreign sovereign debt securities in which the Fund may invest will not be subject to similar restructuring arrangements or to requests for new credit which may adversely affect the Fund’s holdings. Furthermore, certain participants in the secondary market for such debt may be directly involved in negotiating the terms of these arrangements and may therefore have access to information not available to other market participants.

Risks Related to Russian Invasion of Ukraine. In late February 2022, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine, significantly amplifying already existing geopolitical tensions among Russia, Ukraine, Europe, NATO, and the West. Russia’s invasion, the responses of countries and political bodies to Russia’s actions, and the potential for wider conflict may increase financial market volatility and could have severe adverse effects on regional and global economic markets, including the markets for certain securities and commodities such as oil and natural gas. Following Russia’s actions, various countries, including the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, as well as the European Union, issued broad-ranging economic sanctions against Russia. The sanctions consist of the prohibition of trading in certain Russian securities and engaging in certain private transactions, the prohibition of doing business with certain Russian corporate entities, large financial institutions, officials and oligarchs, and the freezing of Russian assets. The sanctions include a commitment by certain countries and the European Union to remove selected Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications, commonly called “SWIFT,” the electronic network that connects banks globally, and imposed restrictive measures to prevent the Russian Central Bank from undermining the impact of the sanctions. A number of large corporations and U.S. states have also announced plans to divest interests or otherwise curtail business dealings with certain Russian businesses.

The imposition of these current sanctions (and potential further sanctions in response to continued Russian military activity) and other actions undertaken by countries and businesses may adversely impact various sectors of the Russian economy, including but not limited to, the financials, energy, metals and mining, engineering, and defense and defense-related materials sectors. Such actions also may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Russian securities, a weakening of the ruble, and could impair the ability of the Fund to buy, sell, receive, or deliver those securities. Moreover, the measures could adversely affect global financial and energy markets and thereby negatively affect the value of the Fund's investments beyond any direct exposure to Russian issuers or those of adjoining geographic regions. In response to sanctions, the Russian Central Bank raised its interest rates and banned sales of local securities by foreigners. Russia may take additional counter measures or retaliatory actions, which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian securities and Fund investments. Such actions could, for example, include restricting gas exports to other countries, seizure of U.S. and European residents' assets, or undertaking or provoking other military conflict elsewhere in Europe, any of which could exacerbate negative consequences on global financial markets and the economy. The actions discussed above could have a

negative effect on the performance of funds that have exposure to Russia. While diplomatic efforts have been ongoing, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is currently unpredictable and has the potential to result in broadened military actions. The duration of ongoing hostilities and corresponding sanctions and related events cannot be predicted and may result in a negative impact on performance and the value of Fund investments, particularly as it relates to Russia exposure.

Due to difficulties transacting in impacted securities, the Fund may experience challenges liquidating the applicable positions to continue to seek the Fund’s investment objective. Additionally, due to current and potential future sanctions or potential market closure impacting the ability to trade Russian securities, the Fund may experience higher transaction costs.

Risks Related to Israel-Hamas War. In October 2023, armed conflict broke out between Israel and the militant group Hamas after Hamas infiltrated Israel’s southern border from the Gaza Strip. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and Israeli Defense Forces invaded the Gaza Strip. Events in Israel, Gaza, and the greater Middle East region are rapidly evolving, and the extent and duration of the Israel-Hamas war are impossible to predict.

Both actual hostilities, including the Israel-Hamas war described above, and the threat of future hostilities may have a significant adverse effect on Israel’s economy, including increased volatility in the share price of companies based in or with operations in Israel, local securities trading suspensions, local securities market closures (including for extended periods), a lack of transparency concerning Israeli issuers or other local market information, and increased restrictions on foreign investment or repatriation of capital. Such hostilities or an attack also may escalate into a more wide-scale conflict with the potential for greater and far-reaching adverse effects in the region and globally. While it is not possible to predict the extent and duration of any such conflict, the resulting market disruptions could be significant, including in certain industries or sectors, such as the oil and natural gas markets, and may negatively affect global supply chains, inflation and global growth. These and any related events could significantly impact the Fund’s performance and the value of an investment in the Fund, even if the Fund does not have direct exposure to Israeli issuers or issuers in other countries affected by the war.

Initial Public Offerings

The Fund may participate in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). Securities issued in initial public offerings have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. The volume of IPOs and the levels at which the newly issued stocks trade in the secondary market are affected by the performance of the stock market overall. If IPOs are brought to the market, availability may be limited and the Fund may not be able to buy any shares at the offering price, or if it is able to buy shares, it may not be able to buy as many shares at the offering price as it would like. In addition, the prices of securities involved in IPOs are often subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than more established stocks.

Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program

Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC dated June 13, 2016, the Fund may lend money to, and borrow money for temporary purposes from, other funds advised by the Fund's investment adviser, NFA. Generally, the Fund will borrow money through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the cost of bank loans. Interfund borrowings can have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day’s notice. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to borrow or lend under the program at any time, and the Fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is unavailable, called, or not renewed.

Lending Portfolio Securities

The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, provided it receives collateral, with respect to each loan of U.S. securities, equal to at least 102% of the value of the portfolio securities loaned, and, with respect to each loan of non-U.S. securities, collateral of at least 105% of the value of the portfolio securities loaned, and at all times thereafter shall require the borrower to mark-to-market such collateral on a daily basis so that the market value of such collateral does not fall below 100% of the market value of the portfolio securities so loaned. By lending its portfolio securities, the Fund can increase its income through the investment of the collateral. For the purposes of this policy, the Fund considers collateral consisting of cash, U.S. government securities or letters of credit issued by banks whose securities meet the standards for investment by the Fund to be the equivalent of cash. From time to time, the Fund may return to the borrower or a third party which is unaffiliated with it, and which is acting as a “placing broker,” a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral received for securities loaned.

The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever portfolio securities are loaned: (1) the Fund must receive from the borrower collateral equal to at least 100% of the value of the portfolio securities loaned; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities loaned rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive a reasonable rate of return on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions payable on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees in connection with the loan; and (6) while any voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board of Trustees must be able to terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs. In addition, the Fund may not have on loan securities representing more than one-third of its total assets at any given time. The collateral that the Fund receives may be included in calculating the Fund’s total assets. The Fund generally will not seek to vote proxies relating to the securities on loan, unless it is in the best interests of the Fund to do so. These conditions may be subject to future modification. Loan agreements involve certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the other party including possible delays or restrictions upon the Fund’s ability to recover the loaned securities or dispose of the collateral for the loan.

Investment of Securities Lending Collateral. The cash collateral received from a borrower as a result of the Fund’s securities lending activities will be used to purchase both fixed-income securities and other securities with debt-like characteristics that are rated A1 or P1 on a fixed-rate or floating-rate basis, including: bank obligations; commercial paper; investment agreements, funding agreements, or guaranteed investment contracts entered into with, or guaranteed by, an insurance company; loan participations; master notes; medium-term notes; repurchase agreements; and U.S. government securities. Except for the investment agreements, funding agreements or guaranteed investment contracts guaranteed by an insurance company, master notes, and medium-term notes (which are described below), these types of investments are described elsewhere in this SAI. Collateral may also be invested in a money market mutual fund or short-term collective investment trust.

Investment agreements, funding agreements, or guaranteed investment contracts entered into with, or guaranteed by, an insurance company are agreements in which an insurance company either provides for the investment of the Fund’s assets or provides for a minimum guaranteed rate of return to the investor.

Master notes are promissory notes issued usually with large, creditworthy broker-dealers on either a fixed-rate or floating-rate basis. Master notes may or may not be collateralized by underlying securities. If the master note is issued by an unrated subsidiary of a broker-dealer, then an unconditional guarantee is provided by the issuer’s parent.

Medium-term notes are unsecured, continuously offered corporate debt obligations. Although medium-term notes may be offered with a maturity from one to ten years, in the context of securities lending collateral, the maturity of the medium-term note generally will not exceed two years.

LIBOR Risk

The Fund may be exposed to financial instruments that are tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies or investment value. The Fund's investments may pay interest at floating rates based on LIBOR or may be subject to interest caps or floors based on LIBOR. The Fund may also obtain financing at floating rates based on LIBOR. Derivative instruments utilized by the Fund may also reference LIBOR.

The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has ceased publishing all LIBOR settings. In April 2023, the FCA directed that certain USD LIBOR settings would continue to be published under a synthetic methodology, a practice that ceased on September 30, 2024. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates in most major currencies. The U.S. Federal Reserve, based on the recommendations of Alternative Reference Rates Committee, has begun publishing the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Proposals for alternative reference rates for other currencies have also been announced or have already begun publication. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates.

Neither the effect of the LIBOR transition process nor its ultimate success can yet be known. The transition process might lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets for, and reduce the effectiveness of new hedges placed against, instruments whose terms currently include LIBOR. While some existing LIBOR-based instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate-setting methodology, there may be

significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies to replicate LIBOR. Not all existing LIBOR-based instruments may have alternative rate-setting provisions and there remains uncertainty regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to add alternative rate-setting provisions in certain existing instruments. In addition, a liquid market for newly-issued instruments that use a reference rate other than LIBOR still may be developing. There may also be challenges for the Fund to enter into hedging transactions against such newly-issued instruments until a market for such hedging transactions develops. All of the aforementioned may adversely affect the Fund's performance or net asset value.

Natural Disaster/Epidemic Risk

Natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and other severe weather-related phenomena generally, and widespread disease, including pandemics and epidemics, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund's investments. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, market, or region are increasingly likely to adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign exchange rates in other countries, including the U.S. These disruptions could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objectives. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.

The spread of the human coronavirus disease beginning in 2019 (“COVID-19”) is an example. COVID-19 has resulted in instances of market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain its spread resulted in travel restrictions, disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations (including business closures) and supply chains, layoffs, lower consumer demand and employee availability, and defaults and credit downgrades, among other significant economic impacts that disrupted global economic activity across many industries. Such economic impacts may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks locally or globally and cause general concern and uncertainty. Although the WHO and the United States ended their declarations of COVID-19 as a global health emergency in May 2023, the full economic impact and ongoing effects of COVID-19 (or other future epidemics or pandemics) at the macro-level and on individual businesses are unpredictable and may result in significant and prolonged effects on the Fund's performance.

Operational and Technology Risk/Cyber Security Risk

The Fund, its service providers, and other market participants depend on complex information technology and communications systems to conduct business functions. These systems are subject to a number of different threats or risks that could adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders, despite the efforts of the Fund and its service providers to adopt technologies, processes, and practices intended to mitigate these risks.

For example, the Fund and its service providers may be susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber incidents. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks also may be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Fund's adviser, and other service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, subadvisers, transfer agents and administrators), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund's ability to calculate its net asset value, impediments to trading, the inability of the Fund's shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Fund and its service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and systems designed to reduce the risks associated with, such cyber attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified.

In addition, power or communications outages, acts of God, information technology equipment malfunctions, operational errors, and inaccuracies within software or data processing systems may also disrupt business operations or impact critical data. Market events also may trigger a volume of transactions that overloads current information technology and communication systems and processes, impacting the ability to conduct the Fund's operations.

The Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

Artificial Intelligence (“AI”). The rapid development and increasingly widespread use of certain AI technologies, including machine learning models and generative AI, may adversely impact markets, the overall performance of the Fund's investments, or the services provided to the Fund by its service providers. For example, issuers in which the Fund invests and/or service providers to the Fund may use and/or expand the use of AI technologies in their business operations, and the challenges with properly managing its use could result in reputational harm, competitive harm, legal liability, and/or an adverse effect on business operations.

AI technologies are highly reliant on the collection and analysis of large amounts of data and complex algorithms, and it is possible that the information provided through the use of AI could be insufficient, incomplete, inaccurate or biased and lead to adverse effects for the Fund, including, potentially, operational errors and investment losses. Additionally, the use of AI technologies could impact the market as a whole, including through the use of AI by malicious actors for market manipulation, fraud and cyberattacks. The use of AI technologies may face regulatory scrutiny in the future, which could limit the development of AI and impede the growth of companies that develop and use AI. Actual usage of AI technologies by the Fund's service providers and issuers in which the Fund invests will vary. AI technologies and their current and potential future applications, and the regulatory frameworks within which they operate, continue to rapidly evolve, and it is impossible to predict the full extent of future applications or regulations and the associated risks to the Fund.

Preferred Stocks, Convertible Securities and Other Equity Securities

The Fund may invest in preferred stocks and other types of convertible securities. In some instances, the Fund may receive common stock, warrants or other types of equity securities resulting from a corporate action by or bankruptcy of an issuer of debt securities held by the Fund. In such instances, unless such equity securities are preferred stocks or convertible securities, the Fund will sell such equity securities as soon as reasonably practicable. Preferred stocks, like many debt obligations, are generally fixed-income securities. Shareholders of preferred stocks normally have the right to receive dividends at a fixed rate when and as declared by the issuer’s board of directors, but do not participate in other amounts available for distribution by the issuing corporation. In some countries, dividends on preferred stocks may be variable, rather than fixed. Dividends on the preferred stock may be cumulative, and all cumulative dividends usually must be paid prior to common shareholders of common stock receiving any dividends. Because preferred stock dividends must be paid before common stock dividends, preferred stocks generally entail less risk than common stocks. Upon liquidation, preferred stocks are entitled to a specified liquidation preference, which is generally the same as the par or stated value, and are senior in right of payment to common stock. Preferred stocks are, however, equity securities in the sense that they do not represent a liability of the issuer and, therefore, do not offer as great a degree of protection of capital or assurance of continued income as investments in corporate debt securities. Preferred stocks are generally subordinated in right of payment to all debt obligations and creditors of the issuer, and convertible preferred stocks may be subordinated to other preferred stock of the same issuer.

Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks, or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. Convertible securities have general characteristics similar to both debt obligations and equity securities. The value of a convertible security is a function of its “investment value” (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its “conversion value” (the security’s worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock). The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, the credit standing of the issuer and other factors. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. The market value of convertible securities tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common stock and therefore will react to variations in the general market for equity securities. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment

value. Generally, the conversion value decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed-income security. While no securities investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer.

A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest normally paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted, or exchanged. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally (i) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities, (ii) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying stock since they have fixed-income characteristics, and (iii) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases. Most convertible securities currently are issued by U.S. companies, although a substantial Eurodollar convertible securities market has developed, and the markets for convertible securities denominated in local currencies are increasing.

A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.

Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, generally enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock of the same issuer. Because of the subordination feature, however, some convertible securities typically are rated below investment grade or are not rated, depending on the general creditworthiness of the issuer.

The Fund may invest in convertible preferred stocks that offer enhanced yield features, such as Preferred Equity Redemption Cumulative Stocks (“PERCS”), which provide an investor, such as the Fund, with the opportunity to earn higher dividend income than is available on a company’s common stock. PERCS are preferred stocks that generally feature a mandatory conversion date, as well as a capital appreciation limit, which is usually expressed in terms of a stated price. Most PERCS expire three years from the date of issue, at which time they are convertible into common stock of the issuer. PERCS are generally not convertible into cash at maturity. Under a typical arrangement, after three years PERCS convert into one share of the issuer’s common stock if the issuer’s common stock is trading at a price below that set by the capital appreciation limit, and into less than one full share if the issuer’s common stock is trading at a price above that set by the capital appreciation limit. The amount of that fractional share of common stock is determined by dividing the price set by the capital appreciation limit by the market price of the issuer’s common stock. PERCS can be called at any time prior to maturity, and hence do not provide call protection. If called early, however, the issuer must pay a call premium over the market price to the investor. This call premium declines at a preset rate daily, up to the maturity date.

The Fund may also invest in other classes of enhanced convertible securities. These include but are not limited to Automatically Convertible Equity Securities (“ACES”), Participating Equity Preferred Stock (“PEPS”), Preferred Redeemable Increased Dividend Equity Securities (“PRIDES”), Stock Appreciation Income Linked Securities (“SAILS”), Term Convertible Notes (“TECONS”), Quarterly Income Cumulative Securities (“QICS”), and Dividend Enhanced Convertible Securities (“DECS”). ACES, PEPS, PRIDES, SAILS, TECONS, QICS, and DECS all have the following features: they are issued by the company, the common stock of which will be received in the event the convertible preferred stock is converted; unlike PERCS they do not have a capital appreciation limit; they seek to provide the investor with high current income with some prospect of future capital appreciation; they are typically issued with three- or four-year maturities; they typically have some built-in call protection for the first two to three years; and, upon maturity, they will convert into either cash or a specified number of shares of common stock.

Similarly, there may be enhanced convertible debt obligations issued by the operating company, whose common stock is to be acquired in the event the security is converted, or by a different issuer, such as an investment bank. These securities may be identified by names such as Equity Linked Securities (“ELKS”) or similar names. Typically they share most of the salient characteristics of an enhanced convertible preferred stock but will be ranked as senior or subordinated debt in the issuer’s

corporate structure according to the terms of the debt indenture. There may be additional types of convertible securities not specifically referred to herein, which may be similar to those described above in which the Fund may invest, consistent with its goals and policies.

An investment in an enhanced convertible security or any other security may involve additional risks to the Fund. The Fund may have difficulty disposing of such securities because there may be a thin trading market for a particular security at any given time. Reduced liquidity may have an adverse impact on market price and the Fund’s ability to dispose of particular securities, when necessary, to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event, such as the deterioration in the creditworthiness of an issuer. Reduced liquidity in the secondary market for certain securities may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain market quotations based on actual trades for purposes of valuing the Fund’s portfolio. Although the Fund intends to invest in liquid securities, there can be no assurance that it will always be able to do so or that securities that are liquid when acquired will remain liquid.

The Fund may also invest in zero coupon convertible securities. Zero coupon convertible securities are debt securities which are issued at a discount to their face amount and do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest prior to maturity. Rather, interest earned on zero coupon convertible securities accretes at a stated yield until the security reaches its face amount at maturity. Zero coupon convertible securities are convertible into a specific number of shares of the issuer’s common stock. In addition, zero coupon convertible securities usually have put features that provide the holder with the opportunity to sell the securities back to the issuer at a stated price before maturity. Generally, the prices of zero coupon convertible securities may be more sensitive to market interest rate fluctuations than conventional convertible securities. For more information about zero coupon securities generally, see “Zero Coupon Securities, Step-Coupon Securities, Pay-In-Kind Bonds (“PIK Bonds”) and Deferred Payment Securities” below.

Current federal income tax law requires the holder of zero coupon securities to accrue income with respect to these securities prior to the receipt of cash payments. Accordingly, to avoid liability for federal income and excise taxes, the Fund may be required to distribute income accrued with respect to these securities and may have to dispose of portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate cash to satisfy these distribution requirements.

Contingent Convertible Securities. A contingent convertible security (“CoCo”) is a hybrid debt security typically issued by a non-U.S. bank that, upon the occurrence of a specified trigger event, may be (i) convertible into equity securities of the issuer at a predetermined share price; or (ii) written down in liquidation value. Trigger events are identified in the document’s requirements. CoCos are designed to behave like bonds in times of economic health yet absorb losses when the trigger event occurs.

With respect to CoCos that provide for conversion of the CoCo into common shares of the issuer in the event of a trigger event, the conversion would deepen the subordination of the investor, subjecting the Fund to a greater risk of loss in the event of bankruptcy. In addition, because the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in such instruments could experience reduced yields (or no yields at all). With respect to CoCos that provide for the write-down in liquidation value of the CoCo in the event of a trigger event, it is possible that the liquidation value of the CoCo may be adjusted downward to below the original par value or written off entirely under certain circumstances. For instance, if losses have eroded the issuer’s capital levels below a specified threshold, the liquidation value of the CoCo may be reduced in whole or in part. The write-down of the CoCo’s par value may occur automatically and would not entitle holders to institute bankruptcy proceedings against the issuer. In addition, an automatic write-down could result in a reduced income rate if the dividend or interest payment associated with the CoCo is based on par value. Coupon payments on CoCos may be discretionary and may be canceled by the issuer for any reason or may be subject to approval by the issuer’s regulator and may be suspended in the event there are insufficient distributable reserves.

CoCos are subject to the credit, interest rate, high-yield securities, foreign securities and market risks associated with bonds and equity securities, and to the risks specified to convertible securities in general. They are also subject to other specific risks. CoCos typically are structurally subordinated to traditional convertible bonds in the issuer’s capital structure, which increases the risk that the Fund may experience a loss. In certain scenarios, investors in CoCos may suffer a loss of capital ahead of equity holders or when equity holders do not. CoCos are generally speculative and the prices of CoCos may be volatile. There is no guarantee that the Fund will receive return of principal on CoCos.

Publicly Traded Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies

Entities such as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, business trusts and companies organized outside the United States may issue securities comparable to common or preferred stock. The Fund may invest in interests in limited liability companies, as well as publicly traded limited partnerships (limited partnership interests or units), which represent equity interests in the assets and earnings of the company’s or partnership’s trade or business. Unlike common stock in a corporation, limited partnership interests have limited or no voting rights. However, many of the risks of investing in common stocks are still applicable to investments in limited partnership interests. In addition, limited partnership interests are subject to risks not present in common stock. For example, income derived from a limited partnership deemed not to be a “qualified publicly traded partnership” will be treated as “qualifying income” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Internal Revenue Code”) only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the Fund. See “Additional General Tax Information for the Fund” below. Also, since publicly traded limited partnerships and limited liability companies are a less common form of organizational structure than corporations, their units may be less liquid than publicly traded common stock. Also, because of the difference in organizational structure, the fair value of limited liability company or limited partnership units in the Fund’s portfolio may be based either upon the current market price of such units, or if there is no current market price, upon the pro rata value of the underlying assets of the company or partnership. Limited partnership units also have the risk that the limited partnership might, under certain circumstances, be treated as a general partnership giving rise to broader liability exposure to the limited partners for activities of the partnership. Further, the general partners of a limited partnership may be able to significantly change the business or asset structure of a limited partnership without the limited partners having any ability to disapprove any such changes. In certain limited partnerships, limited partners may also be required to return distributions previously made in the event that excess distributions have been made by the partnership, or in the event that the general partners, or their affiliates, are entitled to indemnification.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

Although the Fund will not invest in real estate directly, the Fund may invest in securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and other real estate industry companies or companies with substantial real estate investments and, as a result, the Fund may be subject to certain risks associated with direct ownership of real estate and with the real estate industry in general. These risks include, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds; extended vacancies of properties; risks related to general and local economic conditions; overbuilding; increases in competition, property taxes and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and liability to third parties for damages resulting from, environmental problems; casualty or condemnation losses; uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters; limitations on and variations in rents; and changes in interest rates.

REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income-producing real estate or real estate-related loans or interests. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the investment strategies of equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund pays the fees and expenses of the REITs, which, ultimately, are paid by the Fund’s shareholders.

Repurchase Agreements

The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. In connection with the purchase by the Fund of a repurchase agreement from member banks of the Federal Reserve System or certain non-bank dealers, the Fund’s custodian, or a sub-custodian, will have custody of, and will earmark or segregate securities acquired by the Fund under such repurchase agreement. Repurchase agreements are contracts under which the buyer of a security simultaneously commits to resell the security to the seller at an agreed-upon price and date. Any portion of a repurchase agreement that is not collateralized fully is considered by the staff of the SEC to be a loan by the Fund. To the extent that a repurchase agreement is not collateralized fully, the Fund will include any collateral that the Fund receives in calculating the Fund’s total assets in determining whether the Fund has loaned more than one-third of its assets. Repurchase agreements may be entered into with respect to securities of the type in which the Fund may invest or government securities regardless of their remaining maturities, and will require

that additional securities be deposited as collateral if the value of the securities purchased should decrease below resale price. Repurchase agreements involve certain risks in the event of default or insolvency by the other party, including possible delays or restrictions upon the Fund’s ability to dispose of the underlying securities, the risk of a possible decline in the value of the underlying securities during the period in which the Fund seeks to assert its rights to them, the risk of incurring expenses associated with asserting those rights and the risk of losing all or part of the income from the repurchase agreement. The Fund’s portfolio management reviews the creditworthiness of those banks and other recognized financial institutions with which the Fund enters into repurchase agreements to evaluate these risks.

In December 2023, the SEC adopted rule amendments that require any covered clearing agency (“CCA”) for U.S. Treasury securities to mandate that each of its direct participants (generally banks and broker-dealers that meet certain membership criteria) submit for clearance and settlement all eligible secondary market U.S. Treasury securities transactions to which they are a counterparty. The clearing requirement extends to all repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements of such direct participants that are collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities (collectively, “Treasury repo transactions”) of a type accepted for clearing by a registered CCA, including both bilateral Treasury repo transactions and triparty Treasury repo transactions for which a bank acts as agent for custody, collateral management, and settlement services. These transactions had not historically been subject to mandatory central clearing, and voluntary central clearing of such transactions has generally been limited.

Treasury repo transactions entered into by the Fund with any direct participant of a CCA will be subject to this mandatory clearing requirement. Compliance with the clearing mandate for Treasury repo transactions will be required by June 30, 2027, at which time the Fund will be obligated to clear all or substantially all of its Treasury repo transactions. There are, at present, significant regulatory and operational uncertainties related to the implementation of these requirements, which may affect the cost, terms, and/or availability of cleared Treasury repo transactions.

Restricted, Non-Publicly Traded and Illiquid Securities

The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets, in the aggregate, in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements which have a maturity of longer than seven days, time deposits maturing in more than seven days and securities that are illiquid because of the absence of a readily available market or legal or contractual restrictions on resale or other factors limiting the marketability of the security. Repurchase agreements subject to demand are deemed to have a maturity equal to the notice period.

Historically, illiquid securities have included securities subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale because they have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), securities which are otherwise not readily marketable and repurchase agreements having a maturity of longer than seven days. In addition, a security is illiquid if it cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Securities which have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. Unless subsequently registered for sale, these securities can only be sold in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. The Fund typically does not hold a significant amount of these restricted or other illiquid securities because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities, and the Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven days. The Fund might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them, resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities.

A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer’s ability to honor a demand for repayment. The fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity of such investments.

The SEC has adopted Rule 144A, which allows for a broader institutional trading market for securities otherwise subject to restriction on resale to the general public. Rule 144A establishes a “safe harbor” from the registration requirements of the Securities Act for resales of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers.

Any such restricted securities will be considered to be illiquid for purposes of the Fund’s limitations on investments in illiquid securities unless, pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees, the Fund’s portfolio management has determined such securities to be liquid because such securities are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A and are readily saleable, or if such securities may be readily saleable in foreign markets. To the extent that qualified institutional buyers may become uninterested in purchasing Rule 144A securities, the Fund’s level of illiquidity may increase.

The Fund’s portfolio management will monitor the liquidity of restricted securities in the portion of the Fund it manages. In reaching liquidity decisions, the following factors are considered: (1) the unregistered nature of the security; (2) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (3) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (5) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, the Fund assesses, manages, and periodically reviews its liquidity risk.

Private Placement Commercial Paper. Commercial paper eligible for resale under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act (“Section 4(2) paper”) is offered only to accredited investors. Rule 506 of Regulation D in the Securities Act lists investment companies as an accredited investor.

Section 4(2) paper not eligible for resale under Rule 144A under the Securities Act shall be deemed liquid if: (1) the Section 4(2) paper is not traded flat or in default as to principal and interest; (2) the Section 4(2) paper is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by at least two NRSROs, or if only one NRSRO rates the security, it is rated in one of the two highest categories by that NRSRO; and (3) the Fund’s portfolio management believes that, based on the trading markets for such security, such security can be disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

The Fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements to facilitate portfolio liquidity, a practice common in the mutual fund industry. In a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund would sell a security and enter into an agreement to repurchase the security at a specified future date and price. The Fund generally retains the right to interest and principal payments on the security. Since the Fund receives cash upon entering into a reverse repurchase agreement, it may be considered a borrowing under the 1940 Act (see “Borrowing”). When required by guidelines of the SEC, the Fund will segregate or earmark permissible liquid assets to secure its obligations to repurchase the security. At the time the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will establish and maintain segregated or earmarked liquid assets with an approved custodian having a value not less than the repurchase price (including accrued interest). The segregated or earmarked liquid assets will be marked-to-market daily and additional assets will be segregated or earmarked on any day in which the assets fall below the repurchase price (plus accrued interest). The Fund's liquidity and ability to manage its assets might be affected when it sets aside cash or portfolio securities to cover such commitments. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities retained in lieu of sale may decline below the price of the securities the Fund has sold but is obligated to repurchase. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such buyer or its trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such determination.

Securities of Investment Companies

As permitted by the 1940 Act, the Fund may generally invest up to 10% of its total assets, calculated at the time of investment, in the securities of other open-end or closed-end investment companies. No more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one investment company nor may it acquire more than 3% of the voting securities of any other investment company. Notwithstanding these restrictions, the Fund may invest any amount, pursuant to Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act, in affiliated or unaffiliated investment companies that hold themselves out as “money market funds” and which operate in accordance with Rule 2a-7 of the 1940 Act. In addition, the Fund may invest in other investment companies in excess of these limits pursuant to Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees paid by an investment company in which it invests in addition to the advisory

fee paid by the Fund. Some of the countries in which the Fund may invest may not permit direct investment by outside investors. Investments in such countries may only be permitted through foreign government-approved or government-authorized investment vehicles, which may include other investment companies.

Exchange-Traded Funds. The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). ETFs are regulated as registered investment companies under the 1940 Act. Many ETFs acquire and hold securities of all of the companies or other issuers, or a representative sampling of companies or other issuers that are components of a particular index. Such ETFs typically are intended to provide investment results that, before expenses, generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the corresponding market index, and the value of their shares should, under normal circumstances, closely track the value of the index’s underlying component securities. Because an ETF has operating expenses and transaction costs, while a market index does not, ETFs that track particular indices typically will be unable to match the performance of the index exactly. ETF shares may be purchased and sold in the secondary trading market on a securities exchange, in lots of any size, at any time during the trading day. More recently, actively managed ETFs have been created that are managed similarly to other investment companies.

The shares of an ETF may be assembled in a block known as a creation unit and redeemed in-kind for a portfolio of the underlying securities (based on the ETF’s net asset value) together with a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends as of the date of redemption. Conversely, a creation unit may be purchased from the ETF by depositing a specified portfolio of the ETF’s underlying securities, as well as a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends of the securities (net of expenses) up to the time of deposit. ETF shares, as opposed to creation units, are generally purchased and sold by smaller investors in a secondary market on a securities exchange. ETF shares can be traded in lots of any size, at any time during the trading day. Although the Fund, like most other investors in ETFs, intends to purchase and sell ETF shares primarily in the secondary trading market, the Fund may redeem creation units for the underlying securities (and any applicable cash), and may assemble a portfolio of the underlying securities and use it (and any required cash) to purchase creation units, if the investment manager believes it is in the Fund’s best interest to do so.

An investment in an ETF is subject to all of the risks of investing in the securities held by the ETF and has the same risks as investing in a closed-end fund. In addition, because of the ability of large market participants to arbitrage price differences by purchasing or redeeming creation units, the difference between the market value and the net asset value of ETF shares should in most cases be small. An ETF may be terminated and need to liquidate its portfolio securities at a time when the prices for those securities are falling.

Short-Term Instruments

The Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments. Short-term instruments may include the following types of instruments:

●shares of money market mutual funds, including those that may be advised by the Fund’s portfolio management;

●obligations issued or guaranteed as to interest and principal by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities, or any federally chartered corporation;

●obligations of sovereign foreign governments, their agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions;

●obligations of municipalities and states, their agencies and political subdivisions;

●high-quality asset-backed commercial paper;

●repurchase agreements;

●bank or savings and loan obligations;

●high-quality commercial paper (including asset-backed commercial paper), which are short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations in order to finance their current operations. It also may be issued by foreign issuers, such as foreign governments, states and municipalities;

●high-quality bank loan participation agreements representing obligations of corporations having a high-quality short-term rating, at the date of investment, and under which the Fund will look to the creditworthiness of the lender bank, which is obligated to make payments of principal and interest on the loan, as well as to creditworthiness of the borrower;

●high-quality short-term corporate obligations;

●certain variable-rate and floating-rate securities with maturities longer than 397 days, but which are subject to interest rate resetting provisions and demand features within 397 days;

●extendable commercial notes, which differ from traditional commercial paper because the issuer can extend the maturity of the note up to 397 days with the option to call the note any time during the extension period. Because extension will occur when the issuer does not have other viable options for lending, these notes may be considered illiquid, particularly during the extension period; and

●unrated short-term debt obligations that are determined by the Fund’s portfolio management to be of comparable quality to the securities described above.

Bank Obligations. Bank obligations include certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and fixed time deposits. A certificate of deposit is a short-term negotiable certificate issued by a commercial bank against funds deposited in the bank and is either interest-bearing or purchased on a discount basis. A bankers’ acceptance is a short-term draft drawn on a commercial bank by a borrower, usually in connection with an international commercial transaction. The borrower is liable for payment as is the bank, which unconditionally guarantees to pay the draft at its face amount on the maturity date. Fixed time deposits are obligations of branches of U.S. banks or foreign banks which are payable at a stated maturity date and bear a fixed rate of interest. Although fixed time deposits do not have a market, there are no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in the deposit to a third party.

Bank obligations may be general obligations of the parent bank or may be limited to the issuing branch by the terms of the specific obligations or by government regulation. Bank obligations may be issued by domestic banks (including their branches located outside the United States), domestic and foreign branches of foreign banks and savings and loan associations.

Eurodollar and Yankee Obligations. Eurodollar bank obligations are dollar-denominated certificates of deposit and time deposits issued outside the U.S. capital markets by foreign branches of U.S. banks and by foreign banks. Yankee bank obligations are dollar-denominated obligations issued in the U.S. capital markets by foreign banks.

Eurodollar and Yankee bank obligations are subject to the same risks that pertain to domestic issues, notably credit risk, market risk and liquidity risk. Additionally, Eurodollar (and to a limited extent, Yankee) bank obligations are subject to certain sovereign risks and other risks associated with foreign investments. One such risk is the possibility that a sovereign country might prevent capital, in the form of dollars, from flowing across their borders. Other risks include: adverse political and economic developments; the extent and quality of government regulation of financial markets and institutions; the imposition of foreign withholding taxes, and the expropriation or nationalization of foreign issues. However, Eurodollar and Yankee bank obligations held in the Fund will undergo the same credit analysis as domestic issuers in which the Fund invests, and will have at least the same financial strength as the domestic issuers approved for the Fund.

Small- and Medium-Cap Companies and Emerging Growth Stocks

The Fund may invest in small- and medium-cap companies and emerging growth stocks. Investing in securities of small-sized companies, including micro-capitalization companies and emerging growth companies, may involve greater risks than investing in the stocks of larger, more established companies, including possible risk of loss. Also, because these securities may have limited marketability, their prices may be more volatile than securities of larger, more established companies or the market averages in general. Because small-sized, medium-cap and emerging growth companies normally have fewer shares outstanding than larger companies, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell significant numbers of such shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Small-sized and emerging growth companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and may lack management depth. In addition, small-sized, medium-cap and emerging growth companies are typically subject to wider variations in earnings and business prospects than are larger, more established companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small-sized, medium-cap and emerging growth companies than for larger, more established ones.

Special Situation Companies

The Fund may invest in “special situation companies,” which include those involved in an actual or prospective acquisition or consolidation; reorganization; recapitalization; merger, liquidation or distribution of cash, securities or other assets; a tender or exchange offer; a breakup or workout of a holding company; or litigation which, if resolved favorably, would improve the value of the company’s stock. If the actual or prospective situation does not materialize as anticipated, the market price of the securities of a “special situation company” may decline significantly. Therefore, an investment in a fund that invests a significant portion of its assets in these securities may involve a greater degree of risk than an investment in

other mutual funds that seek long-term growth of capital by investing in better-known, larger companies. The portfolio management of the Fund believe, however, that if they analyze “special situation companies” carefully and invest in the securities of these companies at the appropriate time, the Fund may achieve capital growth. There can be no assurance, however, that a special situation that exists at the time the Fund makes its investment will be consummated under the terms and within the time period contemplated, if it is consummated at all.

Temporary Investments

Generally, the Fund will be fully invested in accordance with its investment objective and strategies. However, pending investment of cash balances, in anticipation of redemptions, or for other cash management purposes, or if the Fund’s adviser or subadviser believes that business, economic, political or financial conditions warrant, the Fund may invest without limit in high-quality fixed-income securities, cash or money market cash equivalents, including short-term instruments, as described herein and, subject to the limits of the 1940 Act, shares of other investment companies that invest in securities in which the Fund may invest. Should this occur, the Fund will not be pursuing its investment objective and may miss potential market upswings. See also “Short-Term Instruments.”

U.S. Government Securities and U.S. Government Agency Securities

The Fund may invest in a variety of securities which are issued or guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the U.S. government (including U.S. Treasury securities), and by various agencies or instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government.

U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, investors in such securities look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. Agencies which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States include the Export-Import Bank, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Financing Bank, and others. Certain agencies and instrumentalities, such as the GNMA, are, in effect, backed by the full faith and credit of the United States through provisions in their charters that they may make “indefinite and unlimited” drawings on the U.S. Treasury if needed to service its debt. Debt from certain other agencies and instrumentalities, including the Federal Home Loan Banks and FNMA, are not guaranteed by the United States, but those institutions are protected by the discretionary authority for the U.S. Treasury to purchase certain amounts of their securities to assist the institutions in meeting their debt obligations. Finally, other agencies and instrumentalities, such as the Farm Credit System and the FHLMC, are federally chartered institutions under U.S. government supervision, but their debt securities are backed only by the creditworthiness of those institutions, not the U.S. government.

Some of the U.S. government agencies that issue or guarantee securities include the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Housing Administration, Maritime Administration, Small Business Administration, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

An instrumentality of a U.S. government agency is a government agency organized under Federal charter with government supervision. Instrumentalities issuing or guaranteeing securities include, among others, Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Land Banks, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks and the FNMA.

The maturities of such securities usually range from three months to 30 years. While such securities may be guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government or its instrumentalities, their market values may fluctuate and are not guaranteed, which may, along with the other securities in the Fund's portfolio, cause the Fund’s daily net asset value to fluctuate.

The Federal Reserve creates STRIPS (Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities) by separating the coupon payments and the principal payment from an outstanding Treasury security and selling them as individual securities. To the extent the Fund purchases the principal portion of STRIPS, the Fund will not receive regular interest

payments. Instead STRIPS are sold at a deep discount from their face value. Because the principal portion of the STRIPS does not pay current income, its price can be volatile when interest rates change. In calculating its dividend, the Fund takes into account as income a portion of the difference between the principal portion of the STRIPS’ purchase price and its face value.

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Administration (“FHFA”) placed FNMA and FHLMC into a conservatorship under FHFA. As conservator, the FHFA assumed all the powers of the shareholders, directors and officers with the goal of preserving and conserving the assets and property of FNMA and FHLMC. However, FNMA and FHLMC continue to operate legally as business corporations and FHFA has delegated to the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors the responsibility for much of the day-to-day operations of the companies. FNMA and FHLMC must follow the laws and regulations governing financial disclosure, including SEC requirements. The long-term effect that this conservatorship will have on these companies’ debt and equity securities is unclear. The future status and role of FNMA and FHLMC could be impacted by various actions and developments, including actions taken by the FHFA in FHFA's role as conservator, restrictions placed on FNMA and FHLMC, and future legislative and regulatory actions and developments that alter the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of FNMA and FHLMC. Such developments may, in turn, impact the value of securities issued or guaranteed by FNMA and FHLMC, which could cause the Fund to lose value.

The total public debt of the United States and other countries around the globe as a percent of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008 financial downturn and has accelerated in connection with the U.S. government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt level may increase market pressures to meet government funding needs, which may drive debt cost higher and cause a country to sell additional debt, thereby increasing refinancing risk. A high national debt also raises concerns that a government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due.

Unsustainable debt levels can cause devaluations of currency, prevent a government from implementing effective counter-cyclical fiscal policy in economic downturns, and contribute to market volatility. In addition, the high and rising national debt may adversely impact the U.S. economy and securities in which the Fund may invest. From time to time, uncertainty regarding the status of negotiations in the U.S. government to increase the statutory debt ceiling could: increase the risk that the U.S. government may default on payments on certain U.S. government securities; cause the credit rating of the U.S. government to be downgraded or increase volatility in both stock and bond markets; result in higher interest rates; reduce prices of U.S. Treasury securities; and/or increase the costs of certain kinds of debt. For example, in May 2025, the long-term sovereign credit rating of the U.S. government was downgraded by Fitch and Moody's, citing a combination of expected fiscal deterioration, a high and growing federal debt, rising interest rates, and an erosion of governance relative to peers. Future downgrades could similarly contribute to increased volatility in U.S. and international financial markets, lead to higher interest rates, put downward pressure on the market value of U.S. Treasury securities, and raise the cost of borrowing across a range of debt instruments.

Inflation-Protected Bonds. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (“TIPS”) are fixed-income securities issued by the U.S. Treasury whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The U.S. Treasury uses a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Inflation-indexed securities issued by the U.S. Treasury have maturities of five, ten or thirty years, although it is possible that securities with other maturities will be issued in the future. TIPS bonds typically pay interest on a semiannual basis, equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted amount.

If the periodic adjustment rate measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed and will fluctuate. The Fund may also invest in other inflation-related bonds which may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.

The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds.

Investors in an inflation-indexed mutual fund who do not reinvest the portion of the income distribution that is attributable to inflation adjustments will not maintain the purchasing power of the investment over the long term. This is because interest earned depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation if the investor fails to reinvest the principal adjustment paid out as part of the Fund's income distributions.

While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond’s inflation measure.

The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-indexed bonds is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-indexed securities issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States.

Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.

Warrants and Rights

The Fund may invest in or hold warrants and rights. Warrants are securities giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock of an issuer at a given price (generally higher than the value of the stock at the time of issuance), on a specified date, during a specified period, or perpetually. Rights are similar to warrants, but normally have a shorter duration. Warrants and rights may be acquired separately or in connection with the acquisition of securities. Warrants and rights do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights with respect to the securities that they entitle their holder to purchase, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. As a result, warrants and rights may be considered more speculative than certain other types of investments. In addition, the value of a warrant or right does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and a warrant or right ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date.

Portfolio Turnover

The portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the year by the monthly average value of the portfolio securities, excluding securities whose maturities at the time of purchase were one year or less. High portfolio turnover rates will generally result in higher brokerage expenses, and may increase the volatility of the Fund.

As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not yet commenced operations, and thus no portfolio turnover rate information is provided.

Investment Restrictions

The following are fundamental investment restrictions of the Fund which cannot be changed without the vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund for which a change is proposed. The vote of the majority of the outstanding shares means the vote of (A) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy or (B) a majority of the outstanding voting securities, whichever is less.

The Fund:

●May not purchase securities of any one issuer, other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, if, immediately after such purchase, more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in such issuer or the Fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer, except that 25% or less of the Fund’s total assets may be invested without regard to such limitations. There is no limit to the percentage of assets that may be invested in U.S. Treasury bills, notes, or other obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities.

●May not borrow money or issue senior securities, except that the Fund may sell securities short, enter into reverse repurchase agreements and may otherwise borrow money and issue senior securities as and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rule, order or interpretation thereunder.

●May not act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

●May not purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts, except to the extent disclosed in the current Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information of the Fund.

●May not purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, 25% or more (taken at current value) of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers, the principal activities of which are in the same industry. This limitation does not apply to securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities.

●May not lend any security or make any other loan except that the Fund may, in accordance with its investment objective and policies, (i) lend portfolio securities, (ii) purchase and hold debt securities or other debt instruments, including but not limited to loan participations and subparticipations, assignments, and structured securities, (iii) make loans secured by mortgages on real property, (iv) enter into repurchase agreements, and (v) make time deposits with financial institutions and invest in instruments issued by financial institutions, and enter into any other lending arrangement as and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rule, order or interpretation thereunder.

●May not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may (i) acquire real estate through ownership of securities or instruments and sell any real estate acquired thereby, (ii) purchase or sell instruments secured by real estate (including interests therein), and (iii) purchase or sell securities issued by entities or investment vehicles that own or deal in real estate (including interests therein).

Under the 1940 Act, investments of more than 25% of a fund's total assets in one or more issuers in the same industry or group of industries constitutes concentration. The policy described above in the fifth bullet under “Investment Restrictions” will be interpreted in accordance with public interpretations of the SEC and its staff pertaining to concentration from time to time, and therefore the reference to “industry” in such policy shall be read to include a group of related industries. The policy will be interpreted to give broad authority to the Fund as to how to classify issuers within or among either industries or groups of related industries. The Fund currently utilizes any one or more industry classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by the Adviser.

The following are the non-fundamental operating policies of the Fund, which may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval:

The Fund may not:

●Sell securities short unless it covers such short sales or segregates or earmarks liquid assets as required by the current rules and positions of the SEC or its staff, and provided that short positions in forward currency contracts, options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, or other derivative instruments are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

●Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may use margin to the extent necessary to engage in short sales of securities and to obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and transactions in currencies or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

●Purchase or otherwise acquire any security if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in securities that are illiquid.

●Pledge, mortgage or hypothecate any assets owned by the Fund except as may be necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments and then such pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating may not exceed 33 1∕3% of the Fund’s total assets.

●Purchase securities of other investment companies except (a) in connection with a merger, consolidation, acquisition, reorganization or offer of exchange, or (b) to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules or regulations thereunder or pursuant to any exemptions therefrom.

The Fund’s obligation not to pledge, mortgage, or hypothecate assets in excess of 33 1∕3% of the Fund’s total assets with respect to permissible borrowings or investments, as described above, is a continuing obligation and such asset segregation and coverage must be maintained on an ongoing basis. For any other percentage restriction or requirement described above that is satisfied at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in such percentage resulting from a change in net asset value will not constitute a violation of such restriction or requirement. However, should a change in net asset value or other external events cause the Fund’s investments in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days, to exceed the limit set forth above for the Fund’s investment in illiquid securities, the Fund will act to cause the aggregate amount of such securities to come within such limit as soon as reasonably practicable. In such event, however, the Fund would not be required to liquidate any portfolio securities where the Fund would suffer a loss on the sale of such securities.

The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental policy, as required by Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act, to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% its net assets in the type of investment suggested by its name (“80 Percent Policy”). The scope of the 80 Percent Policy includes fund names suggesting that the Fund focuses its investments in: (i) a particular type of investment or investments; (ii) a particular industry or group of industries; (iii) certain countries or geographic regions; or (iv) investments that have, or whose issuers have, particular characteristics. For purposes of the 80 Percent Policy, 80% of the Fund’s net assets shall mean 80% of the Fund’s net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. The Fund also has adopted a policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change in such investment policy. For purposes of any Fund with a Rule 35d-1 80% Policy, derivative instruments that provide investment exposure to the types of securities included in the 80% Policy, or exposure to one or more market risk factors associated with such investments included in the 80% Policy, are included in the Fund’s 80% Policy, consistent with such Fund’s investment policies and limitations with respect to investments in derivatives.

Internal Revenue Code Restrictions

In addition to the investment restrictions above, the Fund must be diversified according to Internal Revenue Code requirements. Specifically, at each tax quarter end, the Fund’s holdings must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the market value of its total assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, securities of other U.S.-regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers, limited so that no one issuer has a value greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and that the Fund holds no more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s assets is invested in the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other U.S. regulated investment companies) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or, in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

The Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures regarding the disclosure of portfolio holdings information to protect the interests of Fund shareholders and to address potential conflicts of interest that could arise between the interests of Fund shareholders and the interests of the Fund's investment adviser, principal underwriter or affiliated persons of the Fund's investment adviser or principal underwriter. The Trust’s overall policy with respect to the release of portfolio holdings is to release such information consistent with applicable legal requirements and the fiduciary duties owed to shareholders. Subject to the limited exceptions described below, the Trust will not make available to anyone non-public information with respect to its portfolio holdings until such time as the information is made available to all shareholders or the general public.

The policies and procedures are applicable to NFA and any subadviser to the Fund. Pursuant to the policy, the Fund, NFA, any subadviser, and any service provider acting on their behalf are obligated to:

●Act in the best interests of Fund shareholders by protecting non-public and potentially material portfolio holdings information;

●Ensure that portfolio holdings information is not provided to a favored group of clients or potential clients; and

●Adopt such safeguards and controls around the release of client information so that no client or group of clients is unfairly disadvantaged as a result of such release.

Portfolio holdings information that is not publicly available will be released selectively only pursuant to the exceptions described below. In most cases, even where an exception applies, the release of portfolio holdings is strictly prohibited until the information is at least 15 calendar days old. Nevertheless, NFA’s Leadership Team or its duly authorized delegate may authorize, where circumstances dictate, the release of more current portfolio holdings information.

The Fund posts onto the Trust’s internet site (nationwide.com/mutualfunds) substantially all of its securities holdings as of the end of each month. Such portfolio holdings are available no earlier than 15 calendar days after the end of the previous month, and generally remain available on the internet site until the Fund files its next portfolio holdings report on Form N-CSR or Form N-PORT with the SEC. The Fund discloses its complete portfolio holdings information to the SEC using Form N-PORT within 60 days of the end of the third month of the first and third quarters of the Fund's fiscal year and on Form N-CSR on the second and fourth quarters of the Fund's fiscal year.

Exceptions to the portfolio holdings release policy described above can only be authorized by NFA’s Leadership Team or its duly authorized delegate and will be made only when:

●The Fund has a legitimate business purpose for releasing portfolio holdings information in advance of release to all shareholders or the general public;

●The recipient of the information provides written assurances that the non-public portfolio holdings information will remain confidential and that persons with access to the information will be prohibited from trading based on the information; and

●The release of such information would not otherwise violate the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws or the Fund's fiduciary duties.

Under this policy, the receipt of compensation by the Fund, NFA, a subadviser, or an affiliate as consideration for disclosing non-public portfolio holdings information will not be deemed a legitimate business purpose.

The Fund has ongoing arrangements to distribute information about the Fund's portfolio holdings to the Fund's third-party service providers described herein (e.g., investment adviser, subadvisers, registered independent public accounting firm, administrator, transfer agent, sub-administrator, sub-transfer agent, custodian and legal counsel) as well as Wolters Kluwer Financial Services, Inc. (GainsKeeper); SunGard Financial Systems (Wall Street Concepts); Style Research, Inc.; Synthesis Technology; Ernst & Young, LLP; Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.; Lipper Inc., Morningstar, Inc.; Bloomberg LP; Global Trading Analytics; RiskMetrics Group, Inc.; FactSet Research Systems, Inc.; the Investment Company Institute; AllVue Everest; Amazon Web Services (AWS); Confluence/InvestmentMetrics/Style Analytics; Microsoft; SmartStream Technologies; Snowflake; Trioptima; TS Imagine Inc.; Bank of New York; MSCI Inc.; ICE Data Pricing & Reference Data LLC; GTA Babelfish, LLC; KPMG LLC; Qontigo (Axioma Risk System); Financial Recovery Technologies; Steeleye, Limited; Proxymity Limited; Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.; Glass Lewis & Co, LLC; Advent Software, Inc.; SWIFT SC; Access Fintech, Inc.; FilePoint EDGAR Services, LLC; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; S&P Global Inc.; EquiLend LLC; WTax (VAT IT Group Ltd); SitusAMC Holdings Corp.; and, on occasion, to transition managers such as BlackRock Institutional Trust Company; Capital Institutional Services; State Street Bank and Trust Company; Electra Information Systems; or Citigroup, Inc.; where such transition manager provides portfolio transition management assistance (e.g., upon change of subadviser, etc.). These organizations are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the Fund. No compensation or other consideration is received by the Fund, NFA or any other party in connection with each such ongoing arrangement.

NFA conducts periodic reviews of compliance with the policy and the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer provides annually a report to the Board of Trustees regarding the operation of the policy and any material changes recommended as a result of such review. NFA’s compliance staff also will submit annually to the Board of Trustees a list of exceptions granted to the policy, including an explanation of the legitimate business purpose of the Fund that was served as a result of the exception.

Trustees and Officers of the Trust

Management Information

Each Trustee who is deemed an “interested person,” as such term is defined in the 1940 Act, is referred to as an “Interested Trustee.” Currently, there are no Trustees who are interested persons of the Trust. Those Trustees who are not “interested persons,” as such term is defined in the 1940 Act, are referred to as “Independent Trustees.” The name, year of birth, position and length of time served with the Trust, number of portfolios overseen, principal occupation(s) and other directorships/trusteeships held during the past five years, and additional information related to experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills of each Trustee and Officer are shown below. There are 46 series of the Trust, all of which are overseen by the Board of Trustees and Officers of the Trust. The address for each Trustee and Officer is c/o Nationwide Investment Management Group, One Nationwide Plaza, Mail Code 1-18-102, Columbus, OH 43215.

Independent Trustees

Tracy Bollin
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Trust and Length of Time Served1	Number of Portfolios Overseen in the Nationwide Fund Complex
1970	Trustee since July 2025	114
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) From 2015 until 2021, Mr. Bollin served as Vice President and CFO of Principal Funds, Managing Director of Fund Operations for Principal Global Investors, and President of Principal Shareholder Services.
Other Directorships held During the Past Five Years2 Board member of On With Life since September 2024.
Experience, Qualifications, Attributes, and Skills for Board Membership Mr. Bollin has held multiple roles in the financial services industry, including positions in capital markets, finance, operations, and as a board member.
Kristina Junco Bradshaw
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Trust and Length of Time Served1	Number of Portfolios Overseen in the Nationwide Fund Complex
1980	Trustee since January 2023	114
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Retired. Ms. Bradshaw was a Portfolio Manager on the Dividend Value team at Invesco from August 2006 to August 2020. Prior to this time, Ms. Bradshaw was an investment banker in the Global Energy & Utilities group at Morgan Stanley from June 2002 to July 2004.
Other Directorships held During the Past Five Years2 Board Member of Southern Smoke Foundation from August 2020 to 2023, Board Member of Houston Ballet from July 2011 to present and President from July 2022 to July 2024 and Chair since July 2024, and Board Member of Hermann Park Conservancy from July 2011 to present, serving as Board Chair from 2020 to 2024.
Experience, Qualifications, Attributes, and Skills for Board Membership Ms. Bradshaw has significant board experience; significant portfolio management experience in the investment management industry and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Lorn C. Davis
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Trust and Length of Time Served1	Number of Portfolios Overseen in the Nationwide Fund Complex
1968	Trustee since January 2021	114
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Mr. Davis has been a Managing Partner of College Hill Capital Partners, LLC (private equity) since June 2016. From September 1998 until May 2016, Mr. Davis originated and managed debt and equity investments for John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.)/Hancock Capital Management, LLC, serving as a Managing Director from September 2003 through May 2016.

Other Directorships held During the Past Five Years2 Board Member of The Pine Street Inn from 2009 to present, Member of the Advisory Board (non-fiduciary) of Mearthane Products Corporation from 2021 to 2022, Trustee of The College of the Holy Cross since July 2022, and Member of Board of Managers of the College Circle Creamery Holdings since February 2023.
Experience, Qualifications, Attributes, and Skills for Board Membership Mr. Davis has significant board experience; significant past service at a large asset management company and significant experience in the investment management industry. Mr. Davis is a Chartered Financial Analyst and earned a Certificate of Director Education from the National Association of Corporate Directors in 2008.
Keith F. Karlawish
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Trust and Length of Time Served1	Number of Portfolios Overseen in the Nationwide Fund Complex
1964	Trustee since March 2012; Chairman since January 2021	114
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Retired. Mr. Karlawish was a Partner, and Senior Wealth Advisor with Curi RMB Capital from August 2022 to October 2025. Previously, he was Senior Director of Wealth Management with Curi Wealth Management which acquired Park Ridge Asset Management, LLC in August 2022. Prior to this time, Mr. Karlawish was a partner with Park Ridge Asset Management, LLC since December 2008 and also served as a portfolio manager. From May 2002 until October 2008, Mr. Karlawish was the President of BB&T Asset Management, Inc., and was President of the BB&T Mutual Funds and BB&T Variable Insurance Funds from February 2005 until October 2008.
Other Directorships held During the Past Five Years2 None
Experience, Qualifications, Attributes, and Skills for Board Membership Mr. Karlawish has significant board experience, including past service on the boards of BB&T Mutual Funds and BB&T Variable Insurance Funds; significant executive experience, including past service at a large asset management company and significant experience in the investment management industry.
Carol A. Kosel
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Trust and Length of Time Served1	Number of Portfolios Overseen in the Nationwide Fund Complex
1963	Trustee since March 2013	114
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Retired. Ms. Kosel was a consultant to the Evergreen Funds Board of Trustees from October 2005 to December 2007. She was Senior Vice President, Treasurer, and Head of Fund Administration of the Evergreen Funds from April 1997 to October 2005.
Other Directorships held During the Past Five Years2 None
Experience, Qualifications, Attributes, and Skills for Board Membership Ms. Kosel has significant board experience, including past service on the boards of Evergreen Funds and Sun Capital Advisers Trust; significant executive experience, including past service at a large asset management company and significant experience in the investment management industry.
Charlotte Tiedemann Petersen
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Trust and Length of Time Served1	Number of Portfolios Overseen in the Nationwide Fund Complex
1960	Trustee since January 2023	114
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Self-employed as a private real estate investor/principal since January 2011. Ms. Petersen served as Chief Investment Officer at Alexander Capital Management from April 2006 to December 2010. From July 1993 to June 2002, Ms. Petersen was a Portfolio Manager, Partner and Management Committee member of Denver Investment Advisors LLC.
Other Directorships held During the Past Five Years2 Investment Committee for the University of Colorado Foundation from February 2015 to June 2022.
Experience, Qualifications, Attributes, and Skills for Board Membership Ms. Petersen has significant board experience including past service as a Trustee of Scout Funds and Director of Fischer Imaging, where she chaired committees for both entities; significant experience in the investment management industry and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

David E. Wezdenko
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Trust and Length of Time Served1	Number of Portfolios Overseen in the Nationwide Fund Complex
1963	Trustee since January 2021	114
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Mr. Wezdenko is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Blue Leaf Ventures (venture capital firm, founded May 2018). From November 2008 until December 2017, Mr. Wezdenko was Managing Director of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Other Directorships held During the Past Five Years2 Independent Trustee for National Philanthropic Trust from October 2021 to present and Board Member for Saint Vincent de Paul of Palm Beach County from May 2023 to present.
Experience, Qualifications, Attributes, and Skills for Board Membership Mr. Wezdenko has significant board experience; significant past service at a large asset and wealth management company and significant experience in the investment management industry.

Length of time served includes time served with the Trust’s predecessors. The tenure of each Trustee is subject to the Board’s retirement policy, which states that a Trustee shall retire from the Boards of Trustees of the Trusts effective on December 31 of the calendar year during which he or she turns 75 years of age; provided this policy does not apply to a person who became a Trustee prior to September 11, 2019.

Directorships held in: (1) any other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, (2) any company with a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or (3) any company subject to the requirements of Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, which are required to be disclosed in this SAI. In addition, certain other directorships not meeting the aforementioned requirements may be included for certain Trustees such as board positions on non-profit organizations.

Officers of the Trust

Joseph N. Aniano
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Funds and Length of Time Served
1978	President, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer since November 2025
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Mr. Aniano is President and Chief Executive Officer of Nationwide Investment Management Group and is a Senior Vice President of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.1 He previously served as President of Nationwide Securities, LLC, and before that as Head of Investment Management Group Product Lifecycle Management.
Lee T. Cummings
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Funds and Length of Time Served
1963	Senior Vice President and Head of Fund Operations since December 2015
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Mr. Cummings is Senior Vice President and Head of Fund Operations of Nationwide Investment Management Group, and is a Vice President of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.1 He previously served as the Trust’s Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer, and served temporarily as the Trust’s President, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer from September 2022 until March 2023.
David Majewski
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Funds and Length of Time Served
1976	Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer since September 2022
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Mr. Majewski is Senior Director, Financial Administration of Nationwide Investment Management Group. Mr. Majewski previously served as the Trust’s Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer.
Nicholas T. Graham
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Funds and Length of Time Served
1982	Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer since December 2025
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer)Mr. Graham is Vice President of NFA and Chief Compliance Officer of NFA and the Trust. He previously served as AVP, Chief Compliance Officer for the Nationwide Office of Investments and its registered investment adviser, Nationwide Asset Management, LLC.1
Stephen R. Rimes
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Funds and Length of Time Served
1970	Secretary, Senior Vice President and General Counsel since December 2019

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Mr. Rimes is Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Secretary for Nationwide Investment Management Group, and Vice President of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.1 He previously served as Assistant General Counsel for Invesco from 2000-2019.
Christopher C. Graham
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Funds and Length of Time Served
1971	Senior Vice President, Head of Investment Strategies, Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager since September 2016
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Mr. Graham is Senior Vice President, Head of Investment Strategies and Portfolio Manager for Nationwide Investment Management Group, and is a Vice President of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.1
Benjamin Hoecherl
Year of Birth	Positions Held with Funds and Length of Time Served
1976	Senior Vice President, Head of Business and Product Development since December 2023
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years (or Longer) Mr. Hoecherl is Vice President, Head of Business and Product Development for Nationwide Investment Management Group, and is a Vice President of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.1He previously served as AVP for Nationwide ProAccount within Nationwide Retirement Solutions.

These positions are held with an affiliated person or principal underwriter of the Fund.

Responsibilities of the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) has oversight responsibility for the conduct of the affairs of the Trust. The Board approves policies and procedures regarding the operation of the Trust, regularly receives and reviews reports from NFA regarding the implementation of such policies and procedures, and elects the Officers of the Trust to perform the daily functions of the Trust. The Chairman of the Board is an Independent Trustee.

Board Leadership Structure

The Board approves financial arrangements and other agreements between the Fund, on the one hand, and NFA, any subadvisers or other affiliated parties, on the other hand. The Independent Trustees meet regularly as a group in executive session and with independent legal counsel. The Board has determined that the efficient conduct of the Board’s affairs makes it desirable to delegate responsibility for certain specific matters to Committees of the Board (“Committees”), as described below. The Committees meet as often as necessary, either in conjunction with regular meetings of the Board or otherwise. The membership and chair of each Committee are appointed by the Board upon recommendation of the Nominating and Fund Governance Committee.

This structure is reviewed by the Board periodically, and the Board believes it to be appropriate and effective. The Board also completes an annual self-assessment during which it reviews its leadership and Committee structure, and considers whether its structure remains appropriate in light of the Fund's current operations.

Each Trustee shall hold office for the lifetime of the Trust or until such Trustee’s earlier death, resignation, removal, retirement, or inability otherwise to serve, or, if sooner than any of such events, until the next meeting of shareholders called for the purpose of electing Trustees or consent of shareholders in lieu thereof for the election of Trustees, and until the election and qualification of his or her successor. The Board may fill any vacancy on the Board provided that, after such appointment, at least two-thirds of the Trustees have been elected by shareholders. Any Trustee may be removed by the Board, with or without cause, by action of a majority of the Trustees then in office, or by a vote of shareholders at any meeting called for that purpose. In addition to conducting an annual self-assessment, the Board completes biennial peer evaluations, which focus on the performance and effectiveness of the individual members of the Board.

The Officers of the Trust are appointed by the Board, or, to the extent permitted by the Trust’s By-laws, by the President of the Trust, and each shall serve at the pleasure of the Board, or, to the extent permitted by the Trust’s By-laws, and except for the Chief Compliance Officer, at the pleasure of the President of the Trust, subject to the rights, if any, of an Officer under any contract of employment. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer must be approved by a majority of the Independent

Trustees. Subject to the rights, if any, of an Officer under any contract of employment, any Officer may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board at any regular or special meeting of the Board, or, to the extent permitted by the Trust’s By-laws, by the President of the Trust; provided, that only the Board may remove, with or without cause, the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust.

Board Oversight of Trust Risk

The Board’s role is one of oversight, including oversight of the Fund's risks, rather than active management. The Trustees believe that the Board’s Committee structure enhances the Board’s ability to focus on the oversight of risk as part of its broader oversight of the Fund's affairs. While risk management is the primary responsibility of NFA and the Fund's subadvisers, the Trustees regularly receive reports from NFA, Nationwide Fund Management LLC (“NFM”), and various service providers, including the subadvisers, regarding investment risks and compliance risks. The Committee structure allows separate Committees to focus on different aspects of these risks and their potential impact on some or all of the Nationwide Funds and to discuss with NFA or the Funds’ subadvisers how they monitor and control such risks. In addition, the Officers of the Fund, all of whom are employees of NFA, including the President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Operating Officer, report to the Board and to the Chairs of its Committees on a variety of risk-related matters, including the risks inherent in each Officer’s area of responsibility, at regular meetings of the Board and on an ad hoc basis.

The Fund has retained NFA as the Fund's investment adviser and NFM as the Fund's administrator. NFA and NFM are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Fund. NFA has delegated the day-to-day management of the investment activities of each Fund, with the exception of the Fund-of-Funds, to one or more subadvisers. NFA and NFM are primarily responsible for the Fund's operations and for supervising the services provided to the Fund by each service provider, including risk management services provided by the Fund's subadvisers, if any. The Board also meets periodically with the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer to receive reports regarding the compliance of each Fund with the federal securities laws and the Fund’s internal compliance policies and procedures. The Board also reviews the Chief Compliance Officer’s annual report, including the Chief Compliance Officer’s compliance risk assessments for the Fund. The Board meets periodically with the portfolio managers of the Fund to receive reports regarding the management of the Fund, including the Fund’s investment risks.

Committees of the Board

The Board has three standing committees: Audit and Operations Committee, Nominating and Fund Governance Committee, and Investment Committee. The function of each Committee is oversight. In addition, each Committee may from time to time delegate certain of its functions to an ad hoc committee comprised of members of the Board that will report to the Committee or the Board with its recommendations, as determined at the time of such delegation.

The purposes of the Audit and Operations Committee are to: (a) oversee the Trust's accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, its internal controls and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain of its service providers; it is the intention of the Board that it is management’s responsibility to maintain appropriate systems for accounting and internal control, and the independent auditors’ responsibility to plan and carry out a proper audit–the independent auditors are ultimately accountable to the Board and the Committee, as representatives of the Trust’s shareholders; (b) oversee the quality and integrity of the Trust's financial statements and the independent audit thereof, including periodic review of the performance of the independent auditors; (c) ascertain the independence of the Trust's independent auditors; (d) act as a liaison between the Trust's independent auditors and the Board; (e) approve the engagement of the Trust's independent auditors; (f) meet and consider the reports of the Trust's independent auditors; (g) oversee the Trust’s written policies and procedures adopted under Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act and oversee the appointment and performance of the Trust’s designated Chief Compliance Officer; (h) review information provided to the Committee regarding SEC examinations of the Trust and its service providers; (i) to review and oversee the actions of the principal underwriter and investment advisers with respect to distribution of the Nationwide Funds’ shares including the operation of the Trust’s 12b-1 Plans and Administrative Services Plans; (j) review and evaluate the transfer agency services, administrative services, custody services, and such other services as may be assigned from time to time to the Committee by the Board; (k) assist the Board in the design and oversight of the process for reviewing and evaluating payments made from the assets of any of the Funds to financial intermediaries for sub-transfer agency services, shareholder services, administrative services, and similar services; (l) assist the board in its oversight and evaluation of policies, procedures, and activities of the Trust and of service providers to the Trust relating to cybersecurity and data security; (m) review and evaluate the services received by the Trust in respect of, and the Trust’s

contractual arrangements relating to, securities lending services; (n) assist the Board in its review, consideration and oversight of any credit facilities entered into for the benefit of the Trust or any of the Funds and the use thereof by the Funds, including any interfund lending facility; (o) assist the Board in its review and consideration of insurance coverages to be obtained by or for the benefit of the Trust or the Trustees of the Trust; and (p) undertake such other responsibilities as may be delegated to the Committee by the Board. The Audit and Operations Committee met five times during the past fiscal year, and currently consists of the following Trustees: Mr. Bollin, Ms. Petersen and Mr. Wezdenko (Chair), each of whom is not an interested person of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act.

The purposes of the Nominating and Fund Governance Committee are to: (a) assist the Board in its review and oversight of governance matters; (b) assist the Board with the selection and nomination of candidates to serve on the Board; (c) oversee legal counsel; (d) assist the Board in its review and oversight of shareholder communications to the Board; and (e) undertake such other responsibilities as may be delegated to the Committee by the Board. The Nominating and Fund Governance Committee met four times during the past fiscal year, and consists of all the Independent Trustees.

The Nominating and Fund Governance Committee has adopted procedures regarding its review of recommendations for trustee nominees, including those recommendations presented by shareholders. When considering whether to add additional or substitute trustees to the Board, the Trustees shall take into account any proposals for candidates that are properly submitted to the Trust's Secretary. Shareholders wishing to present one or more candidates for trustee for consideration may do so by submitting a signed written request to the Trust's Secretary at Attn: Secretary, Nationwide Mutual Funds, One Nationwide Plaza, Mail Code 1-18-102, Columbus, OH 43215, which includes the following information: (i) name and address of the shareholder and, if applicable, name of broker or record holder; (ii) number of shares owned; (iii) name of Fund(s) in which shares are owned; (iv) whether the proposed candidate(s) consent to being identified in any proxy statement utilized in connection with the election of Trustees; (v) the name, background information, and qualifications of the proposed candidate(s); and (vi) a representation that the candidate or candidates are willing to provide additional information about themselves, including assurances as to their independence.

The purposes of the Investment Committee are to: (a) assist the Board in its review and oversight of the Funds’ performance; (b) assist the Board in the design and oversight of the process for the renewal and amendment of the Funds' investment advisory and subadvisory contracts subject to the requirements of Section 15 of the 1940 Act; (c) assist the Board in its oversight of a liquidity risk management program for the Funds pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act; (d) assist the Board in its review and oversight of the valuation of the Trust’s portfolio assets; (e) assist the Board with its review and oversight of the implementation and operation of the Trust’s various policies and procedures relating to money market funds under Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; (f) review and oversee the investment advisers’ brokerage practices, including the use of “soft dollars”; (g) assist the Board with its review and oversight of the implementation and operation of the Trust’s various policies and procedures relating to transactions involving affiliated persons of a Trust, or affiliated persons of such affiliated persons; (h) assist the Board in its review and oversight of proxy voting by the series of the Trust; and (i) undertake such other responsibilities as may be delegated to the Committee by the Board. The Investment Committee met four times during the past fiscal year, and currently consists of the following Trustees: Ms. Bradshaw, Mr. Davis (Chair), Mr. Karlawish and Ms. Kosel, each of whom is an Independent Trustee.

Ownership of Shares of Nationwide Mutual Funds as of December 31, 2026

Name of Trustee	Dollar Range of Equity Securities and/or Shares in the Funds	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities and/or Shares in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies
Independent Trustees
Tracy Bollin	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
Kristina Bradshaw	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
Lorn C. Davis	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
Keith F. Karlawish	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
Carol A. Kosel	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
Charlotte Petersen	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
David E. Wezdenko	Over $100,000	Over $100,000

Ownership in the Fund's Investment Adviser1, Subadvisers2 or Distributor3 as of December 31, 2026

Trustees who are not Interested Persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust

Name of Trustee	Name of Owners and Relationships to Trustee	Name of Company	Title of Class of Security	Value of Securities	Percent of Class
Tracy Bollin	N/A	N/A	N/A	None	N/A
Kristina Bradshaw	N/A	N/A	N/A	None	N/A
Lorn C. Davis	N/A	N/A	N/A	None	N/A
Keith F. Karlawish	N/A	N/A	N/A	None	N/A
Carol A. Kosel	N/A	N/A	N/A	None	N/A
Charlotte Petersen	N/A	N/A	N/A	None	N/A
David E. Wezdenko	N/A	N/A	N/A	None	N/A

Nationwide Fund Advisors.

As of December 31, 2026, subadvisers to the Trust included: Bailard, Inc.; BlackRock Investment Management, LLC; BNY Investments Corporation; Geneva Capital Management LLC; Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.; GQG Partners LLC; Invesco Advisers Inc.; Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc.; J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.; Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.; Los Angeles Capital Management LLC; Nationwide Asset Management, LLC; Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC; Schroder Investment Management North America LLC; The Renaissance Group LLC, doing business as Renaissance Investment Management; Victory Capital Management Inc.; and Wellington Management Company LLP.

Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC or any company, other than an investment company, that controls a Fund’s adviser or distributor.

Compensation of Trustees

The Independent Trustees receive fees and reimbursement for expenses of attending board meetings from the Trust. The Compensation Table below sets forth the total compensation paid to the Independent Trustees, before reimbursement of any expenses incurred by them, for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2026. In addition, the Compensation Table sets forth the total compensation paid to the Independent Trustees from all the funds in the Fund Complex for the twelve months ended October 31, 2026. Trust officers receive no compensation from the Trust in their capacity as officers. The Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser pays the fees, if any, and expenses of any Trustees who are interested persons of the Trust. Currently, there are no Trustees who are interested persons of the Trust.

The Trust does not maintain any pension or retirement plans for the Officers or Trustees of the Trust.

Name of Trustee	Aggregate Compensation from the Trust	Pension Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Trust Expenses	Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement	Total Compensation from the Fund Complex1
Tracy Bollin	$[___]	N/A	N/A	$[___]
Kristina Bradshaw	[___]	N/A	N/A	[___]
Lorn C. Davis	[___]	N/A	N/A	[___]
Keith F. Karlawish	[___]	N/A	N/A	[___]
Carol A. Kosel	[___]	N/A	N/A	[___]
Charlotte Petersen	[___]	N/A	N/A	[___]
David E. Wezdenko	[___]	N/A	N/A	[___]

As of October 31, 2026, the Fund Complex included two trusts comprised of 114 investment company funds or series.

Each of the Trustees and officers and their families are eligible to purchase Class A shares at net asset value without any sales charge. Each Trustee is also eligible to purchase Class R6 shares at net asset value. Class R6 shares are sold without a sales charge and are not subject to Rule 12b-1 fees or administrative services fees.

Code of Ethics

Federal law requires the Trust, each of its investment advisers and subadvisers, and its principal underwriter to adopt codes of ethics which govern the personal securities transactions of their respective personnel. Accordingly, each such entity has adopted a code of ethics pursuant to which their respective personnel may invest in securities for their personal accounts (including securities that may be purchased or held by the Trust). Copies of these Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC and are available to the public.

Proxy Voting Guidelines

Federal law requires the Trust and each of its investment advisers and subadvisers to adopt procedures for voting proxies (the “Proxy Voting Guidelines”) and to provide a summary of those Proxy Voting Guidelines used to vote the securities held by the Fund. The Fund's proxy voting policies and procedures and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 are available without charge (i) upon request, by calling 800-848-0920, (ii) on the Fund's website at https://www.nationwide.com/personal/investing/mutual-funds/proxy-voting/, or (iii) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The summary of such Proxy Voting Guidelines is attached as Appendix B to this SAI.

Investment Advisory and Other Services

Trust Expenses

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, pays the compensation of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as described in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and all expenses (other than those assumed by NFA), including governmental fees, interest charges, taxes, membership dues in the Investment Company Institute allocable to the Trust; investment advisory fees and any Rule 12b-1 fees; fees under the Trust’s Fund Administration and Transfer Agency Agreement, which includes the expenses of calculating the Fund’s net asset values; fees and expenses of independent certified public accountants and legal counsel of the Trust and to the Independent Trustees; expenses of preparing, printing, and mailing shareholder reports, notices, proxy statements, and reports to governmental offices and commissions; expenses connected with the execution, recording, and settlement of portfolio security transactions; short sale dividend expenses; insurance premiums; administrative services fees under an Administrative Services Plan; fees and expenses of the custodian for all services to the Trust; expenses of shareholder meetings; and expenses relating to the issuance, registration, and qualification of shares of the Trust. NFA may, from time to time, agree to voluntarily or contractually waive advisory fees, and if necessary reimburse expenses, in order to limit total operating expenses for the Fund, as described below.

Investment Adviser

NFA, located at One Nationwide Plaza, 1-18-102, Columbus, OH 43215, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. (“NFS”), a holding company which is a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide Corporation. All of the common stock of Nationwide Corporation is held by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, which is a mutual company owned by its policy holders.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Agreement”) with the Trust, NFA manages the Fund in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Board. NFA operates primarily as a “Manager-of-Managers” under which NFA, rather than managing the Fund directly, instead oversees one or more subadvisers.

NFA provides investment management evaluation services in initially selecting and monitoring on an ongoing basis the performance of one or more subadvisers who manage the investment portfolio of the Fund. NFA is also authorized to select and place portfolio investments on behalf of the Fund; however, NFA does not intend to do so as a routine matter at this time. The Adviser and the Trust have received two exemptive orders from the SEC for a multimanager structure. The first order allows the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to hire, replace or terminate a subadviser (excluding hiring a subadviser which is an affiliate of the Adviser) without the approval of shareholders. The first order also allows the Adviser to revise a subadvisory agreement with an unaffiliated subadviser with the approval of the Board of Trustees but without shareholder approval. The second order allows the aforementioned approvals to be taken at a Board of Trustees meeting held via any means of communication that allows the Trustees to hear each other simultaneously during the meeting.

NFA pays the compensation of the officers of the Trust employed by NFA and pays the compensation and expenses of any Trustees who are interested persons of the Trust. NFA also furnishes, at its own expense, all necessary administrative services, office space, equipment, and clerical personnel for servicing the investments of the Trust and maintaining its investment advisory facilities, and executive and supervisory personnel for managing the investments and effecting the portfolio transactions of the Trust. In addition, NFA pays, out of its legitimate profits, broker-dealers, trust companies, transfer agents and other financial institutions in exchange for their selling of shares of the Trust’s series or for recordkeeping or other shareholder related services.

The Agreement also specifically provides that NFA, including its directors, officers, and employees, shall not be liable for any error of judgment, or mistake of law, or for any loss arising out of any investment, or for any act or omission in the execution and management of the Trust, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Agreement. The Agreement continues in effect for an initial period of no more than two years and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, and, in either case, by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Agreement or interested persons of any such party. The Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its “assignment,” as defined under the 1940 Act. It may be terminated at any time as to the Fund, without penalty, by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, by the Board of Trustees or NFA on not more than 60 days’ written notice. The Agreement further provides that NFA may render similar services to others.

For services provided under the Agreement, NFA receives an annual fee paid monthly based on average daily net assets of the Fund according to the following schedule:

Funds of the Trust	Advisory Fees
Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund	[____]% on assets up to $[____] million; and [____]% on assets of $[___] million and more

Limitation of Fund Expenses

In the interest of limiting the expenses of the Fund, NFA may from time to time waive some, or all, of its investment advisory fee or reimburse other fees for the Fund. In this regard, NFA has entered into an expense limitation agreement with the Trust on behalf of the Fund (the “Expense Limitation Agreement”). Pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreement, NFA has agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses to the extent necessary to limit the total annual operating expenses of each class of the Fund to the limits described below. The waiver of such fees will cause the total return and yield of the Fund to be higher than they would otherwise be in the absence of such a waiver.

NFA may request and receive reimbursement from the Fund for the advisory fees waived or limited and other expenses reimbursed by NFA pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreement at a later date when the Fund has reached a sufficient asset size to permit reimbursement to be made without causing the total annual operating expense ratio of the Fund to exceed the limits that were in the Expense Limitation Agreement at the time that NFA waived the fees or reimbursed the expenses. No reimbursement will be made to the Fund unless: (i) the Fund’s assets exceed $100 million; (ii) the total annual expense ratio of the class making such reimbursement is less than the limit set forth above; and (iii) the payment of such reimbursement is made no more than three years from the date in which the corresponding waiver or reimbursement to the Fund was made. Except as provided for in the Expense Limitation Agreement, reimbursement of amounts previously waived or assumed by NFA is not permitted.

Until at least [__________], 20__, NFA has agreed contractually to waive advisory fees and, if necessary, reimburse expenses in order to limit total annual fund operating expenses, excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage commissions and other costs incurred in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities, acquired fund fees and expenses, compensation payable to parties not affiliated with NFA for the recovery of tax reclaims, short sale dividend expenses, Rule 12b-1 fees, fees paid pursuant to an Administrative Services Plan, fees paid to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“JPMorgan”) (as the Trust’s sub-administrator) related to the SEC’s Financial Reporting Modernization and Liquidity Risk Management Program Rules, as provided for in Amendment No. 10 to the Sub-Administration Agreement between

JPMorgan and Nationwide Fund Management LLC, dated July 1, 2018, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with any merger or reorganization and may exclude other nonroutine expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, to [___]% for all share classes of the Fund.

Investment Advisory Fees Paid

The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, and thus paid no investment advisory fees.

Subadviser

[To Be Provided]

Subadvisory Fees Paid

The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, and NFA thus has paid no subadvisory fees with respect to the Fund.

Manager-of-Managers Structure

NFA and the Trust have received from the SEC two exemptive orders for a manager-of-managers structure. The first order allows NFA, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to hire, replace or terminate unaffiliated subadvisers without the approval of shareholders. The first order also allows NFA to revise a subadvisory agreement with an unaffiliated subadviser without shareholder approval. The second order allows the aforementioned approvals to be taken at a Board of Trustees meeting held via any means of communication that allows the Trustees to hear each other simultaneously during the meeting. If a new unaffiliated subadviser is hired, the change will be communicated to shareholders within 90 days of such change, and all changes are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or NFA. The orders are intended to facilitate the efficient operation of the Fund and afford the Trust increased management flexibility.

Pursuant to the exemptive orders, NFA monitors and evaluates any subadvisers, which includes performing initial due diligence on prospective subadvisers for the Fund and thereafter monitoring the performance of the subadvisers through quantitative and qualitative analysis as well as periodic in-person, telephonic and written consultations with the subadvisers. NFA has responsibility for communicating performance expectations and evaluations to the subadviser and ultimately recommending to the Board of Trustees whether a subadviser’s contract should be renewed, modified or terminated; however, NFA does not expect to recommend changes of subadvisers frequently. NFA will regularly provide written reports to the Board of Trustees regarding the results of their evaluation and monitoring functions. Although NFA will monitor the performance of the subadvisers, there is no certainty that the subadvisers or the Fund will obtain favorable results at any given time.

Portfolio Managers

Appendix C contains the following information regarding the portfolio managers identified in the Fund’s Prospectus: (i) the dollar range of the portfolio manager’s investments in the Fund; (ii) a description of the portfolio manager’s compensation structure; and (iii) information regarding other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and potential conflicts of interest that might arise from the management of multiple accounts.

Distributor

Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC (“NFD” or the “Distributor”), One Nationwide Plaza, Mail Code 1-18-102, Columbus, OH 43215, serves as underwriter for the Fund in the continuous distribution of its shares pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement dated May 1, 2007 (the “Underwriting Agreement”). Unless otherwise terminated, the Underwriting Agreement will continue for an initial period of two years and from year to year thereafter for successive annual periods, if, as to the Fund, such continuance is approved at least annually by (i) the Board of Trustees or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to the Underwriting Agreement or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any party to the Underwriting

Agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Underwriting Agreement may be terminated in the event of any assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act. NFD is a wholly owned subsidiary of NFS Distributors, Inc., which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of NFS. The following entities or people are affiliates of the Trust and are also affiliates of NFD:

Nationwide Fund Advisors
Nationwide Fund Management LLC
Nationwide Life Insurance Company
Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company
Jefferson National Life Insurance Company
Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.
Nationwide Corporation
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
Christopher Graham
Nicholas T. Graham
Joseph N. Aniano
Lee T. Cummings
Stephen R. Rimes
David Majewski
Benjamin Hoecherl

In its capacity as Distributor, NFD solicits orders for the sale of shares, advertises and pays the costs of distributions, advertising, office space and the personnel involved in such activities. NFD receives no compensation under the Underwriting Agreement with the Trust, but may retain all or a portion of the 12b-1 fee, if any, imposed on sales of shares of the Fund.

Distribution Plan

The Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 (“Rule 12b-1 Plan”) of the 1940 Act with respect to certain classes of shares. The Rule 12b-1 Plan permits the Fund to compensate NFD, as the Fund's principal underwriter, for expenses associated with the distribution of certain classes of shares of the Fund. Under the Rule 12b-1 Plan, NFD is paid an annual fee in the following amount:

●0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s Class A (distribution or service fee)

As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not commenced operations and thus has paid no distribution or services fees.

As required by Rule 12b-1, the Rule 12b-1 Plan was approved by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Rule 12b-1 Plan (the “12b-1 Independent Trustees”). The Trust’s current Rule 12b-1 Plan was initially approved by the Board of Trustees on May 1, 2007, and is amended from time to time upon approval by the Board of Trustees. The Rule 12b-1 Plan may be terminated as to a class of a Fund by vote of a majority of the 12b-1 Independent Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of that class. Any change in the Rule 12b-1 Plan that would materially increase the distribution cost to a class requires shareholder approval. The Trustees review quarterly a written report of such costs and the purposes for which such costs have been incurred. The Rule 12b-1 Plan may be amended by vote of the Trustees, including a majority of the 12b-1 Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose. For so long as the Rule 12b-1 Plan is in effect, selection and nomination of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust shall be committed to the discretion of such disinterested persons. All agreements with any person relating to the implementation of the Rule 12b-1 Plan may be terminated at any time on 60 days’ written notice without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the 12b-1 Independent Trustees or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of the applicable class. The Rule 12b-1 Plan will continue in effect for successive one-year periods, provided that each such continuance is specifically approved (i) by the vote of a majority of the 12b-1 Independent Trustees, and (ii) by a vote of a majority of the entire Board of Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose. The Board of Trustees has a duty to request and evaluate such information as may be reasonably necessary for it to make an informed determination of whether the Rule 12b-1 Plan should be implemented or continued. In addition, the Trustees in approving the Rule 12b-1 Plan as to a Fund must determine that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Rule 12b-1 Plan will benefit such Fund and its shareholders.

NFD has entered into, and will enter into, from time to time, agreements with selected dealers pursuant to which such dealers will provide certain services in connection with the distribution of a Fund’s shares including, but not limited to, those discussed above. NFD, or an affiliate of NFD, pays additional amounts from its own resources to dealers or other financial intermediaries, including its affiliate, NFS or its subsidiaries, for aid in distribution or for aid in providing administrative services to shareholders.

The Fund may not recoup the amount of unreimbursed expenses in a subsequent fiscal year and does not generally participate in joint distribution activities with other Nationwide Funds. To the extent that certain Nationwide Funds utilize the remaining Rule 12b-1 fees not allocated to “Broker-Dealer Compensation and Costs” or “Printing and Mailing” (as shown in the table above) of a prospectus which covers multiple Funds, such other Funds may benefit indirectly from the distribution of the Fund paying the Rule 12b-1 fees.

Administrative Services Plan

Under the terms of an Administrative Services Plan, Nationwide Fund Management LLC is permitted to enter into, on behalf of the Trust, Servicing Agreements with servicing organizations, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions, who agree to provide certain administrative support services for the Fund. Such administrative support services include, but are not limited to, the following: establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, processing purchase and redemption transactions, arranging for bank wires, performing shareholder sub-accounting, answering inquiries regarding the Fund, providing periodic statements, showing the account balance for beneficial owners or for plan participants or contract holders of insurance company separate accounts, transmitting proxy statements, periodic reports, updated prospectuses and other communications to shareholders and, with respect to meetings of shareholders, collecting, tabulating and forwarding to the Trust executed proxies and obtaining such other information and performing such other services as may reasonably be required.

As authorized by the particular Administrative Services Plan, the Trust has entered into Servicing Agreements for the Fund pursuant to which NFS has agreed to provide certain administrative support services in connection with the Fund shares held beneficially by its customers. NFS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide Corporation, and is the parent company of NFA, and the indirect parent company of Nationwide Fund Management LLC. In consideration for providing administrative support services, NFS and other entities with which the Trust or its agent may enter into Servicing Agreements will receive a fee, computed at the annual rate of up to 0.25%, of the average daily net assets of the Class A and Institutional Service Class shares of the Fund and up to 0.10% of the average daily net assets of Eagle Class shares. Many intermediaries do not charge the maximum permitted fee or even a portion thereof and the Board of Trustees has implemented limits on the amounts of payments under the Plan for certain types of shareholder accounts.

As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not commenced operations and thus have paid no administrative services fees.

Fund Administration and Transfer Agency Services

Under the terms of the Joint Fund Administration and Transfer Agency Agreement (the “Joint Administration Agreement”) dated May 1, 2010, Nationwide Fund Management LLC (“NFM”), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of NFS, provides various administration and accounting services to the Trust and Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust (another trust also advised by NFA), including daily valuation of the Fund's shares, preparation of financial statements, tax returns, and regulatory reports, and presentation of quarterly reports to the Board of Trustees. NFM also serves as transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund. NFM is located at One Nationwide Plaza, Mail Code 1-18-102, Columbus, OH 43215. Under the Joint Administration Agreement, NFM is paid an annual fee for fund administration and transfer agency services based on the sum of the following: (i) the amount payable by NFM to J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“JPMorgan”) under the Sub-Administration Agreement between NFM and JPMorgan (see “Sub-Administration” below); and (ii) the amount payable by NFM to U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dba U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“US Bancorp”) under the Sub-Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement between NFM and US Bancorp (see “Sub-Transfer Agency” below); and (iii) a percentage of the combined average daily net assets of the Trust and Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust. In addition, the Trust also pays out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by NFM in providing services to the Fund and Trust, including, but not limited to, the cost of pricing services that NFM utilizes.

As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not commenced operations and thus has paid no fund administration and transfer agency fees.

Securities Lending Agent

The Board of Trustees has approved the Fund's participation in a securities lending program. Under the securities lending program, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., serves as the Fund's securities lending agent (the “Securities Lending Agent”).

As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not commenced operations and therefore the Fund has not engaged in any securities lending activity.

Sub-Administration

NFM has entered into a Sub-Administration Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., dated May 22, 2009, to provide certain fund sub-administration services for the Fund. NFM pays JPMorgan a fee for these services.

Sub-Transfer Agency

NFM has entered into a Sub-Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement with U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dba U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, dated September 1, 2012, to provide certain sub-transfer agency services for the Fund. NFM pays US Bancorp a fee for these services.

Custodian

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11, New York, NY 10179, is the custodian for the Fund and makes all receipts and disbursements under a Global Custody Agreement. The custodian performs no managerial or policy-making functions for the Fund.

Legal Counsel

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 2000 K Street, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20006-1871, serves as the Trust’s legal counsel.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

[_____________________________________], serves as the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Trust.

Brokerage Allocation

NFA or a subadviser is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities and other investments for the Fund, the selection of brokers and dealers to effect the transactions and the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. In transactions on stock and commodity exchanges in the United States, these commissions are negotiated, whereas on foreign stock and commodity exchanges these commissions are generally fixed and are generally higher than brokerage commissions in the United States. In the case of securities or derivatives traded on the over-the-counter markets or for securities traded on a principal basis, there is generally no commission, but the price includes a spread between the dealer’s purchase and sale price. This spread is the dealer’s profit. Bilaterally negotiated derivatives may include a fee payable to the Fund’s counterparty. In underwritten offerings, the price includes a disclosed, fixed commission or discount. Most short-term obligations are normally traded on a “principal” rather than agency basis. This may be done through a dealer (e.g., a securities firm or bank) who buys or sells for its own account rather than as an agent for another client, or directly with the issuer.

Except as described below, the primary consideration in portfolio security transactions is best price and execution of the transaction, i.e., execution at the most favorable prices and in the most effective manner possible. “Best price-best execution” encompasses many factors affecting the overall benefit obtained by the client account in the transaction including, but not necessarily limited to, the price paid or received for a security, the commission charged, the promptness, availability and

reliability of execution, the confidentiality and placement accorded the order, and customer service. Therefore, “best price-best execution” does not necessarily mean obtaining the best price alone but is evaluated in the context of all the execution services provided. NFA and any subadvisers have complete freedom as to the markets in and the broker-dealers through which they seek this result.

Subject to the primary consideration of seeking best price-best execution and as discussed below, securities may be bought or sold through broker-dealers who have furnished statistical, research, and other information or services to NFA or a subadviser. In placing orders with such broker-dealers, NFA or the subadviser will, where possible, take into account the comparative usefulness of such information. Such information is useful to NFA or a subadviser even though its dollar value may be indeterminable, and its receipt or availability generally does not reduce NFA’s or a subadviser’s normal research activities or expenses.

There may be occasions when portfolio transactions for the Fund are executed as part of concurrent authorizations to purchase or sell the same security for trusts or other accounts (including other mutual funds) served by NFA or a subadviser or by an affiliated company thereof. Although such concurrent authorizations potentially could be either advantageous or disadvantageous to the Fund, they are effected only when NFA or the subadviser believes that to do so is in the interest of the Fund. When such concurrent authorizations occur, the executions will be allocated in an equitable manner.

In purchasing and selling investments for the Fund, it is the policy of NFA or a subadviser to seek to obtain best execution at the most favorable prices through responsible broker-dealers. The determination of what may constitute best execution in a securities transaction by a broker involves a number of considerations, including the overall direct net economic result to the Fund (involving both price paid or received and any commissions and other costs paid), the efficiency with which the transaction is effected, the ability to effect the transaction at all when a large block is involved, the availability of the broker to stand ready to execute possibly difficult transactions in the future, the professionalism of the broker, and the financial strength and stability of the broker. These considerations are judgmental and are weighed by NFA or a subadviser in determining the overall reasonableness of securities executions and commissions paid. In selecting broker-dealers, NFA or a subadviser will consider various relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the size and type of the transaction; the nature and character of the markets for the security or asset to be purchased or sold; the execution efficiency, settlement capability, and financial condition of the broker-dealer’s firm; the broker-dealer’s execution services, rendered on a continuing basis; and the reasonableness of any commissions.

NFA or a subadviser may cause the Fund to pay a broker-dealer who furnishes brokerage and/or research services a commission that is in excess of the commission another broker-dealer would have received for executing the transaction if it is determined, pursuant to the requirements of Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act, that such commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided. Such research services may include, among other things, analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, analytic or modeling software, market data feeds and historical market information. Any such research and other information provided by brokers to NFA or a subadviser is considered to be in addition to and not in lieu of services required to be performed by it under the respective advisory or subadvisory agreement. The fees paid to NFA or a subadviser pursuant to the respective advisory or subadvisory agreement are not reduced by reason of its receiving any brokerage and research services. The research services provided by broker-dealers can be useful to NFA or a subadviser in serving its other clients. All research services received from the brokers to whom commissions are paid are used collectively, meaning such services may not actually be utilized in connection with each client account that may have provided the commission paid to the brokers providing such services. NFA and any subadviser are prohibited from considering a broker-dealer’s sale of shares of any fund for which it serves as investment adviser or subadviser, except as may be specifically permitted by law.

Commission Recapture Program. NFA may instruct subadvisers to direct certain brokerage transactions, using best efforts, and subject always to seeking to obtain best execution, to broker-dealers in connection with a commission recapture program that is used to offset the Fund's operating expenses. Commission recapture is a form of institutional discount brokerage that returns commission dollars directly to the Fund. It provides a way to gain control over the commission expenses incurred by a subadviser, which can be significant over time, and thereby reduces expenses. If a subadviser does not believe it can obtain best execution from such broker-dealers, there is no obligation to execute portfolio transactions through such broker-dealers. Commissions recaptured by the Fund will be included in realized gain (loss) on securities in the Fund's appropriate financial statements.

Fund portfolio transactions may be effected with broker-dealers who have assisted investors in the purchase of variable annuity contracts or variable insurance policies issued by Nationwide Life Insurance Company, Nationwide Life & Annuity Insurance Company or Jefferson National Insurance Company. However, neither such assistance nor sale of other investment company shares is a qualifying or disqualifying factor in a broker-dealer’s selection, nor is the selection of any broker-dealer based on the volume of shares sold.

Under the 1940 Act, “affiliated persons” of the Fund are prohibited from dealing with it as a principal in the purchase and sale of securities unless an exemptive order allowing such transactions is obtained from the SEC. However, the Fund may purchase securities from underwriting syndicates of which a subadviser or any of its affiliates, as defined in the 1940 Act, is a member under certain conditions, in accordance with Rule 10f-3 under the 1940 Act.

The Fund contemplates that, consistent with the policy of seeking to obtain best execution, brokerage transactions may be conducted through “affiliated brokers or dealers,” as defined in the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, commissions paid by a fund to an “affiliated broker or dealer” in connection with a purchase or sale of securities offered on a securities exchange may not exceed the usual and customary broker’s commission. Accordingly, it is the Fund's policy that the commissions to be paid to an affiliated broker-dealer must, in the judgment of NFA or the appropriate subadviser, be (1) at least as favorable as those that would be charged by other brokers having comparable execution capability and (2) at least as favorable as commissions contemporaneously charged by such broker or dealer on comparable transactions for the broker’s or dealer’s most favored unaffiliated customers. NFA and the subadvisers do not necessarily deem it practicable or in the Fund's best interests to solicit competitive bids for commissions on each transaction. However, NFA and the subadvisers regularly give consideration to information concerning the prevailing level of commissions charged on comparable transactions by other brokers during comparable periods of time.

The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, and thus paid no brokerage commissions (including brokerage commissions paid to affiliated brokers of NFA) or held any investments in securities of its regular broker-dealers.

Other Dealer Compensation

In addition to the dealer commissions and payments under the Fund's 12b-1 Plan, from time to time, NFA and/or its affiliates may make payments for distribution and/or shareholder servicing activities out of their past profits and from their own resources. NFA and/or its affiliates may make payments for marketing, promotional, or related services provided by dealers and other financial intermediaries, and may be in exchange for factors that include, without limitation, differing levels or types of services provided by the intermediary, the expected level of assets or sales of shares, the placing of some or all of the Funds on a preferred or recommended list, access to an intermediary’s personnel, and other factors. The amount of these payments is determined by NFA.

In addition to these payments described above, NFA or its affiliates may offer other sales incentives in the form of sponsorship of educational or client seminars relating to current products and issues, assistance in training and educating the intermediary’s personnel, and/or entertainment or meals. These payments also may include, at the direction of a retirement plan’s named fiduciary, amounts to intermediaries for certain plan expenses or otherwise for the benefit of plan participants and beneficiaries. As permitted by applicable law, NFA or its affiliates may pay or allow other incentives or payments to intermediaries.

The payments described above are often referred to as “revenue sharing payments.” The recipients of such payments may include:

●the Distributor and other affiliates of NFA,

●broker-dealers,

●financial institutions, and

●other financial intermediaries through which investors may purchase shares of a Fund.

Payments may be based on current or past sales; current or historical assets; or a flat fee for specific services provided. In some circumstances, such payments may create an incentive for an intermediary or its employees or associated persons to recommend or sell shares of a Fund to you instead of shares of funds offered by competing fund families. NFA does not seek reimbursement by the Funds for such payments.

Additional Compensation to Affiliated Financial Institution. Nationwide Fund Advisors (“NFA”) and Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC (“NFD”), pursuant to an agreement by the parties, pay their affiliate, Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. various amounts under the terms of the agreement.

Additional Compensation to Financial Institutions. The unaffiliated financial institutions that receive additional compensation (as described in the Prospectus) from NFA, NFM or NFD, from their own resources, include the following (the information set forth below is considered complete as of the date of this SAI, and as supplemented; however, agreements may be entered into, terminated, or amended, from time to time, without notice or change to the SAI):

ADP, Inc. (“ADP”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement, pays an annual fee of $50,000 to participate in ADP’s DCIO Partner Program.

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. (“Ameriprise”)

NFD, pursuant to a written agreement, pays Ameriprise monthly at the annual rates as follows: (i) 0.08% (8 basis points) of the average daily aggregate value of shares of each respective Nationwide Target Destination Fund and each respective Nationwide Investor Destinations Fund held by Ameriprise’s customers during the month through all sales platforms, as set forth in the agreement; (ii) 0.08% (8 basis points) of the average daily aggregate value of shares of the Nationwide NYSE Arca Tech 100 Index Fund held by Ameriprise’s customers in its fee-based platforms; (iii) 0.00% (0 basis points) of the average daily aggregate value of shares of the following Funds that are held by Ameriprise’s customers during the month through all sales platforms, as set forth in the agreement: Nationwide Bond Index Fund; Nationwide International Index Fund; Nationwide Mid Cap Market Index Fund; Nationwide S&P 500 Index Fund; Nationwide Small Cap Index Fund; and Nationwide Government Money Market Fund; and (iii) 0.10% (10 basis points) of the average daily aggregate value of shares of all other series of the Trust held by Ameriprise’s customers during the month through all platforms, as set forth in the agreement In addition, NFD pays Ameriprise $8 for each networked account position. Each Fund’s administrative servicing fees pay for the service components, to the extent permitted by the Trust’s Administrative Services Plan. NFA pays out of its own resources for any overages.

Ascensus LLC (“Ascensus”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement, pays an annual fee of $40,000 to participate in Ascensus’ DCIO Sponsorship Program.

Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc.; CUSO Financial Services, L.P.; Sorrento Pacific Financial LLC; Next Financial Group, Inc.; Western International Securities, Inc.; and SCF Securities, Inc. (collectively “Atria Wealth Solutions”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement, has agreed to pay to the affiliated broker dealers of Atria Wealth Solutions a sales fee of 10 bps and an asset based fee commencing after 1 year of 5 bps. Shares held in Index Funds, Nationwide Government Money Market Fund and Nationwide Inflation-Protected Securities Fund will not be subject to any fees.

Bailard, Inc. (“Bailard”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement, pays Bailard monthly at the following annual rates: (i) 0.125% (12.5 basis points) of the daily net assets of the Class M shares of the Nationwide Bailard International Equities Fund; and (ii) 0.155% (15.5 basis points) of the daily net assets of the Class M shares of the Nationwide Bailard Small Cap Value Fund and the Nationwide Bailard Technology Fund. Clients of Bailard pay investment advisory fees to Bailard in connection with the management of the clients’ assets, a portion of which may be invested in one or more of the Nationwide Bailard International Equities Fund, the Nationwide Bailard Small Cap Value Fund and the Nationwide Bailard Technology Fund. Bailard has agreed with its clients that the amount of the advisory fee paid by the client (whether directly to Bailard or indirectly through Bailard’s management of investment vehicles in which the client invests) will equal a fixed percentage of the value of the client’s account with Bailard. As a result, the direct fee that Bailard receives from its clients will be reduced by a portion of the investment advisory fee (i.e., the fee paid to NFA) that such clients indirectly incur as shareholders of such Funds. The additional payments by NFA out of its own resources, as described above, are credited by Bailard to its clients who are shareholders of such Funds. These periodic payments, which are solely the obligation of NFA are separate from and in addition to the subadvisory fees paid to Bailard.

B.C. Ziegler & Company, Inc. (“B.C. Ziegler”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement, pays B.C. Ziegler the following (i) 0.10% (10 basis points) on the average daily net asset value of Fund shares held by customers of B.C. Ziegler in the following Funds: Nationwide Bailard Small Cap Value Fund, Nationwide Bailard International Equities Fund, Nationwide Bailard Technology Fund, Nationwide Geneva Mid Cap Growth Fund, Nationwide Geneva Small Cap Growth Fund and Nationwide Renaissance Small Cap Growth Fund, and (ii) 0.05% (5 basis points) on the average daily net asset value of Fund shares held by customers of B.C. Ziegler in the following Funds: Nationwide Loomis Core Bond Fund and Nationwide Loomis Short Term Bond Fund.

Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. (“Cambridge”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement with Cambridge, reimburses Cambridge a ten dollar ($10.00) ticket charge for each Fund share purchase that is (1) equal to or greater than $5,000, (2) on a single ticket that includes only Nationwide Funds, and (3) entered and executed through one of Cambridge’s clearing firms, National Financial, LLC and/or Pershing, LLC. Excluded from this arrangement are (i) redemptions or exchanges, (ii) purchases subject to no-transaction fees, (iii) purchases by check and application direct to the Fund's transfer agent, or (iv) any Fund that is not available for purchase by new investors or is otherwise only available for purchase by existing shareholders pursuant to the terms of the Fund’s then-current prospectus.

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”)

Pursuant to a written agreement, Schwab receives 0.40% (40 basis points) of the average daily value of shares held in accounts at Schwab (excluding the value of shares held in such accounts prior to the effectiveness of the written agreement) or $1,000 per month for each Fund, whichever is greater. Each Fund’s Rule 12b-1 and administrative servicing fees pay for distribution and service components, respectively. NFA pays for any overage.

Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (“Fidelity Brokerage”) and National Financial Services LLC (“National Financial”)

Pursuant to a written agreement, Fidelity Brokerage and National Financial receive monthly 0.40% (40 basis points) of the daily market value of the number of Fund shares held in accounts at Fidelity Brokerage and National Financial. Each Fund’s Rule 12b-1 and administrative servicing fees pay for distribution and service components, respectively. NFA pays for any overage.

First Allied Securities, Inc. (“First Allied”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement of the parties, pays First Allied quarterly a service fee at the annual rate as follows: (i) 0.20% (20 basis points) of the net asset value of Class A shares of the following Funds sold subject to a front-end sales charge (as may be reduced by rights of accumulation, if applicable), by First Allied to its customers: Nationwide Target Destination Funds, Nationwide Investor Destinations Funds, Nationwide BNY Mellon Dynamic U.S. Core Fund, Nationwide International Index Fund, Nationwide Mid Cap Market Index Fund, Nationwide S&P 500 Index Fund, and Nationwide Small Cap Index Fund; and (ii) 0.05% (5 basis points) on the net asset value of Class A shares of the following Funds, sold subject to a front-end sales charge (as may be reduced by rights of accumulation, if applicable), by First Allied to its customers: Nationwide Bond Index Fund. Any annual aggregate minimum with respect to the foregoing payments have been waived.

Great West Life & Annuity Insurance Company (“Great West”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement between the parties, pays Great West an annual fee of $1,500 for each class of fund that is an investment option on the retirement platform.

LPL Financial LLC (“LPL”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement with LPL, pays LPL a ticket charge of $10.00 for each Fund purchase order entered and executed electronically by LPL on its brokerage platform. Ticket charges do not apply to redemptions, exchanges, purchases by check and application direct to the Fund's transfer agent or to purchase orders with respect to the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund. A $4.50 ticket charge will be paid on eligible fee based account purchases in Institutional Service Class shares. The Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, Nationwide Inflation-Protected

Securities Fund and the Nationwide Index Funds are excluded from this arrangement. In addition, NFA pays LPL a service fee at the annual rate of 0.10% (10 basis points) of the average daily net assets of the Institutional Service Class shares held in the Strategic Wealth Management advisory platform and 0.09% (9 basis points) of the average daily net asset value of brokerage (load/commissionable non-ERISA) and advisory assets (excluding assets held in Institutional Service Class shares in the Strategic Wealth Management advisory platform) above a base rate established January 1, 2014, of the Funds, with the exception of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, in any asset class owned beneficially or of record from time to time by customers or owned of record by LPL. NFA will pay a fee of 0.05% (5 basis points) on the advisory asset base established on January 1, 2014. For purposes of this service fee, Fund shareholder accounts may be held at LPL in street name or at the Fund’s transfer agent. In addition, NFM pays LPL $4 for certain networked account positions. Each Fund’s administrative servicing fees pay for the service components, to the extent permitted by the Trust’s Administrative Services Plan. NFA pays out of its own resources for any overages.

MSCS Financial Services, Inc. (“MSCS”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement of the parties, pays MSCS monthly a service fee at the annual rate of 0.25% (25 basis points) on shares held at Merrill Lynch that are subject to a service fee.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“Merrill Lynch”)

NFD, pursuant to a written agreement of the parties, pays Merrill Lynch the following fees: (i) a monthly fee of 0.25% (25 basis points) of total new gross sales of shares of any class of each Fund (excluding sales from reinvestment of distributions and exchanges of shares of one or more Funds for any other Fund or Funds), payable in arrears; and (ii) an annual fee, payable quarterly, of 0.10% (10 basis points) of the value of Fund shares (including sales from exchanges of shares of one or more Funds for any other Fund or Funds) held by Merrill Lynch’s customers for more than one year, for Merrill Lynch’s continuing due diligence, training and marketing. In addition, NFA pays for administrative services that exceed the amount available under the Trust’s Administrative Services Plan for shares held on Merrill Lynch’s retirement plan platform.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement of the parties, pays Morgan Stanley quarterly a mutual fund support fee on all brokerage and advisory assets, excluding money market, ERISA, SEP-IRA and SIMPLE-IRA assets at the following rates based on the Fund’s management fee stated in the then-current prospectus:

Support Fee	Fee Paid
0%-0.34%	No fee
0.35%-0.39%	5 bps
0.40%-0.74%	10 bps
0.75% and above	12 bps

In addition, NFM pays Morgan Stanley 0.06% (6 basis points) for each customer account position. Each Fund’s administrative servicing fees pay for the service components, to the extent permitted by the Trust’s Administrative Services Plan. NFA pays out of its own resources for any overages.

Osaic Wealth, Inc.; SagePoint Financial Advisors, Inc.; FSC Securities Corporation; Woodbury Financial, Inc.; Triad Advisors LLC; Securities America, Inc.; and Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. (collectively, “Osaic Inc.”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement, pays each respective member of the Osaic Inc. quarterly at the annual rates as follows: (i) 0.07% (7 basis points) of the average daily net asset value of shares of each respective Nationwide Target Destination Fund and each respective Nationwide Investor Destinations Fund that are sold by the Osaic Inc. to their customers; (ii) 0.00% (0 basis points) of the average daily net asset value of shares of the following Funds that are sold by the Osaic Inc. to their customers: Nationwide Bond Index Fund; Nationwide International Index Fund; Nationwide Mid Cap Market Index Fund; Nationwide S&P 500 Index Fund; Nationwide Small Cap Index Fund; and Nationwide Government Money Market Fund; and (iii) 0.10% (10 basis points) of the average daily net asset value of shares of all other series of the Trust that are sold by the Osaic Inc. to their customers. Excluded from this arrangement are shares of the Funds in ERISA retirement plans and individual retirement accounts held in fee-based platforms (“qualified advisory accounts”).

An annual partnership fee of $5,000 will be paid with respect to qualified advisory accounts.

Pershing LLC (“Pershing”)

NFD, pursuant to a written agreement of the parties, pays Pershing $14 for each customer account position, with the exception of the Class R6, for which NFD has agreed to pay $12 for each customer account position in all series of the shares. A Fund’s administrative servicing fees pay for the service components, to the extent permitted by the Trust’s Administrative Services Plan. NFA pays out of its own resources for any overages.

Principal Life Insurance Company (“Principal”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement between the parties, pays Principal an annual fee of $1,000 for each class of fund that is an investment option on the retirement platform.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. (collectively, “Raymond James”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement, pays Raymond James an annual fee calculated quarterly against the total value of Fund shares held by customers of Raymond James according to the following schedule:

(i)

0.20% (20 basis points) of the average daily value of shares held in Nationwide Equity Funds;

(ii)

0.15% (15 basis points) of the average daily value of shares held in Nationwide Fixed-Income Funds; and

(iii)

0.10% (10 basis points) of the average daily value of shares held in Nationwide Index Funds.

For purposes of this agreement, the following funds are deemed to be Index Funds: Nationwide S&P 500 Index Fund, Nationwide Bond Index Fund, Nationwide Mid Cap Market Index Fund, Nationwide International Index Fund, Nationwide NYSE Arca Tech 100 Index Fund, Nationwide Investor Destinations Funds (all series) and Nationwide Target Destination Funds (all series). Excluded from this agreement are the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, Nationwide Inflation-Protected Securities Fund and the Class R6 of all series of the Funds.

In addition, a $15 ticket charge fee will be paid on purchases in non-taxable accounts in the IMPAC and Passport fee-based programs. Purchases in the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund and Nationwide Inflation-Protected Securities Fund are excluded.

RBC Capital Markets, LLC (“RBC”)

NFM, pursuant to a written agreement between the parties, pays RBC an annual fee of $6 for each customer’s account position. Each Fund's administrative servicing fees pays for the service components, to the extent permitted by the Trust's Administrative Services Fee Plan. NFA pays out of its own resources for any overages.

Sanctuary Wealth Group, LLC (“Sanctuary Wealth”)

Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company (“Nationwide Life”), an affiliate of NFA and NFM, entered into a strategic partner sponsorship agreement with Sanctuary Wealth that pays a support fee to Sanctuary Wealth of $230,000 per year in exchange for allowing Nationwide Life and its affiliates (including NFA) to participate in various events that include seminars, conferences and meetings as determined and agreed to by both parties; as well as provides access to research teams and additional data. Neither NFA nor NFM make any direct payments to Sanctuary Wealth. NFA may reimburse Nationwide Life proportionate to NFA participation.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. (“Stifel”)

NFM, pursuant to a written agreement between the parties, pays Stifel an annual fee of $6 for each customers account position. Each Fund's administrative servicing fees pays for the service components, to the extent permitted by the Trust's Administrative Services Fee Plan. NFA pays out of its own resources for any overages.

UBS Financial Services Inc. (“UBS”)

NFD, pursuant to a written agreement, pays UBS quarterly fees based on the following schedule or $75,000, whichever is greater: (i) the annual rate of 0.15% (15 basis points) of the value of the average monthly non-Index equity assets; (ii) the annual rate of 0.10% (10 basis points) of the average value of the average monthly non-Index fixed-income assets, and; (iii) the annual rate of 0.075% (7.5 basis points) of the value of the average monthly fixed-income assets in each of its retail and wrap programs that are invested in each Fund. In addition, NFA pays UBS a quarterly sales fee at the annual rate of 0.05% (5 basis points) of all sales of non-Index Fund shares and 0.08% (8 basis points), excluding the sales of Fund shares in InsightOne, PACE, Strategic Advisor or Diversified Return Strategies. For the purposes of this agreement, the following funds are deemed to be Index funds; Nationwide S&P 500 Index Fund, Nationwide Bond Index Fund, Nationwide Mid Cap Market Index Fund, Nationwide International Index Fund, Nationwide NYSE Arca Tech 100 Index Fund, Nationwide Investor Destinations Funds (all series) and Nationwide Target Destination Funds (all series). Excluded from this agreement are the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, Nationwide Inflation-Protected Securities Fund and the Class R6 of all series of the Funds. In addition, in exchange for omnibus account services provided, NFM pays UBS $19 for each client account position in a Fund share class subject to a CDSC fee, and $18 for each client account position in a Fund share class not subject to a CDSC fee. Each Fund’s administrative servicing fees pay for the service components, to the extent permitted by the Trust’s Administrative Services Plan. NFA pays out of its own resources for any overages.

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. (“U.S. Bancorp”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement of the parties, pays U.S. Bancorp quarterly at the following annual rates: (i) 0.07% (7 basis points) of the average daily aggregate value of shares of each respective Nationwide Target Destination Fund and each Nationwide Investor Destinations Fund held by customers of U.S. Bancorp, excluding Fund shares that are held in any fee-based ERISA or individual retirement account; (ii) 0.00% (0 basis points) of the average daily aggregate value of shares of the following Funds that are held by U.S. Bancorp’s customers, excluding Fund shares that are held in any fee-based ERISA or individual retirement account: Nationwide Bond Index Fund; Nationwide International Index Fund; Nationwide Mid Cap Market Index Fund; Nationwide S&P 500 Index Fund; Nationwide Small Cap Index Fund; and Nationwide Government Money Market Fund; and (iii) 0.10% (10 basis points) of the average daily aggregate value of shares of all other series of the Trust held by U.S. Bancorp’s customers, excluding Fund shares that are held in any fee-based ERISA or individual retirement account.

U.S. Bank N.A. (“U.S. Bank”)

NFA, pursuant to a written agreement of the parties, pays U.S. Bank monthly a service fee at the annual rate as follows: (i) 0.40% (40 basis points) of the average daily net assets of the Institutional Service Class for the Nationwide Bailard Small Cap Value Fund, Nationwide Bailard International Equities Fund, Nationwide Geneva Mid Cap Growth Fund, Nationwide Geneva Small Cap Growth Fund, and Nationwide Renaissance Small Cap Growth Fund; and (ii) 0.30% (30 basis points) of the average daily net assets of the Institutional Service Class for the Nationwide Loomis Core Bond Fund and Nationwide Loomis Short Term Bond Fund. Each Fund’s administrative servicing fees pays for the service components, to the extent permitted by the Trust’s Administrative Services Plan. NFA pays out of its own resources for any overages.

Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (collectively, “Wells Fargo”)

NFD, pursuant to a written agreement of the parties, pays Wells Fargo the following fees in exchange for Wells Fargo’s continuing due diligence, training, operations and systems support, and marketing provided to unaffiliated broker-dealers based on the following schedule or $250,000, whichever is greater: (i) the annual rate of 0.07% (7 basis points) of the net asset value of shares of Index Funds sold by Wells Fargo to its customers; (ii) the annual rate of 0.09% (9 basis points) of the net asset value of shares of the Nationwide Target Destination Funds and Nationwide Investor Destinations Funds sold by Wells Fargo to its customers; (iii) the annual rate of 0.12% (12 basis points) of the net asset value of shares of Nationwide Fixed-Income and Nationwide Equity Funds; and (iv) the annual rate of 0.13% (13 basis points) of the net asset value of shares of the other Nationwide Funds sold by Wells Fargo to its customers. Excluded from this agreement are the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund and Nationwide Inflation-Protected Securities Fund. In addition, in exchange for omnibus account services provided, NFM pays Wells Fargo $19 for each client account position in a Fund share class subject to a CDSC fee, and $16 for each client account position in a Fund share class not subject to a CDSC fee. Each Fund’s administrative servicing fees pay for the service components, to the extent permitted by the Trust’s Administrative Services Plan. NFA pays out of its own resources for any overages.

Additional Information on Purchases and Sales

Class A Sales Charges

The following table shows the Class A sales charges, which decrease as the amount of your investment increases.

Shareholders purchasing Class A shares of a Fund through certain financial intermediaries may be eligible for a sales charge waiver or discount. For more information, see Appendix A: Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers of the Fund’s Prospectus.

Amount of purchase	Sales charge as % of offering price	Sales charge as % of net amount invested	Dealer commission as % of offering price
less than $50,000	5.75%	6.10%	5.00%
$50,000 to $99,999	4.75	4.99	4.00
$100,000 to $249,999	3.50	3.63	3.00
$250,000 to $499,999	2.50	2.56	2.00
$500,000 to $999,999	2.00	2.04	1.75
$1 million or more	None	None	None

Waiver of Class A Sales Charges

You may qualify for a waiver of the Class A sales charge if you own or are purchasing shares of a Fund. More information about purchasing shares through certain financial intermediaries appears in Appendix A to the Fund’s Prospectus. To receive the sales charge waiver, you must inform the Trust, your financial advisor or your financial intermediary at the time of your purchase that you qualify for such a waiver. If you do not inform the Trust, your financial advisor or your financial intermediary that you are eligible for a sales charge waiver, you may not receive the waiver to which you are entitled. You may have to produce evidence that you qualify for a sales charge waiver before you will receive it.

Due to the reduced marketing effort required by NFD, the sales charge applicable to Class A shares may be waived for sales of shares to:

(a)

current shareholders of a Nationwide Fund who, as of February 28, 2017, owned their shares directly with the Trust in an account for which NFD was identified as the broker-dealer of record;

(b)

investors who participate in a self-directed investment brokerage account program offered by a financial intermediary that may or may not charge its customers a transaction fee;

(c)

owners of an account held directly with the Trust in which the previous broker-dealer of record had transferred such account to NFD;

(d)

employer-sponsored 401(k) plans, 457 plans, 403(b) plans, health savings plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit plans and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans;

(e)

owners of individual retirement accounts (“IRA”) investing assets formerly in retirement plans that were subject to the automatic rollover provisions under Section 401(a)(31)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

(f)

Trustees and retired Trustees of the Trust (including its predecessor Trusts);

(g)

directors, officers, full-time employees, sales representatives and their employees, and retired directors, officers, employees, and sale representatives, their spouses (including domestic partners), children or immediate relatives (immediate relatives include mother, father, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandchildren (“Immediate Relatives”)), and Immediate Relatives of deceased employees of any member of the Nationwide Insurance and Nationwide Financial companies;

(h)

directors, officers, and full-time employees, their spouses (including domestic partners), children or Immediate Relatives of any current subadviser to the Trust;

(i)

any directors, officers, full-time employees, sales representatives and their employees, their spouses (including domestic partners), children or Immediate Relatives of a broker-dealer having a dealer/selling agreement with the Distributor;

(j)

any qualified pension or profit sharing plan established by a Nationwide sales representative for himself/herself and his/her employees;

(k)

registered investment advisers, trust companies and bank trust departments exercising discretionary investment authority with respect to the amounts to be invested in a Fund; and

(l)

any investor who purchases Class A Shares of a Fund (the “New Fund”) with proceeds from sales of Class K or Eagle Class shares of another Nationwide Fund, where the New Fund does not offer Class K or Eagle Class shares.

Reduction of Class A Sales Charges

You may qualify for a reduced Class A sales charge if you own or are purchasing shares of a Fund. To receive the reduced sales charge, you must inform the Trust, your financial advisor or your financial intermediary at the time of your purchase that you qualify for such a reduction. If you do not inform the Trust, your financial advisor or your financial intermediary that you are eligible for a reduced sales charge, you may not receive the discount to which you are entitled. You may have to produce evidence that you qualify for a reduced sales charge or waiver before you will receive it.

Shareholders can reduce or eliminate Class A shares’ initial sales charge through one or more of the discounts described below:

●A larger investment. The sales charge decreases as the amount of your investment increases.

●Rights of accumulation. You and members of your family who live at the same address can add the current value of your Class A investments in the Nationwide Funds (except shares of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund), that you currently own or are currently purchasing to the value of your Class A purchase, possibly reducing the sales charge.

●No sales charge on a repurchase. If you sell Fund shares from your account, we allow you a privilege to reinvest some or all of the proceeds in shares of the same class. Generally, you will not pay a sales charge on Class A shares that you buy within 30 days of selling Class A shares of an equal or greater amount if you have already paid a sales charge. Remember, if you realize a gain or a loss on your sale of shares, the transaction is taxable and reinvestment may affect the amount of capital gains tax that is due (see, “Sales, Exchanges and Redemptions of Fund Shares - Deferral of basis” under “ADDITIONAL GENERAL TAX INFORMATION FOR THE FUND” below). If you realize a loss on your sale and you reinvest, some or all of the loss may not be allowed as a tax deduction depending on the amount you reinvest.

●Letter of Intent discount. State in writing that during a 13-month period you or a group of family members who live at the same address will purchase and hold at least $50,000 (or $100,000 in certain Nationwide Funds as identified in their respective prospectuses) in Class A shares (excluding the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund) and your sales charge will be based on the total amount you intend to invest. Your accumulated holdings (as described and calculated under “Rights of accumulation” above) are eligible to be aggregated as of the start of the 13-month period and will be credited toward satisfying the Letter of Intent. Your Letter of Intent is not a binding obligation to buy shares of the Fund; it is merely a statement of intent. Call 800-848-0920 for more information.

Class A Shares - Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”)

An investor may purchase $1 million, $500,000 or $250,000, or more, as indicated below, of Class A shares in one or more of the Nationwide Funds and avoid the front-end sales charge. However, unless an investor is otherwise eligible to purchase Class A shares without a sales charge, the investor will pay a CDSC (as shown below) if he or she redeems such Class A shares within 18 months of the date of purchase. With respect to such purchases, the Distributor may pay dealers a finder’s fee on investments made in Class A shares with no initial sales charge. The CDSC applies only if the Distributor paid a finder’s fee to the selling dealer. The CDSC does not apply to shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions.

The applicable CDSC will be determined on a pro rata basis according to the amount of the redemption from each particular Fund. Any CDSC is based on the original purchase price or the current market value of the shares being redeemed, whichever is less.

Amount of Finder’s Fee/Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on Certain Redemptions of Class A Shares

Amount of Purchase	$1 million or more
If sold within	18 months
Amount of CDSC	1.00%

Waiver of CDSC for Class A Shares

●the redemption of Class A shares purchased through reinvested dividends or distributions;

●Class A shares redeemed following the death or disability of a shareholder, provided the redemption occurs within one year of the shareholder’s death or disability; and

●mandatory withdrawals of Class A shares from traditional IRA accounts after age 70 1∕2 (for shareholders who reached the age of 70 1∕2 on or prior to December 31, 2019) or the age of 72 (for shareholders who turned 70 1∕2 after December 31, 2019) and for other required distributions from retirement accounts.

If you qualify for a waiver of a CDSC, you must notify the Fund’s transfer agent, your financial advisor or other intermediary at the time of purchase and must also provide any required evidence showing that you qualify.

Class A Broker Exchanges

Class A shares purchased by accounts participating in certain fee-based programs sponsored by and/or controlled by financial intermediaries (“Programs”) may be exchanged by the financial intermediary on behalf of the shareholder for Institutional Service Class shares of the same Fund under certain circumstances. Such exchange will be on the basis of the net asset values per share, without the imposition of any sales load, fee or other charge. If a shareholder of Institutional Service Class shares has ceased his or her participation in the Program, the financial intermediary may exchange all such Institutional Service Class shares for Class A shares of a Fund, whichever class of shares the shareholder held prior to the entry into such Program. Such exchange will be on the basis of the relative net asset values of the shares, without imposition of any sales load, fee or other charge.

Holders of Class A shares that are subject to a CDSC are generally not eligible for this exchange privilege until the applicable CDSC period has expired. The applicable CDSC period for certain Class A shares that were purchased without the imposition of a front-end sales load is 18 months after the purchase of such Class A shares.

Exchanges of Class A shares for Institutional Service Class shares of the same Fund, or the exchange of Institutional Service Class shares for Class A shares of the same Fund, under these particular circumstances, will be tax-free for federal income tax purposes. You should also consult with your tax advisor regarding the state and local tax consequences of such an exchange of Fund shares.

This exchange privilege is subject to termination and may be amended from time to time.

Redemptions

Generally, a Fund will typically issue payment for the shares that you redeem within two days after your redemption request is received by check or electronic transfer, except as noted below. If you are selling shares that were recently purchased by check or through ACH, redemption proceeds may not be available until your check has cleared or the ACH transaction has been completed (which may take up to 10 business days from your date of purchase). The Fund may delay forwarding redemption proceeds for up to seven days if the Fund believes that the investor redeeming shares is engaged in excessive trading, or if the amount of the redemption request otherwise would be disruptive to efficient portfolio management, or would adversely affect the Fund. The Trust may suspend the right of redemption for such periods as are permitted under the 1940 Act and under the following unusual circumstances: (a) when the Exchange is closed (other than weekends and holidays) or trading is restricted; (b) when an emergency exists, making disposal of portfolio securities or the valuation of net assets not reasonably practicable; or (c) during any period when the SEC has by order permitted a suspension of redemption for the protection of shareholders.

In-Kind Redemptions

As described in the Prospectus, the Fund reserves the right, in circumstances where in its sole discretion it determines that cash redemption payments would be undesirable, taking into account the best interests of all Fund shareholders, to honor any redemption request by transferring some of the securities held by the Fund directly to a redeeming shareholder (“redemption in-kind”). Redemptions in-kind generally will be pro-rata slices of the Fund’s portfolio or a representative basket of securities. Redemptions in-kind may also be used in stressed market conditions.

The Board has adopted procedures for redemptions in-kind to affiliated persons of a Fund. Affiliated persons of a Fund include shareholders who are affiliates of the Fund’s investment adviser and shareholders of a Fund owning 5% or more of the outstanding shares of that Fund. These procedures provide that a redemption in-kind shall be effected at approximately the affiliated shareholder’s proportionate share of the distributing Fund’s current net assets, and they are designed so that redemptions will not favor the affiliated shareholder to the detriment of any other shareholder. The procedures also require that the distributed securities be valued in the same manner as they are valued for purposes of computing the distributing Fund’s net asset value and that neither the affiliated shareholder nor any other party with the ability and pecuniary incentive to influence the redemption in-kind selects, or influences the selection of, the distributed securities. Use of the redemption in-kind procedures will allow a Fund to avoid having to sell significant portfolio assets to raise cash to meet the shareholder’s redemption request, thus limiting the potential adverse effect on the distributing Fund’s net asset value.

Accounts with Low Balances

Unless an account actively participates in an Automatic Asset Accumulation Plan, if the value of an account falls below $2,000 ($1,000 for IRA accounts) for any reason, including market fluctuation, a shareholder is generally subject to a $5 quarterly fee, which is deposited into the Fund to offset the expenses of small accounts. The Fund will sell shares from an account quarterly to cover the fee.

The Trust reserves the right to sell the rest of a shareholder’s shares and close its account if that shareholder makes a sale that reduces the value of its account to less than $2,000 ($1,000 for IRA accounts). Before the account is closed, the Trust will give a shareholder notice and allow that shareholder 60 days to purchase additional shares to avoid this action. The Trust does this because of the high cost of maintaining small accounts.

A redemption of your remaining shares may be a taxable event for you. See “Sales, Exchanges and Redemptions of Fund Shares” below.

Valuation of Shares

All investments in the Trust are credited to the shareholder’s account in the form of full and fractional shares of the designated Fund (rounded to the nearest 1/1000 of a share). The Trust does not issue share certificates. Subject to the sole discretion of NFA, each Fund may accept payment for shares in the form of securities that are permissible investments for such Fund.

The net asset value per share (“NAV”) of each Fund is determined once daily, as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) (generally 4 p.m. Eastern time) on each business day the Exchange is open for regular trading (the “Valuation Time”). To the extent that a Fund’s investments are traded in markets that are open when the Exchange is closed, the value of the Fund's investments may change on days when shares cannot be purchased or redeemed.

The Trust will not compute NAV for the Funds on customary national business holidays, including the following: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and other days when the Exchange is closed.

Each Fund reserves the right to not determine NAV when: (i) a Fund has not received any orders to purchase, sell or exchange shares and (ii) changes in the value of the Fund’s portfolio do not affect the Fund’s NAV.

The offering price for orders placed before the close of the Exchange, on each business day the Exchange is open for trading, will be based upon calculation of the NAV at the close of regular trading on the Exchange. For orders placed after the close of regular trading on the Exchange, or on a day on which the Exchange is not open for trading, the offering price is based upon NAV at the close of the Exchange on the next day thereafter on which the Exchange is open for trading. The NAV of each class of a Fund on which offering and redemption prices are based is determined by adding the value of all securities and other assets of a Fund attributable to the class, deducting liabilities attributable to that class, and dividing by the number of that class’ shares outstanding. Each Fund may reject any order to buy shares and may suspend the sale of shares at any time.

Securities for which market-based quotations are readily available are valued as of the Valuation Time. Equity securities are generally valued at the last quoted sale price, or if there is no sale price, the last quoted bid price provided by a third-party pricing service approved by the Board. Securities traded on NASDAQ generally are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Prices are taken from the primary market or exchange in which each security trades. Debt and other fixed-income securities are generally valued at the bid evaluation price provided by a third-party pricing service.

Securities for which market-based quotations are either not readily available (e.g., a third-party pricing service does not provide a value) or are deemed unreliable, in the judgment of NFA are valued at fair value in good faith by the Adviser. The Board of Trustees has designated the Adviser as “valuation designee” to perform fair value determinations for all of the Fund's investments pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, subject to the general oversight of the Board of Trustees. In addition, fair value determinations are required for securities whose value is affected by a significant event that will materially affect the value of a security and which occurs subsequent to the time of the close of the principal market on which such security trades but prior to the calculation of the Fund’s NAV. The Fair Value Committee monitors the results of fair valuation determinations and regularly reports the results to the Board or a committee of the Board. Fair value determinations may require subjective determinations. There can be no assurance that the fair value of an asset is the price at which the asset could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair value was used in determining a Fund’s NAV.

The Fair Value Committee monitors the continuing appropriateness of the valuation methodology with respect to each security. In the event that NFA or a subadviser believes that the valuation methodology being used to value a security does not produce a fair value for such security, the Fair Value Committee is notified so that it may meet to determine what adjustment should be made.

To the extent that a Fund invests in foreign securities, the following would be applicable. Generally, trading in foreign securities markets is completed each day at various times prior to the Valuation Time. Due to the time differences between the closings of the relevant foreign securities exchanges and the time that a Fund’s NAV is calculated, a Fund may fair value its foreign investments more frequently than it does other securities. When fair value prices are utilized, these prices will attempt to reflect the impact of the financial markets’ perceptions and trading activities on the Fund’s investments since their last closing prices were calculated on their primary securities markets or exchanges. When a Fund uses fair value pricing, the values assigned to the Fund’s foreign equity investments may not be the quoted or published prices of the investments on their primary markets or exchanges.

In addition to performing fair value determinations, the Adviser, as the valuation designee, is responsible for periodically assessing any material risks associated with the determination of the fair value of a Fund's investments; establishing and applying fair value methodologies; testing the appropriateness of fair value methodologies; and overseeing and evaluating third-party pricing services. The Adviser has established a fair value committee to assist with its designated responsibilities as valuation designee.

Systematic Investment Strategies

Directed Dividends –This strategy provides the security of principal that the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund offers plus the opportunity for greater long-term capital appreciation or income through reinvestment of dividends in another Fund.

An initial investment of $5,000 or more is made in the Investor Shares of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, and monthly dividends are then automatically invested into one or more of the Nationwide Funds chosen by you at such Fund’s current offering price. Nationwide Government Money Market Fund dividends reinvested into one of the other Funds are subject to applicable sales charges.

Automatic Asset Accumulation – This is a systematic investment strategy which combines automatic monthly transfers from your personal checking account to your mutual fund account with the concept of Dollar Cost Averaging. With this strategy, you invest a fixed amount monthly over an extended period of time, during both market highs and lows. Dollar Cost Averaging can allow you to achieve a favorable average share cost over time since your fixed monthly investment buys more shares when share prices fall during low markets, and fewer shares at higher prices during market highs. Although no formula can assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market, systematic investing has proven a valuable investment strategy in the past.

You may open an account that is subject to an Automatic Asset Accumulation plan with no minimum investment, so long as each monthly purchase is at least $50 (per Fund). Another way to take advantage of the benefits that Dollar Cost Averaging can offer is through Directed Dividends, as described above.

Automatic Asset Transfer – This systematic investment plan allows you to transfer $50 or more to one Fund from another Fund systematically, monthly or quarterly, after Fund minimums have been met. The money is transferred on the day of the month the shareholder selects, or the following business day, if the date selected is a weekend or holiday. Dividends of any amount can be moved automatically from one Fund to another at the time they are paid. This strategy can provide investors with the benefits of Dollar Cost Averaging through an opportunity to achieve a favorable average share cost over time. With this plan, your fixed monthly or quarterly transfer from the Fund to any other Fund you select buys more shares when share prices fall during low markets and fewer shares at higher prices during market highs. Although no formula can assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market, systematic investing has proven a valuable investment strategy in the past. For transfers from the Investor Shares of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund to another Fund, sales charges may apply if not already paid.

Automatic Withdrawal Plan ($50 or More) – You may have checks for any fixed amount of $50 or more automatically sent bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually or annually, to you (or anyone you designate) from your account. Complete the appropriate section of the New Account Form or contact your financial intermediary or the Fund. Your account value must meet the minimum initial investment amount at the time the program is established. This program may reduce and eventually deplete your account. Generally, it is not advisable to continue to purchase Class A shares subject to a sales charge while simultaneously redeeming shares under the program. The $50 minimum is waived for required minimum distributions from IRAs.

NOTE: If you are withdrawing more shares than your account receives in dividends, you will be decreasing your total shares owned, which will reduce your future dividend potential.

Investor Privileges

The Nationwide Funds offer the following privileges to shareholders. Additional information may be obtained by calling NFD toll free at 800-848-0920.

No Sales Charge on Reinvestments – All dividends and capital gains will be automatically reinvested free of charge in the form of additional shares within the same Fund and class or another specifically requested Fund (but the same class) unless you have chosen to receive them in cash on your application. Unless requested in writing by the shareholder, the Trust will not mail checks for dividends and capital gains but instead they will automatically be reinvested in the form of additional shares.

Exchange Privilege – The exchange privilege is a convenient way to exchange shares from one Fund to another Fund in order to respond to changes in your goals or in market conditions. The registration of the account to which you are making an exchange must be exactly the same as that of the Nationwide Fund account from which the exchange is made, and the amount you exchange must meet the applicable minimum investment of the Fund being purchased. The exchange privilege may be limited due to excessive trading or market timing of Fund shares.

Exchanges among Nationwide Funds

Exchanges may be made among any of the Nationwide Funds within the same class of shares, so long as both accounts have the same registration, and your first purchase in the new Fund meets the new Fund’s minimum investment requirement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no minimum investment requirement shall apply to holders of Institutional Service Class or Class R6 shares of a Nationwide Fund seeking to exchange shares for Institutional Service Class or Class R6 shares (as appropriate) of another Nationwide Fund, where such Institutional Service Class or Class R6 shares had been designated as Class D shares at the close of business on July 31, 2012.

There is no sales charge for exchanges of shares. However, if your exchange involves certain Class A shares, you may have to pay the difference between the sales charges if a higher sales charge applies to the Fund into which you are exchanging. If you exchange your Class A shares of a Fund that are subject to a CDSC into another Nationwide Fund and then redeem those Class A shares within 18 months of the original purchase, the applicable CDSC will be the CDSC for the original Fund. Exchanges into the Investor Shares of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund are permitted only from Class A, Class R, Class M and Institutional Service Class shares of other Nationwide Funds. If you exchange certain Class A shares subject to a CDSC for Investor Shares of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, the time you hold the shares in the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund will not be counted for purposes of calculating any CDSC. As a result, if you then sell your Investor Shares of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, you will pay the sales charge that would have been charged if the initial certain Class A shares had been sold at the time they were originally exchanged into the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund. If you exchange your Investor Shares of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund back into certain Class A shares, the time you held certain Class A shares prior to the initial exchange into the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund will be counted for purposes of calculating the CDSC. If you wish to purchase shares of a Fund or class for which the exchange privilege does not apply, you will pay any applicable CDSC at the time you redeem your shares and pay any applicable front-end load on the new Fund you are purchasing unless a sales charge waiver otherwise applies.

Exchanges May Be Made Four Convenient Ways:

By Telephone

Automated Voice Response System – You can automatically process exchanges for a Fund by calling 800-848-0920, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, if you declined the option on the application, you will not have this automatic exchange privilege. This system also gives you quick, easy access to mutual fund information. Select from a menu of choices to conduct transactions and hear fund price information, mailing and wiring instructions as well as other mutual fund information. You must call our toll-free number by the Valuation Time to receive that day’s closing share price. The Valuation Time is the close of regular trading of the New York Stock Exchange, which is usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Customer Service Line – By calling 800-848-0920, you may exchange shares by telephone. Requests may be made only by the account owner(s). You must call our toll-free number by the Valuation Time to receive that day’s closing share price.

The Funds may record all instructions to exchange shares. The Funds reserve the right at any time without prior notice to suspend, limit or terminate the telephone exchange privilege or its use in any manner by any person or class.

All of the classes of the Funds will employ the same procedure described under “Buying, Selling and Exchanging Fund Shares” in the Fund’s Prospectus to confirm that the instructions are genuine.

No Fund will be liable for any loss, injury, damage, or expense as a result of acting upon instructions communicated by telephone reasonably believed to be genuine, and each Fund will be held harmless from any loss, claims or liability arising from its compliance with such instructions. These options are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus and all telephone transaction calls may be recorded. The Funds reserve the right to revoke this privilege at any time without notice to shareholders and request the redemption in writing, signed by all shareholders.

By Mail – Write to Nationwide Funds, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 219336, Kansas City, MO 64121-9336. Please be sure that your letter is signed exactly as your account is registered and that your account number and the name of the Fund from which you wish to make the exchange are included. For example, if your account is registered “John Doe and Mary Doe”, “Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship,” then both John and Mary must sign the exchange request. The exchange will be processed effective the date the signed letter is received.

By Online Access – Log on to our website nationwide.com/mutualfunds 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for easy access to your mutual fund accounts. Once you have reached the website, you will be instructed on how to select a password and perform transactions. You can choose to receive information on all Nationwide Funds as well as your own personal accounts. You also may perform transactions, such as purchases, redemptions and exchanges. The Funds may terminate the ability to buy Fund shares on its website at any time, in which case you may continue to exchange shares by mail, wire or telephone pursuant to the Prospectus.

Investor Services

Automated Voice Response System – Our toll-free number 800-848-0920 will connect you 24 hours a day, seven days a week to the system. Through a selection of menu options, you can conduct transactions, hear fund price information, mailing and wiring instructions and other mutual fund information.

Toll Free Information and Assistance – Customer service representatives are available to answer questions regarding the Funds and your account(s) between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time (Monday through Friday). Call toll-free: 800-848-0920.

Retirement Plans and Accounts – Shares of the Funds may be purchased for Self-Employed Retirement Plans, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Roth IRAs and Simplified Employee Pension Plans. For a free information kit, call 800-848-0920.

Shareholder Confirmations – You will receive a confirmation statement each time a requested transaction is processed. However, no confirmations are mailed on certain pre-authorized or systematic transactions. Instead, these will appear on your next consolidated statement.

Consolidated Statements – Fund shareholders receive quarterly statements as of the end of March, June, September and December. Please review your statement carefully and notify us immediately if there is a discrepancy or error in your account.

For shareholders with multiple accounts, your consolidated statement will reflect all your current holdings in the Funds. Your accounts are consolidated by Social Security number, address and zip code. Only transactions during the reporting period will be reflected on the statements. An annual summary statement reflecting all calendar-year transactions in all your Funds will be sent after year-end.

Shareholder Reports – All shareholders will receive reports semiannually detailing the financial operations of the Funds.

Prospectuses – Updated prospectuses will be mailed to you at least annually.

Undeliverable Mail – If mail from the Funds to a shareholder is returned as undeliverable on two or more consecutive occasions, the Funds will not send any future mail to the shareholder unless it receives notification of a correct mailing address for the shareholder. With respect to any dividend/capital gain distribution checks that are returned as undeliverable or not presented for payment within six months, the Trust reserves the right to reinvest the check proceeds and any future distributions in shares of the particular Fund at the then-current NAV of such Fund until the Funds receive further instructions from the shareholder.

Abandoned Property – Please be advised that abandoned or unclaimed property laws for certain states (to which your account may be subject) require financial organizations to transfer (escheat) unclaimed property (including shares of a fund) to the appropriate state if no activity occurs in an account for a period of time specified by state law. For IRA accounts escheated to a state under these abandoned property laws, the escheatment will generally be treated as a taxable distribution to you; federal and any applicable state income tax will be withheld. This may apply to your Roth IRA as well.

Additional Information

Description of Shares

The Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust permits the Board to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest of each Fund and to divide or combine such shares into a greater or lesser number of shares without thereby exchanging the proportionate beneficial interests in the Trust. Each share of a Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that Fund with each other share. The Trust reserves the right to create and issue a number of different funds. Shares of each Fund would participate equally in the earnings, dividends, and assets of that particular fund. Upon liquidation of a Fund, shareholders are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of such Fund available for distribution to shareholders.

The Trust is authorized to offer the following series of shares of beneficial interest, without par value and with the various classes listed:

Series	Share Classes
Nationwide Bailard International Equities Fund*	Class A, Class M, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Bailard Small Cap Value Fund*1	Class A, Class M, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Bailard Technology Fund*2	Class A, Class M, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide BNY Mellon Dynamic U.S. Core Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Eagle Class
Nationwide BNY Mellon Dynamic U.S. Equity Income Fund*	Class A, Class K, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Eagle Class
Nationwide Bond Index Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Bond Portfolio*	Class R6
Nationwide Destination 2030 Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Destination 2035 Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Destination 2040 Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Destination 2045 Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Destination 2050 Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Destination 2055 Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Destination 2060 Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Destination 2065 Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Destination 2070 Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Destination Retirement Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Eagle Class
Nationwide Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Fundamental All Cap Equity Portfolio*	Class R6
Nationwide Geneva Mid Cap Growth Fund*	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Geneva Small Cap Growth Fund*	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Government Money Market Fund*	Investor Shares, Class R6, Service Class
Nationwide GQG US Quality Equity Fund*	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Eagle Class
Nationwide Inflation-Protected Securities Fund*	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide International Equity Portfolio*	Class R6
Nationwide International Index Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide International Small Cap Fund*	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Eagle Class
Nationwide Invesco Core Plus Bond Fund*3	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class

Series	Share Classes
Nationwide Investor Destinations Aggressive Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Service Class
Nationwide Investor Destinations Conservative Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Service Class
Nationwide Investor Destinations Moderate Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Service Class
Nationwide Investor Destinations Moderately Aggressive Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Service Class
Nationwide Investor Destinations Moderately Conservative Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Service Class
Nationwide Large Cap Equity Portfolio*	Class R6
Nationwide Loomis All Cap Growth Fund*	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Eagle Class
Nationwide Loomis Core Bond Fund*	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class, Eagle Class
Nationwide Loomis Short Term Bond Fund*	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Mid Cap Market Index Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide NYSE Arca Tech 100 Index Fund*	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Renaissance Small Cap Growth Fund*4	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide S&P 500 Index Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Service Class, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Schroders Global Equity Fund*5	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Small Cap Index Fund*	Class A, Class R, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide Strategic Income Fund*6	Class A, Class R6, Institutional Service Class
Nationwide U.S. 130/30 Equity Portfolio*	Class R6

Information on these Nationwide Funds is contained in separate Statements of Additional Information.

Name change effective February 28, 2026. Formerly, Nationwide Bailard Cognitive Value Fund.

Name change effective February 28, 2026. Formerly, Nationwide Bailard Technology & Science Fund.

Name change effective May 12, 2025. Formerly, Nationwide BNY Mellon Core Plus Bond Fund.

Name change effective February 23, 2026. Formerly, Nationwide WCM Focused Small Cap Fund.

Name change effective November 17, 2025. Formerly, Nationwide Global Sustainable Equity Fund.

Name change effective June 26, 2025. Formerly, Nationwide Amundi Strategic Income Fund.

You have an interest only in the assets of the Fund whose shares you own. Shares of a particular class are equal in all respects to the other shares of that class. In the event of liquidation of a Fund, shares of the same class will share pro rata in the distribution of the net assets of the Fund with all other shares of that class. All shares are without par value and when issued and paid for, are fully paid and nonassessable by the Trust. Shares may be exchanged or converted as described in this SAI and in the Prospectus but will have no other preference, conversion, exchange or pre-emptive rights.

Voting Rights

Shareholders of each class of shares have one vote for each share held and a proportionate fractional vote for any fractional share held. Shareholders may vote in the election of Trustees and on other matters submitted to meetings of shareholders. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and nonassessable. Generally, amendment may not be made to the Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust. The Trustees may, however, further amend the Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust without the vote or consent of shareholders to:

(1)

designate series of the Trust; or

(2)

change the name of the Trust; or

(3)

apply any omission, cure, correct, or supplement any ambiguous, defective, or inconsistent provision to conform the Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust to the requirements of applicable federal laws or regulations if they deem it necessary.

An annual or special meeting of shareholders to conduct necessary business is not required by the Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, the 1940 Act or other authority, except, under certain circumstances, to amend the Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, the Investment Advisory Agreement, fundamental investment objectives,

investment policies and investment restrictions, to elect and remove Trustees, to reorganize the Trust or any series or class thereof and to act upon certain other business matters. In regard to termination, sale of assets, modification or change of the Investment Advisory Agreement, or change of investment restrictions with respect to a Fund, the right to vote is limited to the holders of shares of that Fund. However, shares of all Nationwide Funds vote together, and not by Fund, in the election of Trustees. If an issue must be approved by a majority as defined in the 1940 Act, a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting when the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares. For the election of Trustees only a plurality is required. Holders of shares subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee will vote as a class and not with holders of any other class with respect to the approval of the Rule 12b-1 Plan.

Additional General Tax Information for the Fund

The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

This “Additional General Tax Information For the Fund” section is based on the Internal Revenue Code and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.

This is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.

Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected and intends to qualify, or, if newly organized, intends to elect and qualify, each year as a regulated investment company (sometimes referred to as a “regulated investment company,” “RIC” or “fund”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. If the Fund so qualifies, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (that is, generally, taxable interest, dividends, net short-term capital gains, and other taxable ordinary income, net of expenses, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that it distributes to shareholders.

In order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must satisfy the following requirements:

●Distribution Requirement– the Fund must distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).

●Income Requirement– the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”).

●Asset Diversification Test– the Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification test at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s tax year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets in securities of an issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or, in the securities of one or more QPTPs.

In some circumstances, the character and timing of income realized by the Fund for purposes of the Income Requirement or the identification of the issuer for purposes of the Asset Diversification Test is uncertain under current law with respect to a particular investment, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) with respect to such type of investment may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to satisfy these requirements. See, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions” below with respect to the application of these requirements to certain types of investments. In other circumstances, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio holdings in order to meet the Income Requirement, Distribution Requirement, or Asset Diversification Test, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance.

The Fund may use “equalization” (in lieu of making some cash distributions) in determining the portion of its income and gains that has been distributed. If the Fund uses equalization, it will allocate a portion of its undistributed investment company taxable income and net capital gain to redemptions of Fund shares and will correspondingly reduce the amount of such income and gains that it distributes in cash. If the IRS determines that the Fund’s allocation is improper and that the Fund has under-distributed its income and gain for any taxable year, the Fund may be liable for federal income and/or excise tax. If, as a result of such adjustment, the Fund fails to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, the Fund will not qualify that year as a regulated investment company the effect of which is described in the following paragraph.

If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at the corporate income tax rate without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would thus have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. Subject to savings provisions for certain inadvertent failures to satisfy the Income Requirement or Asset Diversification Test which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, it is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a regulated investment company in any given tax year. Even if such savings provisions apply, the Fund may be subject to a monetary sanction of $50,000 or more. Moreover, the Board of Trustees reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such a course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

Portfolio turnover. For investors that hold their Fund shares in a taxable account, a high portfolio turnover rate may result in higher taxes. This is because a fund with a high turnover rate is likely to accelerate the recognition of capital gains and more of such gains are likely to be taxable as short-term rather than long-term capital gains in contrast to a comparable fund with a low turnover rate. Any such higher taxes would reduce the Fund’s after-tax performance. See, “Taxation of Fund Distributions– Distributions of capital gains” below. For non-U.S. investors, any such acceleration of the recognition of capital gains that results in more short-term and less long-term capital gains being recognized by the Fund may cause such investors to be subject to increased U.S. withholding taxes. See, “Non-U.S. Investors– In general” below.

Capital loss carryovers. The capital losses of the Fund, if any, do not flow through to shareholders. Rather, the Fund may use its capital losses, subject to applicable limitations, to offset its capital gains without being required to pay taxes on or distribute to shareholders such gains that are offset by the losses. If the Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess (if any) of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year. Any such net capital losses of the Fund that are not used to offset capital gains may be carried forward indefinitely to reduce any future capital gains realized by the Fund in succeeding taxable years. The amount of capital losses that can be carried forward and used in any single year is subject to an annual limitation if there is a more than 50% “change in ownership” of the Fund. An ownership change generally results when shareholders owning 5% or more of the Fund increase their aggregate holdings by more than 50% over a three-year look-back period. An ownership change could result in capital loss carryovers being used at a slower rate, thereby reducing the Fund’s ability to offset capital gains with those losses. An increase in the amount of taxable gains distributed to the Fund’s shareholders could result from an ownership change. The Fund undertakes no obligation to avoid or prevent an ownership change, which can occur in the normal course of shareholder purchases and redemptions or as a result of engaging in a tax-free reorganization with another fund. Moreover, because of circumstances beyond the Fund’s control, there can be no assurance that the Fund will not experience, or has not already experienced, an ownership change. In addition, if the Fund engages in a tax-free reorganization with another fund, the effect of these and other rules not discussed herein may be to disallow or postpone the use by the Fund

of its capital loss carryovers (including any current year losses and built-in losses when realized) to offset its own gains or those of the other fund, or vice versa, thereby reducing the tax benefits Fund shareholders would otherwise have enjoyed from use of such capital loss carryovers.

Deferral of late year losses. The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year (see, “Taxation of Fund Distributions– Distributions of capital gains” below). A “qualified late year loss” includes:

●any net capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, or, if there is no such loss, any net long-term capital loss or any net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (“post-October capital losses”), and

●the sum of (1) the excess, if any, of (a) specified losses incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) specified gains incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year and (2) the excess, if any, of (a) ordinary losses incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) the ordinary income incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year.

The terms “specified losses” and “specified gains” mean ordinary losses and gains from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of property (including the termination of a position with respect to such property), foreign currency losses and gains, and losses and gains resulting from holding stock in a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for which a mark-to-market election is in effect. The terms “ordinary losses” and “ordinary income” mean other ordinary losses and income that are not described in the preceding sentence. Since the Fund has a fiscal year ending in October, the amount of qualified late-year losses (if any) is computed without regard to any items of income, gain, or loss that are (a) post-October losses, (b) specified losses, and (c) specified gains.

Undistributed capital gains. The Fund may retain or distribute to shareholders its net capital gain for each taxable year. The Fund currently intends to distribute net capital gains. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the corporate income tax rate. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.

Federal excise tax. To avoid a 4% non-deductible excise tax, the Fund must distribute by December 31 of each year an amount equal to at least: (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (that is, the excess of the gains from sales or exchanges of capital assets over the losses from such sales or exchanges) for the one-year period ended on October 31 of such calendar year, and (3) any prior year undistributed ordinary income and capital gain net income. The Fund may elect to defer to the following year any net ordinary loss incurred for the portion of the calendar year which is after the beginning of the Fund’s taxable year. Also, the Fund will defer any “specified gain” or “specified loss” which would be properly taken into account for the portion of the calendar year after October 31. Any net ordinary loss, specified gain, or specified loss deferred shall be treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year. Generally, the Fund intends to make sufficient distributions prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid any material liability for federal income and excise tax, but can give no assurances that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided. In addition, under certain circumstances, temporary timing or permanent differences in the realization of income and expense for book and tax purposes can result in the Fund having to pay an excise tax.

Foreign income tax. Investment income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries, which entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other forms to receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive the tax reclaim is within the control of the individual country. Information required on these forms may not be available such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements which may cause the Fund not to receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other

countries may subject capital gains realized by the Fund on sale or disposition of securities of that country to taxation. These and other factors may make it difficult for the Fund to determine in advance the effective rate of foreign tax on its investments in certain countries. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to pass-through certain eligible foreign income taxes paid by the Fund to shareholders, although it reserves the right not to do so. If the Fund makes such an election and obtains a refund of foreign taxes paid by the Fund in a prior year, the Fund may be eligible to reduce the amount of foreign taxes reported by the Fund to its shareholders, generally by the amount of the foreign taxes refunded, for the year in which the refund is received. See, “Taxation of Fund Distributions–Pass-through of foreign tax credits.”

Taxation of Fund Distributions. The Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain for each taxable year. Distributions by the Fund will be treated in the manner described below regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund (or of another fund). The Fund will send you information annually as to the federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year.

Distributions of net investment income. The Fund receives ordinary income generally in the form of dividends and/or interest on its investments. The Fund also may recognize ordinary income from other sources, including, but not limited to, certain gains on foreign currency-related transactions. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund’s net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor, distributions of net investment income generally are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits. A portion of the income dividends paid to you may be qualified dividends eligible to be taxed to noncorporate taxpayers at reduced rates or for the dividends-received deduction available to corporations. See the discussion below under the headings, “— Qualified dividend income for individuals” and “—Dividends-received deduction for corporations.”

Distributions of capital gains. The Fund may derive capital gain and loss in connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities. Distributions derived from the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions paid from the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long you have held your shares in the Fund. Any net short-term or long-term capital gain realized by the Fund (net of any capital loss carryovers) generally will be distributed once each year and may be distributed more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund.

Returns of capital. Distributions by the Fund that are not paid from earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholder’s tax basis in his shares; any excess will be treated as gain from the sale of his shares. Thus, the portion of a distribution that constitutes a return of capital will decrease the shareholder’s tax basis in his Fund shares (but not below zero), and will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on the later sale of Fund shares. Return of capital distributions can occur for a number of reasons including, among others, the Fund over-estimates the income to be received from certain investments such as those classified as partnerships or equity real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) (see, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions–Investments in U.S. REITs” below).

Qualified dividend income for individuals. Ordinary income dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders as derived from qualified dividend income will be taxed in the hands of individuals and other noncorporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. “Qualified dividend income” means dividends paid to the Fund (a) by domestic corporations, (b) by foreign corporations that are either (i) incorporated in a possession of the United States, or (ii) are eligible for benefits under certain income tax treaties with the United States that include an exchange of information program, or (c) with respect to stock of a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Both the Fund and the investor must meet certain holding period requirements to qualify Fund dividends for this treatment. Specifically, the Fund must hold the stock for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, investors must hold their Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the Fund distribution goes ex-dividend. Income derived from investments in derivatives, fixed-income securities, PFICs, and income received “in lieu of” dividends in a securities lending transaction generally is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income. If the qualifying dividend income received by the Fund is equal to or greater than 95% of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain) in any taxable year, all of the ordinary income dividends paid by the Fund will be qualifying dividend income.

Qualified REIT dividends. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”), “qualified REIT dividends” (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income) are treated as eligible for a 20% deduction by noncorporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). The Fund may choose to report the special character of “qualified REIT dividends” to its shareholders, provided both the Fund and the shareholder meet certain holding period requirements. The amount of a RIC’s dividends eligible for the 20% deduction for a taxable year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s qualified REIT dividends for the taxable year over allocable expenses. A noncorporate shareholder receiving such dividends would treat them as eligible for the 20% deduction, provided the shareholder meets certain holding period requirements for its shares in the RIC (i.e., generally, RIC shares must be held by the shareholder for more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the shares become ex-dividend with respect to such dividend).

Business interest income. Under Section 163(j) of the Internal Revenue Code, enacted by the TCJA, generally, the amount of business interest that a taxpayer can deduct for any year is limited to the taxpayer’s (i) business interest income (which is the amount of interest includible in the gross income of the taxpayer which is properly allocable to a trade or business, but does not include investment income) plus (ii) 30% of adjusted taxable income (but not less than zero) plus (iii) floor plan financing interest. The Fund is permitted to pass-through its net business interest income (generally the Fund’s interest income less applicable expenses and deductions) as a “Section 163(j) interest dividend.” The amount passed through to shareholders is considered interest income and can then be used to determine such shareholder’s business interest deduction under Section 163(j), if any, subject to holding period requirements and other limitations. The Fund may choose not to report such Section 163(j) interest dividends.

Dividends-received deduction for corporations. For corporate shareholders, a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund may qualify for the 50% corporate dividends-received deduction. The portion of dividends paid by the Fund that so qualifies will be reported by the Fund to shareholders each year and cannot exceed the gross amount of dividends received by the Fund from domestic (U.S.) corporations. The availability of the dividends-received deduction is subject to certain holding period and debt financing restrictions that apply to both the Fund and the investor. Specifically, the amount that the Fund may report as eligible for the dividends-received deduction will be reduced or eliminated if the shares on which the dividends earned by the Fund were debt-financed or held by the Fund for less than a minimum period of time, generally 46 days during a 91-day period beginning 45 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, if your Fund shares are debt-financed or held by you for less than a 46-day period then the dividends-received deduction for Fund dividends on your shares also may be reduced or eliminated. Income derived by the Fund from investments in derivatives, fixed-income and foreign securities, and income received “in lieu of ” dividends in a securities lending transaction generally is not eligible for this treatment.

Impact of realized but undistributed income and gains, and net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities. At the time of your purchase of shares, the Fund’s net asset value may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities held by the Fund. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable, and would be taxed as ordinary income (some portion of which may be taxed as qualified dividend income), capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. The Fund may be able to reduce the amount of such distributions from capital gains by utilizing its capital loss carryovers, if any.

Pass-through of foreign tax credits. If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the end of a fiscal year is invested in foreign securities, the Fund may elect to pass-through to you your pro rata share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund. If this election is made, the Fund may report more taxable income to you than it actually distributes. You will then be entitled either to deduct your share of these taxes in computing your taxable income, or to claim a foreign tax credit for these taxes against your U.S. federal income tax (subject to limitations for certain shareholders). The Fund will provide you with the information necessary to claim this deduction or credit on your personal income tax return if it makes this election. No deduction for foreign tax may be claimed by a noncorporate shareholder who does not itemize deductions or who is subject to the alternative minimum tax. Shareholders may be unable to claim a credit for the full amount of their proportionate shares of the foreign income tax paid by the Fund due to certain limitations that may apply. The Fund reserves the right not to pass-through to its shareholders the amount of foreign income taxes paid by the Fund. In addition, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders. See, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions - Securities lending” below.

Tax credit bonds. If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more “tax credit bonds” (including bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and qualified tax credit bonds) on one or more applicable dates during a taxable year, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholder’s proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholder’s ability to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. Even if the Fund is eligible to pass-through tax credits to shareholders, the Fund may choose not to do so.

U.S. government securities. Income earned on certain U.S. government obligations is exempt from state and local personal income taxes if earned directly by you. States also grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment or reporting requirements that must be met by the Fund. Income on investments by the Fund in certain other obligations, such as repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government obligations, securities lending agreements, commercial paper and federal agency-backed obligations (e.g., GNMA or FNMA obligations), generally does not qualify for tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations.

Dividends declared in December and paid in January. Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, dividends declared in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by the shareholders (and made by the Fund) on December 31 of such calendar year if such dividends are actually paid in January of the following year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year in accordance with the guidance that has been provided by the IRS.

Medicare tax. A 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on net investment income earned by certain individuals, estates and trusts. “Net investment income,” for these purposes, means investment income, including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares, reduced by the deductions properly allocable to such income. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (1) the shareholder’s net investment income or (2) the amount by which the shareholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing separately) or $200,000 (in any other case).This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

Sales, Exchanges and Redemptions of Fund Shares

Sales, exchanges and redemptions (including redemptions in-kind) of Fund shares are taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes. If you redeem your Fund shares, the IRS requires you to report any gain or loss on your redemption. If you held your shares as a capital asset, the gain or loss that you realize will be a capital gain or loss and will be long-term or short-term, generally depending on how long you have held your shares. Any redemption fees you incur on shares redeemed will decrease the amount of any capital gain (or increase any capital loss) you realize on the sale. Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a noncorporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.

Tax basis information. The Fund is required to report to you and the IRS annually on Form 1099-B the cost basis of shares where the cost basis of the shares is known by the Fund (referred to as “covered shares”). However, cost basis reporting is not required for certain shareholders, including shareholders investing in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, or shareholders investing in a money market fund that maintains a stable net asset value. When required to report cost basis, the Fund will calculate it using the Fund’s default method of average cost, unless you instruct the Fund in writing to use a different calculation method. In general, average cost is the total cost basis of all your shares in an account divided by the total number of shares in the account. To determine whether short-term or long-term capital gains taxes apply, the IRS presumes you redeem your oldest shares first.

The IRS permits the use of several methods to determine the cost basis of mutual fund shares. The method used will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing share prices, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Fund does not recommend any particular method of determining

cost basis, and the use of other methods may result in more favorable tax consequences for some shareholders. It is important that you consult with your tax advisor to determine which method is best for you and then notify the Fund in writing if you intend to utilize a method other than average cost for covered shares.

In addition to the Fund’s default method of average cost, other cost basis methods offered by Nationwide Mutual Funds, which you may elect to apply to covered shares, include:

●FIFO (First In, First Out) – the shares purchased first are sold first.

●LIFO (Last In, First Out) – the shares purchased last are sold first.

●High Cost– the shares with the highest cost per share are sold first.

●Low Cost–the shares with the lowest cost per share are sold first.

●Loss/Gain Utilization– groups of shares (lots) are selected and sold based on generating losses first (short-term then long-term) and gains last (long-term then short-term).

●Specific Lot Identification– you must specify the share lots to be sold at the time of redemption. This method requires you to elect a secondary method in the event the lots you designate for redemption are unavailable. The secondary method options include first in, first out; last in, first out; low cost; high cost; and loss/gain utilization. If a secondary method is not elected, first in, first out will be used.

You may elect any of the available methods detailed above for your covered shares. If you do not notify the Fund in writing of your elected cost basis method upon the initial purchase into your account, the default method of average cost will be applied to your covered shares. The cost basis for covered shares will be calculated separately from any shares for which cost basis information is not known by the Fund (“noncovered shares”) you may own. You may change from average cost to another cost basis method for covered shares at any time by notifying the Fund in writing, but only for shares acquired after the date of the change (the change is prospective). The basis of the shares that were averaged before the change will remain averaged after the date of the change.

With the exception of the specific lot identification method, Nationwide Mutual Funds first depletes noncovered shares in first in, first out order before applying your elected method to your remaining covered shares. If you want to deplete your shares in a different order then you must elect specific lot identification and choose the lots you wish to deplete first.

The Fund will compute and report the cost basis of your Fund shares sold or exchanged by taking into account all of the applicable adjustments to cost basis and holding periods as required by the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury regulations for purposes of reporting these amounts to you and the IRS. However, the Fund is not required to, and in many cases the Fund does not possess the information to, take all possible basis, holding period or other adjustments into account in reporting cost basis information to you. Therefore, shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund, and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required by the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury regulations when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. Shareholders remain solely responsible for complying with all federal income tax laws when filing their federal income tax returns.

If you hold your Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee), please contact that broker (nominee) with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account.

Wash sales. All or a portion of any loss that you realize on a redemption of your Fund shares will be disallowed to the extent that you buy other shares in the Fund (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after your share redemption. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to your tax basis in the new shares.

Redemptions at a loss within six months of purchase. Any capital loss incurred on a redemption or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributed to you by the Fund on those shares.

Deferral of basis. If a shareholder (a) incurs a sales load in acquiring shares of the Fund, (b) disposes of such shares less than 91 days after they are acquired, and (c) subsequently acquires shares of the Fund or another fund by January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the disposition of the original shares occurred at a reduced sales load pursuant to a right to reinvest at such reduced sales load acquired in connection with the acquisition of the shares disposed of, then the sales load on the shares disposed of (to the extent of the reduction in the sales load on the shares subsequently

acquired) shall not be taken into account in determining gain or loss on the shares disposed of, but shall be treated as incurred on the acquisition of the shares subsequently acquired. The wash sale rules also may limit the amount of loss that may be taken into account on disposition after such adjustment.

Conversion or exchange of shares into shares of the same Fund. The conversion or exchange of shares of one class into another class of the same Fund is not taxable for federal income tax purposes. For example, the exchange of Class A shares for Institutional Service Class shares of the same Fund in certain Programs sponsored by and/or controlled by financial intermediaries, or the exchange of Institutional Service Class shares for Class A shares of the same Fund by certain holders who cease participation in such Programs, will be tax-free for federal income tax purposes. This is true whether the conversion occurs automatically pursuant to the terms of the class or is initiated by the shareholder. Shareholders also should consult their tax advisors regarding the state and local tax consequences of a conversion or exchange of shares.

Reportable transactions. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886.The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions. Set forth below is a general description of the tax treatment of certain types of securities, investment techniques and transactions that may apply to a fund and, in turn, affect the amount, character and timing of dividends and distributions payable by the fund to its shareholders. This section should be read in conjunction with the discussion above under “ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PORTFOLIO INSTRUMENTS, STRATEGIES AND INVESTMENT POLICIES” for a detailed description of the various types of securities and investment techniques that apply to the Fund.

In general. In general, gain or loss recognized by a fund on the sale or other disposition of portfolio investments will be a capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Property held for more than one year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment. The application of certain rules described below may serve to alter the manner in which the holding period for a security is determined or may otherwise affect the characterization as long-term or short-term, and also the timing of the realization and/or character of certain gains or losses.

Certain fixed-income investments. Gain recognized on the disposition of a debt obligation purchased by a fund at a market discount (generally, at a price less than its principal amount) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of the market discount which accrued during the period of time the fund held the debt obligation unless the fund made a current inclusion election to accrue market discount into income as it accrues. If a fund purchases a debt obligation (such as a zero coupon security or pay-in-kind security) that was originally issued at a discount, the fund generally is required to include in gross income each year the portion of the original issue discount which accrues during such year. Therefore, a fund’s investment in such securities may cause the fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on the securities. To generate cash to satisfy those distribution requirements, a fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of fund shares.

Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present tax issues for a fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether and to what extent a fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, when a fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent a fund may take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities and how a fund should allocate payments received on obligations in default between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by a fund in order to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company.

Options, futures, forward contracts, swap agreements and hedging transactions. In general, option premiums received by a fund are not immediately included in the income of the fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If an option written by a fund is exercised and the fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the fund

generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) the sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the fund’s basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by a fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in the securities purchased. The gain or loss with respect to any termination of a fund’s obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option and related sale or delivery of the underlying stock generally will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by a fund expires unexercised, the fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.

The tax treatment of certain futures contracts entered into by a fund as well as listed non-equity options written or purchased by the fund on U.S. exchanges (including options on futures contracts, broad-based equity indices and debt securities) may be governed by section 1256 of the Internal Revenue Code (“section 1256 contracts”). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses (“60/40”), although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, any section 1256 contracts held by a fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Internal Revenue Code) are “marked to market” with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable. Section 1256 contracts do not include any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement.

In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures transactions, a fund’s transactions in other derivative instruments (including options, forward contracts and swap agreements) as well as its other hedging, short sale, or similar transactions, may be subject to one or more special tax rules (including the constructive sale, notional principal contract, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules). These rules may affect whether gains and losses recognized by a fund are treated as ordinary or capital or as short-term or long-term, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the fund, defer losses to the fund, and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities. These rules, therefore, could affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders. Moreover, because the tax rules applicable to derivative instruments are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether a fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid a fund-level tax.

Certain of a fund’s investments in derivatives and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and the fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, may produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If a fund’s book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company. If a fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the distribution of any such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including current earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income, reduced by related deductions), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.

Foreign currency transactions. A fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. This treatment could increase or decrease a fund’s ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the fund’s previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. In certain cases, a fund may make an election to treat such gain or loss as capital.

PFIC investments. A fund may invest in securities of foreign companies that may be classified under the Internal Revenue Code as PFICs. In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, a fund intends to mark-to-market these securities under certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and recognize any unrealized gains as ordinary income at the end of the fund’s fiscal and excise tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that a fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold or received dividends from these securities.

You also should be aware that the designation of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause its income dividends to fall outside of the definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you by a fund. Foreign companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in identifying PFICs, a fund can give no assurances that it will be able to identify portfolio securities in foreign corporations that are PFICs in time for the fund to make a mark-to-market election. If a fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC and thus does not make a mark-to-market election, the fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on a fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

Investments in U.S. REITs. A U.S. REIT is not subject to federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to shareholders. Dividends paid by a U.S. REIT, other than capital gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends paid by a U.S. REIT to a fund will be treated as long-term capital gains by the fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the fund to its shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Because of certain noncash expenses, such as property depreciation, an equity U.S. REIT’s cash flow may exceed its taxable income. The equity U.S. REIT, and in turn a fund, may distribute this excess cash to shareholders in the form of a return of capital distribution. However, if a U.S. REIT is operated in a manner that fails to qualify as a U.S. REIT, an investment in the U.S. REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the U.S. REIT would be subject to federal income tax at the corporate income tax rate without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Also, see, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions–Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income)” and “Non-U.S. Investors– Investment in U.S. real property” below with respect to certain other tax aspects of investing in U.S. REITs.

Investment in non-U.S. REITs. While non-U.S. REITs often use complex acquisition structures that seek to minimize taxation in the source country, an investment by a fund in a non-U.S. REIT may subject the fund, directly or indirectly, to corporate taxes, withholding taxes, transfer taxes and other indirect taxes in the country in which the real estate acquired by the non-U.S. REIT is located. A fund’s pro rata share of any such taxes will reduce the fund’s return on its investment. A fund’s investment in a non-U.S. REIT may be considered an investment in a PFIC, as discussed above in “PFIC investments.” In addition, foreign withholding taxes on distributions from the non-U.S. REIT may be reduced or eliminated under certain tax treaties, as discussed above in “Taxation of the Fund– Foreign income tax.” Also, a fund in certain limited circumstances may be required to file an income tax return in the source country and pay tax on any gain realized from its investment in the non-U.S. REIT under rules similar to those in the United States, which tax foreign persons on gain realized from dispositions of interests in U.S. real estate.

Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income). Under a Notice issued by the IRS, the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury regulations to be issued, a portion of a fund’s income from a U.S. REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit (“REMIC”) or equity interests in a “taxable mortgage pool” (referred to in the Internal Revenue Code as an excess inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. The excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as a fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest or, if applicable, taxable mortgage pool directly. In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to entities (including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans, Keogh plans or other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign stockholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (which generally includes certain cooperatives, governmental entities, and tax-exempt organizations not subject to UBTI) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the corporate income tax rate. The Notice imposes certain reporting requirements upon regulated investment companies that have excess inclusion income. There can be no assurance that a fund will not allocate to shareholders excess inclusion income.

These rules are potentially applicable to a fund with respect to any income it receives from the equity interests of certain mortgage pooling vehicles, either directly or, as is more likely, through an investment in a U.S. REIT. It is unlikely that these rules will apply to a fund that has a non-REIT strategy.

Investments in partnerships and QPTPs. For purposes of the Income Requirement, income derived by a fund from a partnership that is not a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the fund. While the rules are not entirely clear with respect to a fund investing in a partnership outside a master-feeder structure, for purposes of testing whether a fund satisfies the Asset Diversification Test, the fund generally is treated as owning a pro rata share of the underlying assets of a partnership. See, “Taxation of the Fund.” In contrast, different rules apply to a partnership that is a QPTP. A QPTP is a partnership (a) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market, (b) that is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, and (c) that derives less than 90% of its income from sources that satisfy the Income Requirement (e.g., because it invests in commodities). All of the net income derived by a fund from an interest in a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income but the fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in one or more QPTPs. However, there can be no assurance that a partnership classified as a QPTP in one year will qualify as a QPTP in the next year. Any such failure to annually qualify as a QPTP might, in turn, cause a fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. Although, in general, the passive loss rules of the Internal Revenue Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a fund with respect to items attributable to an interest in a QPTP. Fund investments in partnerships, including in QPTPs, may result in the fund being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.

Securities lending. While securities are loaned out by a fund, the fund generally will receive from the borrower amounts equal to any dividends or interest paid on the borrowed securities. For federal income tax purposes, payments made “in lieu of” dividends are not considered dividend income. These distributions will neither qualify for the reduced rate of taxation for individuals on qualified dividends nor the 50% dividends-received deduction for corporations. Also, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders.

Investments in convertible securities. Convertible debt is ordinarily treated as a “single property” consisting of a pure debt interest until conversion, after which the investment becomes an equity interest. If the security is issued at a premium (i.e., for cash in excess of the face amount payable on retirement), the creditor-holder may amortize the premium unrelated to the conversion feature of the security over the life of the bond. If the security is issued for cash at a price below its face amount, the creditor-holder must accrue original issue discount in income over the life of the debt. The creditor-holder’s exercise of the conversion privilege is treated as a nontaxable event. Mandatorily convertible debt (e.g., an exchange-traded note or ETN issued in the form of an unsecured obligation that pays a return based on the performance of a specified market index, exchange currency, or commodity) is often, but not always, treated as a contract to buy or sell the reference property rather than debt. Similarly, convertible preferred stock with a mandatory conversion feature is ordinarily, but not always, treated as equity rather than debt. Dividends-received may be qualified dividend income and eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction. In general, conversion of preferred stock for common stock of the same corporation is tax-free. Conversion of preferred stock for cash is a taxable redemption. Any redemption premium for preferred stock that is redeemable by the issuing company might be required to be amortized under original issue discount principles. A change in the conversion ratio or conversion price of a convertible security on account of a dividend paid to the issuer’s other shareholders may result in a deemed distribution of stock to the holders of the convertible security equal to the value of their increased interest in the equity of the issuer. Thus, an increase in the conversion ratio of a convertible security can be treated as a taxable distribution of stock to a holder of the convertible security (without a corresponding receipt of cash by the holder) before the holder has converted the security.

Investments in securities of uncertain tax character. A fund may invest in securities the U.S. federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. To the extent the tax treatment of such securities or the income from such securities differs from the tax treatment expected by a fund, it could affect the timing or character of income recognized by the fund, requiring the fund to purchase or sell securities, or otherwise change its portfolio, in order to comply with the tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code.

Backup Withholding. By law, the Fund may be required to withhold a portion of your taxable dividends and sales proceeds unless you:

●provide your correct social security or taxpayer identification number,

●certify that this number is correct,

●certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, and

●certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

The Fund also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 24% of any distributions or proceeds paid. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding and information reporting. The special U.S. tax certification requirements applicable to non-U.S. investors to avoid backup withholding are described under the “Non-U.S. Investors” heading below.

Non-U.S. Investors. Non-U.S. investors (shareholders who, as to the United States, are nonresident alien individuals, foreign trusts or estates, foreign corporations, or foreign partnerships) may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements. Non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisors about the applicability of U.S. tax withholding and the use of the appropriate forms to certify their status.

In general. The United States imposes a flat 30% withholding tax (or a withholding tax at a lower treaty rate) on U.S. source dividends, including on income dividends paid to you by the Fund. Exemptions from this U.S. withholding tax are provided for capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from its net long-term capital gains, interest-related dividends paid by the Fund from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources and short-term capital gain dividends.

However, the Fund may choose not to utilize the exemptions for interest-related dividends paid and short- term capital gains dividends paid. Moreover, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding at the source, any dividends and distributions of income and capital gains, including the proceeds from the sale of your Fund shares, will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 24% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

Net investment income from dividends on stock and foreign source interest income continue to be subject to withholding tax; foreign tax credits. Ordinary dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. investors on the income earned on portfolio investments in (i) the stock of domestic and foreign corporations and (ii) the debt of foreign issuers continue to be subject to U.S. withholding tax. Foreign shareholders may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% on the income resulting from an election to pass-through foreign tax credits to shareholders, but may not be able to claim a credit or deduction with respect to the withholding tax for the foreign tax treated as having been paid by them.

Income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. If the income from the Fund is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, capital gain dividends and any gains realized upon the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. citizens or domestic corporations and require the filing of a nonresident U.S. income tax return.

Investment in U.S. real property. The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”) makes non-U.S. persons subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a U.S. real property interest (“USRPI”) as if he or she were a U.S. person. Such gain is sometimes referred to as FIRPTA gain. The Fund may invest in equity securities of corporations that invest in USRPI, including U.S. REITs, which may trigger FIRPTA gain to the Fund’s non-U.S. shareholders.

The Internal Revenue Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of FIRPTA gain when a RIC is classified as a qualified investment entity. A RIC will be classified as a qualified investment entity if, in general, 50% or more of the RIC’s assets consist of interests in U.S. REITs, USRPIs and other U.S. real property holding corporations (“USRPHC”). If a RIC is a qualified investment entity and the non-U.S. shareholder owns more than 5% of a class of Fund shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the FIRPTA distribution, the FIRPTA distribution to the non-U.S. shareholder is treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing the distribution to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the corporate income tax rate (unless reduced by future regulations), and requiring the non-U.S. shareholder to file a nonresident U.S. income tax return. In addition, even if the non-U.S. shareholder does not own more than 5% of a class of Fund shares, but the Fund is a qualified investment entity, the FIRPTA distribution will be taxable as ordinary dividends (rather than as a capital gain or short-term capital gain dividend) subject to withholding at 30% or lower treaty rate.

Because the Fund expects to invest less than 50% of its assets at all times, directly or indirectly, in U.S. real property interests, the Fund expects that neither gain on the sale or redemption of Fund shares nor Fund dividends and distributions would be subject to FIRPTA reporting and tax withholding.

U.S. estate tax. Transfers by gift of shares of the Fund by a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual will not be subject to U.S. federal gift tax. An individual who, at the time of death, is a non-U.S. shareholder will nevertheless be subject to U.S. federal estate tax with respect to Fund shares at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens and residents, unless a treaty exemption applies. If a treaty exemption is available, a decedent’s estate may nonetheless need to file a U.S. estate tax return to claim the exemption in order to obtain a U.S. federal transfer certificate. The transfer certificate will identify the property (i.e., Fund shares) as to which the U.S. federal estate tax lien has been released. In the absence of a treaty, there is a $13,000 statutory estate tax credit (equivalent to U.S. situs assets with a value of $60,000). For estates with U.S. situs assets of not more than $60,000, the Fund may accept, in lieu of a transfer certificate, an affidavit from an appropriate individual evidencing that decedent’s U.S. situs assets are below this threshold amount.

U.S. tax certification rules. Special U.S. tax certification requirements may apply to non-U.S. shareholders both to avoid U.S. backup withholding imposed at a rate of 24% and to obtain the benefits of any treaty between the U.S. and the shareholder’s country of residence. In general, if you are a non-U.S. shareholder, you must provide a Form W-8 BEN (or other applicable Form W-8) to establish that you are not a U.S. person, to claim that you are the beneficial owner of the income and, if applicable, to claim a reduced rate of, or exemption from, withholding as a resident of a country with which the U.S. has an income tax treaty. A Form W-8 BEN provided without a U.S. taxpayer identification number will remain in effect for a period beginning on the date signed and ending on the last day of the third succeeding calendar year unless an earlier change of circumstances makes the information on the form incorrect. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding.

The tax consequences to a non-U.S. shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund, including the applicability of foreign tax.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”). Under FATCA, the Fund will be required to withhold a 30% tax on income dividends made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions (“FFI”) or nonfinancial foreign entities (“NFFE”). After December 31, 2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares; however, based on proposed regulations issued by the IRS, which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). The FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, if it reports certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it meets certification requirements described below. The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (“IGA”) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA; an entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of an IGA instead of U.S. Treasury regulations.

An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding if it is deemed compliant or by becoming a “participating FFI,” which requires the FFI to enter into a U.S. tax compliance agreement with the IRS under section 1471(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (“FFI agreement”) under which it agrees to verify, report and disclose certain of its U.S. accountholders and meet certain other specified requirements. The FFI will either report the specified information about the U.S. accounts to the IRS, or, to the government of the FFI’s country of residence (pursuant to the terms and conditions of applicable law and an applicable IGA entered into between the U.S. and the FFI’s country of residence), which will, in turn, report the specified information to the IRS. An FFI that is resident in a country that has entered into an IGA with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the FFI shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

An NFFE that is the beneficial owner of a payment from the Fund can avoid the FATCA withholding tax generally by certifying that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or by providing the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner. The NFFE will report the information to the Fund or other applicable withholding agent, which will, in turn, report the information to the IRS.

Such foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the impact of these requirements on their investment in the Fund. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the U.S. tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation.

Effect of Future Legislation; Local Tax Considerations. The foregoing general discussion of U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Future legislative or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and any such changes or decisions may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein. Rules of state and local taxation of ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain dividends may differ from the rules for U.S. federal income taxation described above. Distributions also may be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation. Non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to U.S. tax rules that differ significantly from those summarized above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the consequences of these and other state and local tax rules affecting investment in the Fund.

Major Shareholders

Since the Fund has not yet commenced operations, no shareholder owns 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. To the extent NFA and its affiliates directly or indirectly own, control and hold power to vote 25% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, it is deemed to have “control” over matters which are subject to a vote of the Fund’s shares. NFA is wholly owned by NFS. NFS, a holding company, is a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide Corporation. Nationwide Corporation is also a holding company in the Nationwide Insurance Enterprise, which includes Nationwide Investment Management Group. All of the common stock of Nationwide Corporation is held by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, which is a mutual company owned by its policyholders.

As of _________, 2026, the Trustees and Officers, as a group, held less than 1% of any class of shares of the Fund.

APPENDIX A
DEBT RATINGS

STANDARD & POOR’S DEBT RATINGS

A Standard & Poor’s corporate or municipal debt rating is an opinion of the general creditworthiness of an obligor, or the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a particular debt security or other financial obligation, based on relevant risk factors.

The debt rating does not constitute a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold a particular security. In addition, a rating does not comment on the suitability of an investment for a particular investor. The ratings are based on current information furnished by the issuer or obtained by Standard & Poor’s from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor’s does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or for other circumstances.

The ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:

Likelihood of default - capacity and willingness of the obligor as to its financial commitments in a timely manner in accordance with the terms of the obligation.

Nature of and provisions of the obligation.

Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.

INVESTMENT GRADE

AAA	Debt rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. Capacity to meet financial commitments is extremely strong.
AA	Debt rated ‘AA’ has a very strong capacity to meet financial commitments and differs from the highest rated issues only in small degree.
A	Debt rated ‘A’ has a strong capacity to meet financial commitments although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.
BBB	Debt rated ‘BBB’ is regarded as having an adequate capacity meet financial commitments. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to meet financial commitments for debt in this category than in higher rated categories.

SPECULATIVE GRADE

Debt rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’ and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. ‘BB’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.

BB	Debt rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet financial commitments.
B	Debt rated ‘B’ has a greater vulnerability to nonpayment than obligations rated BB but currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to meet financial commitments.

A-1

CCC	Debt rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet financial commitments. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments.
CC	Debt rated ‘CC’ typically is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C	Debt rated ‘C’ may signify that a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued.
D	Debt rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.

MOODY’S LONG-TERM DEBT RATINGS

Aaa	Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.
Aa	Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards and are subject to very low credit risk.
A	Bonds which are rated A are to be considered as upper-medium grade obligations and subject to low credit risk.
Baa	Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations, subject to moderate credit risk and in fact may have speculative characteristics.
Ba	Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B	Bonds which are rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa	Bonds which are rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca	Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are highly speculative. Such issues are likely in default, or very near, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C	Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds, and are typically in default. There is little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

STATE AND MUNICIPAL NOTES

Excerpts from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., description of state and municipal note ratings:

MIG-1	Notes bearing this designation are of superior credit quality, enjoying excellent protection by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG-2	Notes bearing this designation are of strong credit quality, with margins of protection ample although not so large as in the preceding group.
MIG-3	Notes bearing this designation are of acceptable credit quality, with possibly narrow liquidity and cash flow protection. Market access for refinancing is likely to be less well established.
SG	Notes bearing this designation are of speculative grade credit quality and may lack sufficient margins of protection.

FITCH, INC. BOND RATINGS

Fitch investment grade bond ratings provide a guide to investors in determining the credit risk associated with a particular security. The ratings represent Fitch’s assessment of the issuer’s ability to meet the obligations of a specific debt issue or class of debt in a timely manner.

The rating takes into consideration special features of the issue, its relationship to other obligations of the issuer, the current and prospective financial condition and operating performance of the issuer and any guarantor, as well as the economic and political environment that might affect the issuer’s future financial strength and credit quality.

A-2

Fitch ratings do not reflect any credit enhancement that may be provided by insurance policies or financial guaranties unless otherwise indicated.

Bonds that have the same rating are of similar but not necessarily identical credit quality since the rating categories do not fully reflect small differences in the degrees of credit risk.

Fitch ratings are not recommendations to buy, sell, or hold any security. Ratings do not comment on the adequacy of market price, the suitability of any security for a particular investor, or the tax-exempt nature or taxability of payments made in respect of any security.

Fitch ratings are based on information obtained from issuers, other obligors, underwriters, their experts, and other sources Fitch believes to be reliable. Fitch does not audit or verify the truth or accuracy of such information. Ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or the unavailability of, information or for other reasons.

AAA	Bonds considered investment grade and representing the lowest expectation of credit risk. The obligor has an exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, a capacity that is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA	Bonds considered to be investment grade and of very high credit quality. This rating indicates a very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, a capacity that is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A	Bonds considered to be investment grade and represent a low expectation of credit risk. This rating indicates a strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in economic conditions or circumstances than long term debt with higher ratings.
BBB	Bonds considered to be in the lowest investment grade and indicates that there is currently low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB	Bonds are considered speculative. This rating indicates that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic changes over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.
B	Bonds are considered highly speculative. This rating indicates that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
CCC, CC and C	Bonds are considered a high default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A ‘CC’ rating indicates that default of some kind appears probable. ‘C’ rating signal imminent default.
DDD, DD and D	Bonds are in default. Such bonds are not meeting current obligations and are extremely speculative. ‘DDD’ designates the highest potential for recovery of amounts outstanding on any securities involved and ‘D’ represents the lowest potential for recovery.

SHORT-TERM RATINGS

STANDARD & POOR’S COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS

A Standard & Poor’s commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt considered short-term in the relevant market.

A-3

Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from ‘A-1’ for the highest quality obligations to ‘D’ for the lowest. These categories are as follows:

A-1	This highest category indicates that capacity to meet financial commitments is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation.
A-2	Capacity to meet financial commitments is satisfactory, although more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories.
A-3	Issues carrying this designation have adequate protections. They are, however, more vulnerable to adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances which could weaken capacity to meet financial commitments.
B	Issues rated ‘B’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics.
C	This rating is assigned to short-term debt obligations that are vulnerable to nonpayment and dependent on favorable business, financial, and economic conditions in order to meet financial commitments.
D	Debt rated ‘D’ is in payment default. The ‘D’ rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.

STANDARD & POOR’S NOTE RATINGS

An S&P note rating reflects the liquidity factors and market-access risks unique to notes. Notes maturing in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating.

The following criteria will be used in making the assessment:

Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely the issue is to be treated as a note.

Source of payment - the more the issue depends on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it is to be considered a note.

Note rating symbols and definitions are as follows:

SP-1	Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. Issues determined to possess very strong capacity to pay principal and interest are given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2	Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3	Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

MOODY’S SHORT-TERM RATINGS

Moody’s short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. These obligations have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted. Moody’s employs the following three designations to indicate the relative repayment capacity of rated issuers:

P-1	Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior capacity to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2	Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3	Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

A-4

Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

MOODY’S NOTE RATINGS

MIG 1/VMIG 1	Notes bearing this designation are of superior credit quality, enjoying excellent protection by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2/VMIG 2	Notes bearing this designation are of strong credit quality, with margins of protection ample although not so large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3/VMIG 3	Notes bearing this designation are of acceptable credit quality, with possibly narrow liquidity and cash- flow protection. Market access for refinancing is likely to be less well established.
SG	Notes bearing this designation are of speculative-grade credit quality and may lack sufficient margins of protection.

FITCH’S SHORT-TERM RATINGS

Fitch’s short-term ratings apply to debt obligations that are payable on demand or have original maturities of up to three years, including commercial paper, certificates of deposit, medium-term notes, and municipal and investment notes.

The short-term rating places greater emphasis than a long-term rating on the existence of liquidity necessary to meet the issuer’s obligations in a timely manner.

F-1+	Best quality, indicating exceptionally strong capacity to meet financial commitments.
F-1	Best quality, indicating strong capacity to meet financial commitments.
F-2	Good quality with satisfactory capacity to meet financial commitments.
F-3	Fair quality with adequate capacity to meet financial commitments but near term adverse conditions could impact the commitments.
B	Speculative quality and minimal capacity to meet commitments and vulnerability to short-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C	Possibility of default is high and the financial commitments are dependent upon sustained, favorable business and economic conditions.
D	In default and has failed to meet its financial commitments.

A-5

APPENDIX B
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES SUMMARIES

NATIONWIDE FUND ADVISORS

GENERAL

The Board of Trustees of Nationwide Mutual Funds and Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust (the “Funds”) has approved the continued delegation of the authority to vote proxies relating to the securities held in the portfolios of the Funds to each Fund’s investment adviser, who in turn may, and typically does, delegate such authority to each Fund’s subadviser(s), as applicable, (unless the investment adviser has entered into specific voting arrangements with the subadviser(s)), some of which advisers and subadvisers use an independent service provider, as described below.

Nationwide Fund Advisors (“NFA” or the “Adviser”), is an investment adviser that is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”). NFA currently provides investment advisory services to registered investment companies (hereinafter referred to collectively as “Clients”).

Voting proxies that are received in connection with underlying portfolio securities held by Clients is an important element of the portfolio management services that NFA performs for Clients. NFA’s goal in performing this service is to make proxy voting decisions: (i) to vote or not to vote proxies in a manner that serves the best economic interests of Clients; and (ii) that avoid the influence of conflicts of interest. To implement this goal, NFA has adopted proxy voting guidelines (the “Proxy Voting Guidelines”) to assist it in making proxy voting decisions and in developing procedures for effecting those decisions. The Proxy Voting Guidelines are designed to ensure that, where NFA has the authority to vote proxies, all legal, fiduciary, and contractual obligations will be met.

The Proxy Voting Guidelines address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among other matters, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures and the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, and various shareholder proposals.

The proxy voting records of the Funds are available to shareholders on the Trust’s website, https://www.nationwide.com/personal/investing/mutual-funds/proxy-voting/, and the SEC’s EDGAR database on its website, sec.gov.

HOW PROXIES ARE VOTED

NFA has delegated to Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”), an independent service provider, the administration of proxy voting for Client portfolio securities directly managed by NFA, subject to oversight by NFA’s “Proxy Voting Committee.” ISS, a Delaware corporation, provides proxy-voting services to many asset managers on a global basis. The NFA Proxy Voting Committee has reviewed, and will continue to review annually, the relationship with ISS and the quality and effectiveness of the various services provided by ISS.

Specifically, ISS assists NFA in the proxy voting and corporate governance oversight process by developing and updating the “ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines,” which are incorporated into the Proxy Voting Guidelines, and by providing research and analysis, recommendations regarding votes, operational implementation, and recordkeeping and reporting services. ISS also provides NFA with any additional solicitation materials filed by an issuer in response to any ISS recommendation. NFA’s Proxy Voting Committee evaluates any such additional information provided by ISS and uses its best judgement in voting proxies on behalf of Client Accounts. NFA’s decision to retain ISS is based principally on the view that the services that ISS provides, subject to oversight by NFA, generally will result in proxy voting decisions which serve the best economic interests of Clients. NFA has reviewed, analyzed, and determined that the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines are consistent with the views of NFA on the various types of proxy proposals. When the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines do not cover a specific proxy issue and ISS does not provide a recommendation: (i) ISS will notify NFA; and (ii) NFA’s Proxy Voting Committee will use its best judgment in voting proxies on behalf of the Clients. A summary of the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines is set forth below.

B-1

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

NFA does not engage in investment banking, administration or management of corporate retirement plans, or any other activity that is likely to create a potential conflict of interest. In addition, because Client proxies are voted by ISS pursuant to the pre-determined ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines, NFA generally does not make an actual determination of how to vote a particular proxy, and, therefore, proxies voted on behalf of Clients do not reflect any conflict of interest. Nevertheless, the Proxy Voting Guidelines address the possibility of such a conflict of interest arising.

The Proxy Voting Guidelines provide that, if a proxy proposal were to create a conflict of interest between the interests of a Client and those of NFA (or between a Client and those of any of NFA’s affiliates, including Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC and Nationwide), then the proxy should be voted strictly in conformity with the recommendation of ISS. To monitor compliance with this policy, any proposed or actual deviation from a recommendation of ISS must be reported by the NFA Proxy Voting Committee to the chief counsel for NFA. The chief counsel for NFA then will provide guidance concerning the proposed deviation and whether a deviation presents any potential conflict of interest. If NFA then casts a proxy vote that deviates from an ISS recommendation, the affected Client (or other appropriate Client authority) will be given a report of this deviation.

CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH PROXIES WILL NOT BE VOTED

NFA shall attempt to process every vote for all domestic and foreign proxies that they receive; however, there may be cases in which NFA will not process a proxy because it is impractical or too expensive to do so. For example, NFA will not process a proxy in connection with a foreign security if the cost of voting a foreign proxy outweighs the benefit of voting the foreign proxy, when NFA has not been given enough time to process the vote, or when a sell order for the foreign security is outstanding and proxy voting would impede the sale of the foreign security. Also, NFA generally will not seek to recall the securities on loan for the purpose of voting the securities -- except, in regard to a sub-advised Fund, for those proxy votes that a subadviser (retained to manage the sub-advised Fund and overseen by NFA) has determined could materially affect the security on loan. The Firm will seek to have the appropriate Subadviser(s) vote those proxies relating to securities on loan that are held by a Sub-advised Nationwide Fund that the Subadviser(s) has determined could materially affect the security on loan.

DELEGATION OF PROXY VOTING TO SUBADVISERS TO FUNDS

For any Fund, or portion of a Fund that is directly managed by a subadviser, the Trustees of the Fund and NFA have delegated proxy voting authority to that subadviser. Each subadviser has provided its proxy voting policies to NFA for review and these proxy voting policies are described elsewhere in this Appendix B. Each subadviser is required to represent quarterly to NFA that (1) all proxies of the Fund(s) managed by the subadviser were voted in accordance with the subadviser’s proxy voting policies as provided to NFA, unless NFA has entered into specific voting arrangements with the subadviser; (2) there have been no material changes to the subadviser’s proxy voting policies; and (3) all proxies voted by the subadviser were cast as intended.

ISS’ 2025 U.S. Proxy Voting Concise Guidelines

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

General Recommendation: Generally vote for director nominees, except under the following circumstances (with new nominees1 considered on case-by-case basis):

Independence

Vote against2 or withhold from non-independent directors (Executive Directors and Non-Independent Non-Executive Directors per ISS’ Classification of Directors) when:

●Independent directors comprise 50 percent or less of the board;

●The non-independent director serves on the audit, compensation, or nominating committee;

B-2

●The company lacks an audit, compensation, or nominating committee so that the full board functions as that committee; or

●The company lacks a formal nominating committee, even if the board attests that the independent directors fulfill the functions of such a committee.

Composition

Attendance at Board and Committee Meetings: Generally vote against or withhold from directors (except nominees who served only part of the fiscal year3) who attend less than 75 percent of the aggregate of their board and committee meetings for the period for which they served, unless an acceptable reason for absences is disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing. Acceptable reasons for director absences are generally limited to the following:

●Medical issues/illness;

●Family emergencies; and

●Missing only one meeting (when the total of all meetings is three or fewer).

In cases of chronic poor attendance without reasonable justification, in addition to voting against the director(s) with poor attendance, generally vote against or withhold from appropriate members of the nominating/governance committees or the full board.

If the proxy disclosure is unclear and insufficient to determine whether a director attended at least 75 percent of the aggregate of his/her board and committee meetings during his/her period of service, vote against or withhold from the director(s) in question.

Overboarded Directors: Generally vote against or withhold from individual directors who:

●Sit on more than five public company boards; or

●Are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than two public companies besides their own— withhold only at their outside boards4.

Gender Diversity:

Generally vote against or withhold from the chair of the nominating committee (or other directors on a case-by-case basis) at companies where there are no women on the company's board. An exception will be made if there was at least one woman on the board at the preceding annual meeting and the board makes a firm commitment to return to a gender-diverse status within a year.

Racial and/or Ethnic Diversity: For companies in the Russell 3000 or S&P 1500 indices, generally vote against or withhold from the chair of the nominating committee (or other directors on a case-by-case basis) where the board has no apparent racially or ethnically diverse members5. An exception will be made if there was racial and/or ethnic diversity on the board at the preceding annual meeting and the board makes a firm commitment to appoint at least one racial and/or ethnic diverse member within a year.

Responsiveness

Vote case-by-case on individual directors, committee members, or the entire board of directors as appropriate if:

●The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received the support of a majority of the shares cast in the previous year or failed to act on a management proposal seeking to ratify an existing charter/bylaw provision that received opposition of a majority of the shares cast in the previous year. Factors that will be considered are:

●Disclosed outreach efforts by the board to shareholders in the wake of the vote;

●Rationale provided in the proxy statement for the level of implementation;

●The subject matter of the proposal;

●The level of support for and opposition to the resolution in past meetings;

●Actions taken by the board in response to the majority vote and its engagement with shareholders;

●The continuation of the underlying issue as a voting item on the ballot (as either shareholder or management proposals); and

B-3

●Other factors as appropriate.

●The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of shares are tendered;

●At the previous board election, any director received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote.

Vote case-by-case on Compensation Committee members (or, in exceptional cases, the full board) and the Say on Pay proposal if:

●The company’s previous say-on-pay received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast. Factors that will be considered are:

●The company's response, including:

●Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors, including the frequency and timing of engagements and the company participants (including whether independent directors participated);

●Disclosure of the specific concerns voiced by dissenting shareholders that led to the say-on-pay opposition; and

●Disclosure of specific and meaningful actions taken to address shareholders' concerns;

●Other recent compensation actions taken by the company;

●Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated;

●The company's ownership structure; and

●Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness.

●The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the plurality of votes cast.

Accountability

Problematic Takeover Defenses, Capital Structure, and Governance Structure

Poison Pills: Generally vote against or withhold from all nominees (except new nominees1, who should be considered case-by-case) if:

●The company has a poison pill with a deadhand or slowhand feature6;

●The board makes a material adverse modification to an existing pill, including, but not limited to, extension, renewal, or lowering the trigger, without shareholder approval; or

●The company has a long-term poison pill (with a term of over one year) that was not approved by the public shareholders7.

Vote case-by-case on nominees if the board adopts an initial short-term pill6 (with a term of one year or less) without shareholder approval, taking into consideration:

●The trigger threshold and other terms of the pill;

●The disclosed rationale for the adoption;

●The trigger;

●The context in which the pill was adopted, (e.g., factors such as the company's size and stage of development, sudden changes in its market capitalization, and extraordinary industry-wide or macroeconomic events);

●A commitment to put any renewal to a shareholder vote;

●The company's overall track record on corporate governance and responsiveness to shareholders; and

●Other factors as relevant.

Unequal Voting Rights: Generally vote withhold or against directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees1, who should be considered case-by-case), if the company employs a common stock structure with unequal voting rights8.

Exceptions to this policy will generally be limited to:

●Newly-public companies9 with a sunset provision of no more than seven years from the date of going public;

●Limited Partnerships and the Operating Partnership (OP) unit structure of REITs;

●Situations where the super-voting shares represent less than 5% of total voting power and therefore considered to be de minimis; or

B-4

●The company provides sufficient protections for minority shareholders, such as allowing minority shareholders a regular binding vote on whether the capital structure should be maintained.

Classified Board Structure: The board is classified, and a continuing director responsible for a problematic governance issue at the board/committee level that would warrant a withhold/against vote recommendation is not up for election. All appropriate nominees (except new) may be held accountable.

Removal of Shareholder Discretion on Classified Boards: The company has opted into, or failed to opt out of, state laws requiring a classified board structure.

Problematic Governance Structure: For companies that hold or held their first annual meeting9 of public shareholders after Feb. 1, 2015, generally vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees1, who should be considered case-by-case) if, prior to or in connection with the company's public offering, the company or its board adopted the following bylaw or charter provisions that are considered to be materially adverse to shareholder rights:

●Supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter;

●A classified board structure; or

●Other egregious provisions.

A provision which specifies that the problematic structure(s) will be sunset within seven years of the date of going public will be considered a mitigating factor.

Unless the adverse provision is reversed or removed, vote case-by-case on director nominees in subsequent years.

Unilateral Bylaw/Charter Amendments: Generally vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board (except new nominees1, who should be considered case-by-case) if the board amends the company's bylaws or charter without shareholder approval in a manner that materially diminishes shareholders' rights or that could adversely impact shareholders, considering the following factors:

●The board's rationale for adopting the bylaw/charter amendment without shareholder ratification;

●Disclosure by the company of any significant engagement with shareholders regarding the amendment;

●The level of impairment of shareholders' rights caused by the board's unilateral amendment to the bylaws/charter;

●The board's track record with regard to unilateral board action on bylaw/charter amendments or other entrenchment provisions;

●The company's ownership structure;

●The company's existing governance provisions;

●The timing of the board's amendment to the bylaws/charter in connection with a significant business development; and

●Other factors, as deemed appropriate, that may be relevant to determine the impact of the amendment on shareholders.

Unless the adverse amendment is reversed or submitted to a binding shareholder vote, in subsequent years vote case- by-case on director nominees. Generally vote against (except new nominees1, who should be considered case-by-case) if the directors:

●Classified the board;

●Adopted supermajority vote requirements to amend the bylaws or charter;

●Eliminated shareholders' ability to amend bylaws;

●Adopted a fee-shifting provision; or

●Adopted another provision deemed egregious.

Restricting Binding Shareholder Proposals: Generally vote against or withhold from the members of the governance committee if:

●The company’s governing documents impose undue restrictions on shareholders’ ability to amend the bylaws. Such restrictions include but are not limited to: outright prohibition on the submission of binding shareholder proposals or share ownership requirements, subject matter restrictions, or time holding requirements in excess of SEC Rule 14a-8. Vote against or withhold on an ongoing basis.

B-5

Submission of management proposals to approve or ratify requirements in excess of SEC Rule 14a-8 for the submission of binding bylaw amendments will generally be viewed as an insufficient restoration of shareholders' rights. Generally continue to vote against or withhold on an ongoing basis until shareholders are provided with an unfettered ability to amend the bylaws or a proposal providing for such unfettered right is submitted for shareholder approval.

Director Performance Evaluation: The board lacks mechanisms to promote accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers. Sustained poor performance is measured by one-, three-, and five-year total shareholder returns in the bottom half of a company’s four-digit GICS industry group (Russell 3000 companies only). Take into consideration the company’s operational metrics and other factors as warranted. Problematic provisions include but are not limited to:

●A classified board structure;

●A supermajority vote requirement;

●Either a plurality vote standard in uncontested director elections, or a majority vote standard in contested elections;

●The inability of shareholders to call special meetings;

●The inability of shareholders to act by written consent;

●A multi-class capital structure; and/or

●A non-shareholder-approved poison pill.

Management Proposals to Ratify Existing Charter or Bylaw Provisions: Vote against/withhold from individual directors, members of the governance committee, or the full board, where boards ask shareholders to ratify existing charter or bylaw provisions considering the following factors:

●The presence of a shareholder proposal addressing the same issue on the same ballot;

●The board's rationale for seeking ratification;

●Disclosure of actions to be taken by the board should the ratification proposal fail;

●Disclosure of shareholder engagement regarding the board’s ratification request;

●The level of impairment to shareholders' rights caused by the existing provision;

●The history of management and shareholder proposals on the provision at the company’s past meetings;

●Whether the current provision was adopted in response to the shareholder proposal;

●The company's ownership structure; and

●Previous use of ratification proposals to exclude shareholder proposals.

Problematic Audit-Related Practices

Generally vote against or withhold from the members of the Audit Committee if:

●The non-audit fees paid to the auditor are excessive;

●The company receives an adverse opinion on the company’s financial statements from its auditor; or

●There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm.

Vote case-by-case on members of the Audit Committee and potentially the full board if:

●Poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a level of serious concern, such as: fraud; misapplication of GAAP; and material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures. Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence, and duration, as well as the company’s efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether withhold/against votes are warranted.

Problematic Compensation Practices

In the absence of an Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say on Pay) ballot item or in egregious situations, vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:

●There is an unmitigated misalignment between CEO pay and company performance (pay for performance);

●The company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or

●The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.

B-6

Generally vote against or withhold from the Compensation Committee chair, other committee members, or potentially the full board if:

●The company fails to include a Say on Pay ballot item when required under SEC provisions, or under the company’s declared frequency of say on pay; or

●The company fails to include a Frequency of Say on Pay ballot item when required under SEC provisions.

Generally vote against members of the board committee responsible for approving/setting non-employee director compensation if there is a pattern (i.e. two or more years) of awarding excessive non-employee director compensation without disclosing a compelling rationale or other mitigating factors.

Problematic Pledging of Company Stock:

Vote against the members of the committee that oversees risks related to pledging, or the full board, where a significant level of pledged company stock by executives or directors raises concerns. The following factors will be considered:

●The presence of an anti-pledging policy, disclosed in the proxy statement, that prohibits future pledging activity;

●The magnitude of aggregate pledged shares in terms of total common shares outstanding, market value, and trading volume;

●Disclosure of progress or lack thereof in reducing the magnitude of aggregate pledged shares over time;

●Disclosure in the proxy statement that shares subject to stock ownership and holding requirements do not include pledged company stock; and

●Any other relevant factors.

Climate Accountability

For companies that are significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters, through their operations or value chain10, generally vote against or withhold from the incumbent chair of the responsible committee (or other directors on a case-by-case basis) in cases where ISS determines that the company is not taking the minimum steps needed to understand, assess, and mitigate risks related to climate change to the company and the larger economy.

Minimum steps to understand and mitigate those risks are considered to be the following. Both minimum criteria will be required to be in alignment with the policy:

Detailed disclosure of climate-related risks, such as according to the framework established by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), including:

●Board governance measures;

●Corporate strategy;

●Risk management analyses; and

●Metrics and targets.

●Appropriate GHG emissions reduction targets.

At this time, “appropriate GHG emissions reductions targets” will be medium-term GHG reduction targets or Net Zero-by-2050 GHG reduction targets for a company's operations (Scope 1) and electricity use (Scope 2). Targets should cover the vast majority of the company’s direct emissions.

Governance Failures

Under extraordinary circumstances, vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board, due to:

●Material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight11, or fiduciary responsibilities at the company;

●Failure to replace management as appropriate; or

●Egregious actions related to a director’s service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company.

B-7

Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections

Vote-No Campaigns

General Recommendation: In cases where companies are targeted in connection with public “vote-no” campaigns, evaluate director nominees under the existing governance policies for voting on director nominees in uncontested elections. Take into consideration the arguments submitted by shareholders and other publicly available information.

Proxy Contests/Proxy Access

General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on the election of directors in contested elections, considering the following factors:

●Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry;

●Management’s track record;

●Background to the contested election;

●Nominee qualifications and any compensatory arrangements;

●Strategic plan of dissident slate and quality of the critique against management;

●Likelihood that the proposed goals and objectives can be achieved (both slates); and

●Stock ownership positions.

In the case of candidates nominated pursuant to proxy access, vote case-by-case considering any applicable factors listed above or additional factors which may be relevant, including those that are specific to the company, to the nominee(s) and/or to the nature of the election (such as whether there are more candidates than board seats).

Other Board-Related Proposals

Independent Board Chair

General Recommendation: Generally vote for shareholder proposals requiring that the board chair position be filled by an independent director, taking into consideration the following:

●The scope and rationale of the proposal;

●The company's current board leadership structure;

●The company's governance structure and practices;

●Company performance; and

●Any other relevant factors that may be applicable.

The following factors will increase the likelihood of a “for” recommendation:

●A majority non-independent board and/or the presence of non-independent directors on key board committees;

●A weak or poorly-defined lead independent director role that fails to serve as an appropriate counterbalance to a combined CEO/chair role;

●The presence of an executive or non-independent chair in addition to the CEO, a recent recombination of the role of CEO and chair, and/or departure from a structure with an independent chair;

●Evidence that the board has failed to oversee and address material risks facing the company;

●A material governance failure, particularly if the board has failed to adequately respond to shareholder concerns or if the board has materially diminished shareholder rights; or

●Evidence that the board has failed to intervene when management’s interests are contrary to shareholders' interests.

SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS & DEFENSES

Shareholder Ability to Act by Written Consent

General Recommendation: Generally vote against management and shareholder proposals to restrict or prohibit shareholders' ability to act by written consent.

B-8

Generally vote for management and shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to act by written consent, taking into account the following factors:

●Shareholders' current right to act by written consent;

●The consent threshold;

●The inclusion of exclusionary or prohibitive language;

●Investor ownership structure; and

●Shareholder support of, and management's response to, previous shareholder proposals.

Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals if, in addition to the considerations above, the company has the following governance and antitakeover provisions:

●An unfettered12 right for shareholders to call special meetings at a 10 percent threshold;

●A majority vote standard in uncontested director elections;

●No non-shareholder-approved pill; and

●An annually elected board.

Shareholder Ability to Call Special Meetings

General Recommendation: Vote against management or shareholder proposals to restrict or prohibit shareholders’ ability to call special meetings.

Generally vote for management or shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to call special meetings taking into account the following factors:

●Shareholders’ current right to call special meetings;

●Minimum ownership threshold necessary to call special meetings (10 percent preferred);

●The inclusion of exclusionary or prohibitive language;

●Investor ownership structure; and

●Shareholder support of, and management’s response to, previous shareholder proposals.

Virtual Shareholder Meetings

General Recommendation: Generally vote for management proposals allowing for the convening of shareholder meetings by electronic means, so long as they do not preclude in-person meetings. Companies are encouraged to disclose the circumstances under which virtual-only13 meetings would be held, and to allow for comparable rights and opportunities for shareholders to participate electronically as they would have during an in-person meeting.

Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals concerning virtual-only meetings, considering:

●Scope and rationale of the proposal; and

●Concerns identified with the company’s prior meeting practices.

CAPITAL/RESTRUCTURING

Common Stock Authorization

General Authorization Requests

General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals to increase the number of authorized shares of

common stock that are to be used for general corporate purposes:

If share usage (outstanding plus reserved) is less than 50% of the current authorized shares, vote for an increase of up to 50% of current authorized shares.

●If share usage is 50% to 100% of the current authorized, vote for an increase of up to 100% of current authorized shares.

●If share usage is greater than current authorized shares, vote for an increase of up to the current share usage.

B-9

●In the case of a stock split, the allowable increase is calculated (per above) based on the post-split adjusted authorization.

Generally vote against proposed increases, even if within the above ratios, if the proposal or the company’s prior or ongoing use of authorized shares is problematic, including, but not limited to:

●The proposal seeks to increase the number of authorized shares of the class of common stock that has superior voting rights to other share classes;

●On the same ballot is a proposal for a reverse split for which support is warranted despite the fact that it would result in an excessive increase in the share authorization;

●The company has a non-shareholder approved poison pill (including an NOL pill); or

●The company has previous sizeable placements (within the past 3 years) of stock with insiders at prices substantially below market value, or with problematic voting rights, without shareholder approval.

However, generally vote for proposed increases beyond the above ratios or problematic situations when there is disclosure of specific and severe risks to shareholders of not approving the request, such as:

●In, or subsequent to, the company's most recent 10-K filing, the company discloses that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern;

●The company states that there is a risk of imminent bankruptcy or imminent liquidation if shareholders do not approve the increase in authorized capital; or

●A government body has in the past year required the company to increase its capital ratios.

For companies incorporated in states that allow increases in authorized capital without shareholder approval, generally vote withhold or against all nominees if a unilateral capital authorization increase does not conform to the above policies.

Specific Authorization Requests

General Recommendation: Generally vote for proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares where the primary purpose of the increase is to issue shares in connection with transaction(s) (such as acquisitions, SPAC transactions, private placements, or similar transactions) on the same ballot, or disclosed in the proxy statement, that warrant support. For such transactions, the allowable increase will be the greater of:

●twice the amount needed to support the transactions on the ballot, and

●the allowable increase as calculated for general issuances above.

Share Issuance Mandates at U.S. Domestic Issuers Incorporated Outside the U.S.

General Recommendation: For U.S. domestic issuers incorporated outside the U.S. and listed solely on a U.S. exchange, generally vote for resolutions to authorize the issuance of common shares up to 20 percent of currently issued common share capital, where not tied to a specific transaction or financing proposal.

For pre-revenue or other early-stage companies that are heavily reliant on periodic equity financing, generally vote for resolutions to authorize the issuance of common shares up to 50 percent of currently issued common share capital. The burden of proof will be on the company to establish that it has a need for the higher limit.

Renewal of such mandates should be sought at each year’s annual meeting.

Vote case-by-case on share issuances for a specific transaction or financing proposal.

Mergers and Acquisitions

General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on mergers and acquisitions. Review and evaluate the merits and drawbacks of the proposed transaction, balancing various and sometimes countervailing factors including:

●Valuation - Is the value to be received by the target shareholders (or paid by the acquirer) reasonable? While the fairness opinion may provide an initial starting point for assessing valuation reasonableness, emphasis is placed on the offer premium, market reaction, and strategic rationale.

B-10

●Market reaction - How has the market responded to the proposed deal? A negative market reaction should cause closer scrutiny of a deal.

●Strategic rationale - Does the deal make sense strategically? From where is the value derived? Cost and revenue synergies should not be overly aggressive or optimistic, but reasonably achievable. Management should also have a favorable track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions.

●Negotiations and process - Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arm's-length? Was the process fair and equitable? A fair process helps to ensure the best price for shareholders. Significant negotiation “wins” can also signify the deal makers' competency. The comprehensiveness of the sales process (e.g., full auction, partial auction, no auction) can also affect shareholder value.

●Conflicts of interest - Are insiders benefiting from the transaction disproportionately and inappropriately as compared to non-insider shareholders? As the result of potential conflicts, the directors and officers of the company may be more likely to vote to approve a merger than if they did not hold these interests. Consider whether these interests may have influenced these directors and officers to support or recommend the merger. The CIC figure presented in the “ISS Transaction Summary” section of this report is an aggregate figure that can in certain cases be a misleading indicator of the true value transfer from shareholders to insiders. Where such figure appears to be excessive, analyze the underlying assumptions to determine whether a potential conflict exists.

●Governance - Will the combined company have a better or worse governance profile than the current governance profiles of the respective parties to the transaction? If the governance profile is to change for the worse, the burden is on the company to prove that other issues (such as valuation) outweigh any deterioration in governance.

SPECIAL PURPOSE ACQUISITION CORPORATIONS (SPACS) - PROPOSALS FOR EXTENSIONS

The main purpose of SPACs is to identify and acquire a viable target within a specified timeframe, and failure to achieve this objective within the allotted time calls into question management's ability to execute its primary objective. The end of that timeframe is generally referred to as the termination date.

General Recommendation: Generally support requests to extend the termination date by up to one year from the SPAC's original termination date (inclusive of any built-in extension options, and accounting for prior extension requests).

Other factors that may be considered include: any added incentives, business combination status, other amendment terms, and, if applicable, use of money in the trust fund to pay excise taxes on redeemed shares.

COMPENSATION

Executive Pay Evaluation

Underlying all evaluations are five global principles that most investors expect corporations to adhere to in designing and administering executive and director compensation programs:

●Maintain appropriate pay-for-performance alignment, with emphasis on long-term shareholder value: This principle encompasses overall executive pay practices, which must be designed to attract, retain, and appropriately motivate the key employees who drive shareholder value creation over the long term. It will take into consideration, among other factors, the link between pay and performance; the mix between fixed and variable pay; performance goals; and equity-based plan costs;

●Avoid arrangements that risk “pay for failure”: This principle addresses the appropriateness of long or indefinite contracts, excessive severance packages, and guaranteed compensation;

●Maintain an independent and effective compensation committee: This principle promotes oversight of executive pay programs by directors with appropriate skills, knowledge, experience, and a sound process for compensation decision-making (e.g., including access to independent expertise and advice when needed);

●Provide shareholders with clear, comprehensive compensation disclosures: This principle underscores the importance of informative and timely disclosures that enable shareholders to evaluate executive pay practices fully and fairly;

●Avoid inappropriate pay to non-executive directors: This principle recognizes the interests of shareholders in ensuring that compensation to outside directors is reasonable and does not compromise their independence and ability to make appropriate judgments in overseeing managers’ pay and performance. At the market level, it may incorporate a variety of generally accepted best practices.

B-11

Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation—Management Proposals (Say-on-Pay)

General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on ballot items related to executive pay and practices, as well as certain aspects of outside director compensation.

Vote against Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay or “SOP”) if:

●There is an unmitigated misalignment between CEO pay and company performance (pay for performance);

●The company maintains significant problematic pay practices; or

●The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders.

Vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if:

●There is no SOP on the ballot, and an against vote on an SOP would otherwise be warranted due to pay-for- performance misalignment, problematic pay practices, or the lack of adequate responsiveness on compensation issues raised previously, or a combination thereof;

●The board fails to respond adequately to a previous SOP proposal that received less than 70 percent support of votes cast;

●The company has recently practiced or approved problematic pay practices, such as option repricing or option backdating; or

●The situation is egregious.

Primary Evaluation Factors for Executive Pay

Pay-for-Performance Evaluation

ISS annually conducts a pay-for-performance analysis to identify strong or satisfactory alignment between pay and performance over a sustained period. With respect to companies in the S&P1500, Russell 3000, or Russell 3000E Indices14, this analysis considers the following:

1. Peer Group15 Alignment:

●The degree of alignment between the company's annualized TSR rank and the CEO's annualized total pay rank within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period.

●The rankings of CEO total pay and company financial performance within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period.

●The multiple of the CEO's total pay relative to the peer group median in the most recent fiscal year.

2. Absolute Alignment16 – the absolute alignment between the trend in CEO pay and company TSR over the prior five fiscal years– i.e., the difference between the trend in annual pay changes and the trend in annualized TSR during the period.

If the above analysis demonstrates significant unsatisfactory long-term pay-for-performance alignment or, in the case of companies outside the Russell indices, a misalignment between pay and performance is otherwise suggested, our analysis may include any of the following qualitative factors, as relevant to an evaluation of how various pay elements may work to encourage or to undermine long-term value creation and alignment with shareholder interests:

●The ratio of performance- to time-based incentive awards;

●The overall ratio of performance-based compensation to fixed or discretionary pay;

●The rigor of performance goals;

●The complexity and risks around pay program design;

●The transparency and clarity of disclosure;

●The company's peer group benchmarking practices;

●Financial/operational results, both absolute and relative to peers;

●Special circumstances related to, for example, a new CEO in the prior FY or anomalous equity grant practices (e.g., bi-annual awards);

●Realizable pay17 compared to grant pay; and

●Any other factors deemed relevant.

B-12

Problematic Pay Practices

Problematic pay elements are generally evaluated case-by-case considering the context of a company's overall pay program and demonstrated pay-for-performance philosophy. The focus is on executive compensation practices that contravene the global pay principles, including:

●Problematic practices related to non-performance-based compensation elements;

●Incentives that may motivate excessive risk-taking or present a windfall risk; and

●Pay decisions that circumvent pay-for-performance, such as options backdating or waiving performance requirements.

The list of examples below highlights certain problematic practices that carry significant weight in this overall consideration and may result in adverse vote recommendations:

●Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/SARs without prior shareholder approval (including cash buyouts and voluntary surrender of underwater options);

●Extraordinary perquisites or tax gross-ups;

●New or materially amended agreements that provide for:

●Excessive termination or CIC severance payments (generally exceeding 3 times base salary and average/target/most recent bonus);

●CIC severance payments without involuntary job loss or substantial diminution of duties (“single” or “modified single” triggers) or in connection with a problematic Good Reason definition;

●CIC excise tax gross-up entitlements (including “modified” gross-ups);

●Multi-year guaranteed awards that are not at risk due to rigorous performance conditions;

●Liberal CIC definition combined with any single-trigger CIC benefits;

●Insufficient executive compensation disclosure by externally-managed issuers (EMIs) such that a reasonable assessment of pay programs and practices applicable to the EMI's executives is not possible;

●Severance payments made when the termination is not clearly disclosed as involuntary (for example, a termination without cause or resignation for good reason); or

●Any other provision or practice deemed to be egregious and present a significant risk to investors.

The above examples are not an exhaustive list. Please refer to ISS' U.S. Compensation Policies FAQ document for additional detail on specific pay practices that have been identified as problematic and may lead to negative vote recommendations.

Options Backdating

The following factors should be examined case-by-case to allow for distinctions to be made between “sloppy” plan administration versus deliberate action or fraud:

●Reason and motive for the options backdating issue, such as inadvertent vs. deliberate grant date changes;

●Duration of options backdating;

●Size of restatement due to options backdating;

●Corrective actions taken by the board or compensation committee, such as canceling or re-pricing backdated options, the recouping of option gains on backdated grants; and

●Adoption of a grant policy that prohibits backdating and creates a fixed grant schedule or window period for equity grants in the future.

Compensation Committee Communications and Responsiveness

Consider the following factors case-by-case when evaluating ballot items related to executive pay on the board’s responsiveness to investor input and engagement on compensation issues:

●Failure to respond to majority-supported shareholder proposals on executive pay topics; or

●Failure to adequately respond to the company's previous say-on-pay proposal that received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account:

●Disclosure of the specific concerns voiced by dissenting shareholders that led to the say-on-pay opposition;

●Disclosure of specific and meaningful actions taken to address shareholders' concerns;

B-13

●Other recent compensation actions taken by the company;

●Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated;

●The company's ownership structure; and

●Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness.

Equity-Based and Other Incentive Plans

Please refer to ISS' U.S. Equity Compensation Plans FAQ document for additional details on the Equity Plan Scorecard policy.

General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on certain equity-based compensation plans18 depending on a combination of certain plan features and equity grant practices, where positive factors may counterbalance negative factors, and vice versa, as evaluated using an “Equity Plan Scorecard” (EPSC) approach with three pillars:

Plan Cost: The total estimated cost of the company’s equity plans relative to industry/market cap peers, measured by the company's estimated Shareholder Value Transfer (SVT) in relation to peers and considering both:

●SVT based on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants, plus outstanding unvested/unexercised grants; and

●SVT based only on new shares requested plus shares remaining for future grants.

Plan Features:

●Quality of disclosure around vesting upon a change in control (CIC);

●Discretionary vesting authority;

●Liberal share recycling on various award types;

●Lack of minimum vesting period for grants made under the plan;

●Dividends payable prior to award vesting.

Grant Practices:

●The company’s three-year burn rate relative to its industry/market cap peers;

●Vesting requirements in CEO’s recent equity grants (3-year look-back);

●The estimated duration of the plan (based on the sum of shares remaining available and the new shares requested, divided by the average annual shares granted in the prior three years);

●The proportion of the CEO's most recent equity grants/awards subject to performance conditions;

●Whether the company maintains a sufficient claw-back policy;

●Whether the company maintains sufficient post-exercise/vesting share-holding requirements.

Generally vote against the plan proposal if the combination of above factors indicates that the plan is not, overall, in shareholders' interests, or if any of the following egregious factors (“overriding factors”) apply:

●Awards may vest in connection with a liberal change-of-control definition;

●The plan would permit repricing or cash buyout of underwater options without shareholder approval (either by expressly permitting it– for NYSE and Nasdaq listed companies– or by not prohibiting it when the company has a history of repricing– for non-listed companies);

●The plan is a vehicle for problematic pay practices or a significant pay-for-performance disconnect under certain circumstances;

●The plan is excessively dilutive to shareholders’ holdings;

●The plan contains an evergreen (automatic share replenishment) feature; or

●Any other plan features are determined to have a significant negative impact on shareholder interests.

B-14

SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Global Approach– E&S Shareholder Proposals

ISS applies a common approach globally to evaluating social and environmental proposals which cover a wide range of topics, including consumer and product safety, environment and energy, labor standards and human rights, workplace and board diversity, and corporate political issues. While a variety of factors goes into each analysis, the overall principle guiding all vote recommendations focuses on how the proposal may enhance or protect shareholder value in either the short or long term.

General Recommendation: Generally vote case-by-case, examining primarily whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value. The following factors will be considered:

●If the issues presented in the proposal are being appropriately or effectively dealt with through legislation or government regulation;

●If the company has already responded in an appropriate and sufficient manner to the issue(s) raised in the proposal;

●Whether the proposal's request is unduly burdensome (scope or timeframe) or overly prescriptive;

●The company's approach compared with any industry standard practices for addressing the issue(s) raised by the proposal;

●Whether there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company's practices related to the issue(s) raised in the proposal;

●If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether reasonable and sufficient information is currently available to shareholders from the company or from other publicly available sources; and

●If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether implementation would reveal proprietary or confidential information that could place the company at a competitive disadvantage.

Climate Change

Say on Climate (SoC) Management Proposals

General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on management proposals that request shareholders to approve the company’s climate transition action plan19, taking into account the completeness and rigor of the plan. Information that will be considered where available includes the following:

●The extent to which the company’s climate related disclosures are in line with TCFD recommendations and meet other market standards;

●Disclosure of its operational and supply chain GHG emissions (Scopes 1, 2, and 3);

●The completeness and rigor of company’s short-, medium-, and long-term targets for reducing operational and supply chain GHG emissions (Scopes 1, 2, and 3 if relevant);

●Whether the company has sought and received third-party approval that its targets are science-based;

●Whether the company has made a commitment to be “net zero” for operational and supply chain emissions (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) by 2050;

●Whether the company discloses a commitment to report on the implementation of its plan in subsequent years;

●Whether the company’s climate data has received third-party assurance;

●Disclosure of how the company’s lobbying activities and its capital expenditures align with company strategy;

●Whether there are specific industry decarbonization challenges; and

●The company’s related commitment, disclosure, and performance compared to its industry peers.

Say on Climate (SoC) Shareholder Proposals

General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals that request the company to disclose a report providing its GHG emissions levels and reduction targets and/or its upcoming/approved climate transition action plan and provide shareholders the opportunity to express approval or disapproval of its GHG emissions reduction plan, taking into account information such as the following:

●The completeness and rigor of the company’s climate-related disclosure;

●The company’s actual GHG emissions performance;

B-15

●Whether the company has been the subject of recent, significant violations, fines, litigation, or controversy related to its GHG emissions; and

●Whether the proposal’s request is unduly burdensome (scope or timeframe) or overly prescriptive.

Climate Change/Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

General Recommendation: Generally vote for resolutions requesting that a company disclose information on the financial, physical, or regulatory risks it faces related to climate change on its operations and investments or on how the company identifies, measures, and manages such risks, considering:

●Whether the company already provides current, publicly-available information on the impact that climate change may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities;

●The company's level of disclosure compared to industry peers; and

●Whether there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company's climate change-related performance.

Generally vote for proposals requesting a report on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from company operations and/or products and operations, unless:

●The company already discloses current, publicly-available information on the impacts that GHG emissions may have on the company as well as associated company policies and procedures to address related risks and/or opportunities;

●The company's level of disclosure is comparable to that of industry peers; or

●There are no significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company's GHG emissions.

Vote case-by-case on proposals that call for the adoption of GHG reduction goals from products and operations, taking into account:

●Whether the company provides disclosure of year-over-year GHG emissions performance data;

●Whether company disclosure lags behind industry peers;

●The company's actual GHG emissions performance;

●The company's current GHG emission policies, oversight mechanisms, and related initiatives; and

●Whether the company has been the subject of recent, significant violations, fines, litigation, or controversy related to GHG emissions.

Racial Equity and/or Civil Rights Audit Guidelines

General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals asking a company to conduct an independent racial equity and/or civil rights audit, taking into account:

●The company’s established process or framework for addressing racial inequity and discrimination internally;

●Whether the company adequately discloses workforce diversity and inclusion metrics and goals;

●Whether the company has issued a public statement related to its racial justice efforts in recent years, or has committed to internal policy review;

●Whether the company has engaged with impacted communities, stakeholders, and civil rights experts;

●The company’s track record in recent years of racial justice measures and outreach externally; and

●Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation, or regulatory actions related to racial inequity or discrimination.

ESG Compensation-Related Proposals

General Recommendation: Vote case-by-case on proposals seeking a report or additional disclosure on the company’s approach, policies, and practices on incorporating environmental and social criteria into its executive compensation strategy, considering:

●The scope and prescriptive nature of the proposal;

●The company's current level of disclosure regarding its environmental and social performance and governance;

B-16

●The degree to which the board or compensation committee already discloses information on whether it has considered related E&S criteria; and

●Whether the company has significant controversies or regulatory violations regarding social or environmental issues.

FOOTNOTES

A “new nominee” is a director who is being presented for election by shareholders for the first time. Recommendations on new nominees who have served for less than one year are made on a case-by-case basis depending on the timing of their appointment and the problematic governance issue in question.

In general, companies with a plurality vote standard use “Withhold” as the contrary vote option in director elections; companies with a majority vote standard use “Against”. However, it will vary by company and the proxy must be checked to determine the valid contrary vote option for the particular company.

Nominees who served for only part of the fiscal year are generally exempted from the attendance policy.

Although all of a CEO’s subsidiary boards with publicly-traded common stock will be counted as separate boards, ISS will not recommend a withhold vote for the CEO of a parent company board or any of the controlled (˃50 percent ownership) subsidiaries of that parent, but may do so at subsidiaries that are less than 50 percent controlled and boards outside the parent/subsidiary relationships.

Aggregate diversity statistics provided by the board will only be considered if specific to racial and/or ethnic diversity.

If a short-term pill with a deadhand or slowhand feature is enacted but expires before the next shareholder vote, ISS will generally still recommend withhold/against nominees at the next shareholder meeting following its adoption.

Approval prior to, or in connection, with a company’s becoming publicly-traded, or in connection with a de-SPAC transaction, is insufficient.

This generally includes classes of common stock that have additional votes per share than other shares; classes of shares that are not entitled to vote on all the same ballot items or nominees; or stock with time-phased voting rights (“loyalty shares”).

Includes companies that emerge from bankruptcy, SPAC transactions, spin-offs, direct listings, and those who complete a traditional initial public offering.

Companies defined as “significant GHG emitters” will be those on the current Climate Action 100+ Focus Group list.

Examples of failure of risk oversight include but are not limited to: bribery; large or serial fines or sanctions from regulatory bodies; demonstrably poor risk oversight of environmental and social issues, including climate change; significant adverse legal judgments or settlement; or hedging of company stock.

“Unfettered” means no restrictions on agenda items, no restrictions on the number of shareholders who can group together to reach the 10 percent threshold, and only reasonable limits on when a meeting can be called: no greater than 30 days after the last annual meeting and no greater than 90 prior to the next annual meeting.

“Virtual-only shareholder meeting” refers to a meeting of shareholders that is held exclusively using technology without a corresponding in-person meeting.

The Russell 3000E Index includes approximately 4,000 of the largest U.S. equity securities.

The revised peer group is generally comprised of 14-24 companies that are selected using market cap, revenue (or assets for certain financial firms), GICS industry group, and company's selected peers' GICS industry group, with size constraints, via a process designed to select peers that are comparable to the subject company in terms of revenue/assets and industry, and also within a market-cap bucket that is reflective of the company's market cap. For Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels companies, market cap is the only size determinant.

Only Russell 3000 Index companies are subject to the Absolute Alignment analysis.

ISS research reports include realizable pay for S&P1500 companies.

Proposals evaluated under the EPSC policy generally include those to approve or amend (1) stock option plans for employees and/or employees and directors, (2) restricted stock plans for employees and/or employees and directors, and (3) omnibus stock incentive plans for employees and/or employees and directors; amended plans will be further evaluated case-by-case.

Variations of this request also include climate transition related ambitions, or commitment to reporting on the implementation of a climate plan.

[To Be Provided]

B-17

Appendix C
Portfolio Managers

INVESTMENTS IN THE FUND

Name of Portfolio Manager	Fund Name	Dollar Range of Investments in the Fund (as of _______, 2026)
[_________________________]
[__________________]	Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund	None
[__________________]	Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund	None
[__________________]	Nationwide Emerging Markets Fund	None

DESCRIPTION OF COMPENSATION STRUCTURE

[To Be Provided]

OTHER MANAGED ACCOUNTS

The following chart summarizes information regarding accounts, including the Fund(s), for which each portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities. Accounts are grouped into the following three categories: (1) mutual funds; (2) other pooled investment vehicles; and (3) other accounts. To the extent that any of these accounts pay advisory fees that are based on account performance (“performance-based fees”), information on those accounts is provided separately.

Name of Portfolio Manager	Number of Accounts Managed by Each Portfolio Manager and Total Assets by Category as of __________, 2026
[_________________]
	Mutual Funds: __ accounts, $__ billion total assets (_ accounts, $_ total assets for which the advisory fee is based on performance)
	Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: __ accounts, $__ billion total assets (_ accounts, $__ billion total assets for which the advisory fee is based on performance)
	Other Accounts: __ accounts, $__ billion total assets (_ accounts, $__ billion total assets for which the advisory fee is based on performance)
	Mutual Funds: __ accounts, $__ billion total assets (_ accounts, $_ total assets for which the advisory fee is based on performance)
	Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: __ accounts, $__ billion total assets (_ accounts, $__ billion total assets for which the advisory fee is based on performance)
	Other Accounts: __ accounts, $__ billion total assets (_ accounts, $__ billion total assets for which the advisory fee is based on performance)
	Mutual Funds: __ accounts, $__ billion total assets (_ accounts, $_ total assets for which the advisory fee is based on performance)
	Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: __ accounts, $__ billion total assets (_ accounts, $__ billion total assets for which the advisory fee is based on performance)
	Other Accounts: __ accounts, $__ billion total assets (_ accounts, $__ billion total assets for which the advisory fee is based on performance)

POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

[To Be Provided]

C-1

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 28. EXHIBITS

(a)	Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated June 17, 2009 (the “Amended Declaration”), of the Registrant, Nationwide Mutual Funds (the “Trust”), a Delaware Statutory Trust, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.a with the Trust’s registration statement on November 17, 2009, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(b)	Third Amended and Restated Bylaws, dated August 28, 2020 (the “Amended Bylaws”), of the Trust, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.b with the Trust’s registration statement on September 17, 2020, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(c)	Certificates for shares are not issued. Articles III, V, and VI of the Amended Declaration and Article VII of the Amended Bylaws, incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a) and (b) hereto, define rights of holders of shares.
(d)	Investment Advisory Agreements
	(1)	Investment Advisory Agreement, dated May 1, 2007, between the Trust and Nationwide Fund Advisors, pertaining to certain series of the Trust, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.d.2 with the Trust’s registration statement on June 14, 2007, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(a)	Exhibit A to the Investment Advisory Agreement, amended January 1, 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.1.a with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(2)	Investment Advisory Agreement, dated August 28, 2007, between the Trust and Nationwide Fund Advisors, pertaining to the Target Destination Funds of the Trust, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.d.2 with the Trust’s registration statement on August 27, 2007, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(a)	Exhibit A to the Investment Advisory Agreement, amended January 16, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.2.a with the Trust’s registration statement on January 16, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(3)	Investment Advisory Agreement, dated September 18, 2015, between the Trust and Nationwide Fund Advisors, pertaining to certain series of the Trust, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.3 with the Trust’s registration statement on October 13, 2015, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(a)	Exhibit A to the Investment Advisory Agreement, as amended July 1, 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.3.a with the Trust’s registration statement on June 24, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(4)	Subadvisory Agreements
		(a)	Amended Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, dated May 1, 2007, as amended June 16, 2010, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.3.a with the Trust’s registration statement on September 14, 2010, is hereby incorporated by reference.
			(1)	Exhibit A to the Amended Subadvisory Agreement, amended February 1, 2012, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.3.a.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 24, 2012, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(b)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Nationwide Asset Management, LLC, dated January 1, 2008, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.d.3.h with the Trust’s registration statement on December 19, 2008, is hereby incorporated by reference.
			(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, amended May 1, 2013, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.3.c.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on April 3, 2014, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(c)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Bailard, Inc., dated June 4, 2013, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.3.k with the Trust’s registration statement on October 17, 2013, is hereby incorporated by reference.
			(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, amended January 1, 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.c.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Geneva Capital Management LLC, dated March 16, 2020, previously filed as Exhibit EX-16.6.d.ix with the Trust’s registration statement on Form N-14 on July 22, 2020, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, amended March 11, 2021, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.f.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 18, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(e)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Victory Capital Management, Inc., dated March 31, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.g with the Trust’s registration statement on May 29, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, amended June 1, 2022, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.i.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on August 8, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(f)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Wellington Management Company LLP, dated December 14, 2016, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.t with the Trust’s registration statement on December 14, 2016, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, amended June 1, 2022, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.i.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on August 8, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(g)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., dated May 5, 2017, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.q with the Trust’s registration statement on May 5, 2017, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, amended June 1, 2022, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.k.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on August 8, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(h)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., dated November 13, 2017, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.q with the Trust’s registration statement on November 22, 2017, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, amended December 9, 2024, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.k.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on December 16, 2024, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(i)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and The Renaissance Group, LLC, doing business as Renaissance Investment Management, dated February 23, 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.i with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(j)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Mellon Investments Corporation (formerly, BNY Mellon Asset Management North America Corporation), dated July 13, 2018, as amended August 5, 2019, previously filed as Exhibit EX-16.6.d.xx with the Trust’s registration statement on Form N-14 on September 27, 2019, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, amended March 12, 2020, previously filed as Exhibit EX-16.6.d.xx.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on Form N-14 on July 22, 2020, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(k)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, dated September 13, 2018, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.w with the Trust’s registration statement on November 2, 2018, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, amended January 1, 2021, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.r.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 18, 2021, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(l)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Dreyfus, a division of Mellon Investments Corporation, dated September 1, 2023, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.p with the Trust’s registration statement on February 20, 2024, is hereby incorporated by reference.

		(m)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and GQG Partners LLC, effective January 7, 2021, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.u with the Trust’s registration statement on February 18, 2021, is hereby incorporated by reference.
			(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, as amended March 12, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.p.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on July 1, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(n)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Newton Investment Management North America, LLC, effective August 31, 2021, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.w with the Trust’s registration statement on Form N-1A on September 22, 2021, is hereby incorporated by reference.
			(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, as amended October 1, 2024, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.r.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on October 17, 2024, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(o)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., effective September 23, 2021, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.x with the Trust’s registration statement on December 10, 2021, is hereby incorporated by reference.
			(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, amended June 30, 2023, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.t.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on July 13, 2023, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(p)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc., effective July 21, 2022, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.y with the Trust’s registration statement on August 8, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(q)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC, effective June 21, 2023, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.w with the Trust’s registration statement on July 13, 2023, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(r)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Los Angeles Capital Management LLC, effective September 11, 2024, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.w with the Trust’s registration statement on October 17, 2024, is hereby incorporated by reference.
			(1)	Exhibit A to the Subadvisory Agreement, as amended July 10, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.u.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on July 10, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(s)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Invesco Advisers, Inc., effective May 7, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.w with the Trust’s registration statement on May 29, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(t)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., effective June 10, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.t with the Trust’s registration statement on December 12, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(u)	Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust, Nationwide Fund Advisors and Schroder Investment Management North America Inc., effective October 1, 2026, is filed herewith as Exhibit EX-28.d.4.u.
(e)	(1)	Underwriting Agreement, dated May 1, 2007, between the Trust and Nationwide Fund Distributors, LLC, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.e.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on June 14, 2007, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(a)	Schedule A to the Underwriting Agreement, amended July 10, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.e.1.a with the Trust’s registration statement on July 10, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(2)	Form of Dealer Agreement, dated 2008, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.e.2 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 27, 2008, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(f)	Not applicable.
(g)	Custodian Agreement

	(1)	Global Custody Agreement, Investment Company Rider, Global Proxy Service Rider and Special Terms and Conditions Rider, dated April 4, 2003, between the Trust and JPMorgan Chase Bank, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.g.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 28, 2005, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(a)	Amendment to Global Custody Agreement, dated December 2, 2009, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.g.1.a with the Trust’s registration statement on February 26, 2010, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(b)	Amendment to Global Custody Agreement, dated December 9, 2015, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.g.1.e with the Trust’s registration statement on September 30, 2016, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(c)	Amendment to Global Custody Agreement, dated February 1, 2022, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.g.1.e with the Trust’s registration statement on August 8, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(d)	Amendment to Global Custody Agreement, dated September 18, 2024, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.g.1.d with the Trust’s registration statement on October 17, 2024, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(e)	Amendment to Global Custody Agreement, dated July 10, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.g.1.e with the Trust’s registration statement on December 12, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(2)	Waiver to Global Custody Agreement, dated February 28, 2005, between the Trust and JPMorgan Chase Bank, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.g.1.a with the Trust’s registration statement on February 28, 2006, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(3)	Cash Trade Execution Rider to Global Custody Agreement, dated April 4, 2003, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.g.1.b with the Trust’s registration statement on February 28, 2006, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(4)	Concentration Accounts Agreement, dated December 2, 2009, between the Trust and JPMorgan Chase Bank, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.g.4 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 26, 2010, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(5)	Securities Lending Rider to Global Custody Agreement, dated March 28, 2014, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.g.5 with the Trust’s registration statement on September 30, 2016, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(6)	Addendum to Fee Schedule to Securities Lending Rider to Global Custody Agreement, dated March 31, 2014, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.g.6 with the Trust’s registration statement on September 30, 2016, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(7)	Joinder and Sixth Amendment to Securities Lending Agreement, dated February 4, 2022, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.g.7 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 18, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(h)	(1)	Joint Fund Administration and Transfer Agency Agreement, dated May 1, 2010, between the Trust, Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust and Nationwide Fund Management LLC, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on September 14, 2010, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(a)	Schedule C to the Joint Fund Administration and Transfer Agency Agreement, amended September 1, 2012, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.1.a with the Trust’s registration statement on August 8, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(2)	Administrative Services Plan, effective March 10, 2015, amended August 24, 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.2 with the Trust’s registration statement on August 26, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(a)	Form of Servicing Agreement to Administrative Services Plan, dated January 2007, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.h.2.b with the Trust’s registration statement on February 28, 2007, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(3)	Form of Operational Service Agreement, dated 2007, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.h.3 with the Trust’s registration statement on August 27, 2007, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(4)	Expense Limitation Agreement between the Trust and Nationwide Fund Advisors, effective as of May 1, 2007, amended January 9, 2008, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.h.4 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 27, 2008, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(a)	Amendment to Expense Limitation Agreement, dated March 1, 2017, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.4.a with the Trust’s registration statement on May 5, 2017, is hereby incorporated by reference.

		(b)	Amendment No. 2 to Expense Limitation Agreement, dated July 1, 2018, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.4.b with the Trust’s registration statement on September 24, 2018, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(c)	Amendment No. 3 to Expense Limitation Agreement, dated September 13, 2023, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.4.c with the Trust’s registration statement on February 20, 2024, is hereby incorporated by reference.
		(d)	Exhibit A to the Expense Limitation Agreement, amended August 24, 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.4.d with the Trust’s registration statement on August 26, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(5)	Assignment and Assumption Agreement between Gartmore Mutual Funds, an Ohio Business Trust (“OBT”), and the Trust, dated February 28, 2005, assigning to the Trust OBT’s title, rights, interests, benefits and privileges in and to certain contracts listed in the Agreement, previously filed as Exhibit EX-23.h.11 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 28, 2006, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(6)	Administrative Services Fee Waiver Agreement between the Trust and Nationwide Financial Services, Inc., on behalf of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, dated March 1, 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.6 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(7)	Rule 12b-1 Fee Waiver Agreement between the Trust and Nationwide Fund Advisors, on behalf of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, dated March 1, 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.7 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(8)	Fee Waiver Agreement between the Trust and Nationwide Fund Advisors, on behalf of the Nationwide Fund, Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, Nationwide International Equity Portfolio, Nationwide Loomis Short Term Bond Fund and Nationwide Small Cap Index Fund, effective as of April 1, 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.8 with the Trust’s registration statement on June 24, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(9)	Investment Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement between the Trust and Nationwide Fund Advisors, dated March 1, 2026, on behalf of the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.9 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(10)	Administrative Services Fee Waiver Agreement between the Trust and Nationwide Financial Services, Inc., on behalf of the Nationwide GQG US Quality Equity Fund, dated January 23, 2023, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.11 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 27, 2023, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(11)	Administrative Services Fee Waiver Agreement between the Trust and Nationwide Financial Services, Inc., on behalf of the Nationwide Loomis Core Bond Fund, dated February 17, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.11 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 20, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(12)	Fee Waiver Agreement between the Trust and Nationwide Fund Advisors, on behalf of the Nationwide Fundamental All Cap Equity Portfolio, effective as of July 1, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.h.12 with the Trust’s registration statement on December 12, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(i)	Not applicable.
(j)	Not applicable.
(k)	Not applicable.
(l)	Not applicable.
(m)	Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1, amended January 16, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.m with the Trust’s registration statement on January 16, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(n)	Rule 18f-3 Plan, effective March 2, 2009, amended August 24, 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.n with the Trust’s registration statement on August 26, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
(o)	Not applicable.
(p)	(1)	Code of Ethics for Nationwide Fund Advisors, the Trust and Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust, dated November 2023, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.1 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 20, 2024, is hereby incorporated by reference.

	(2)	Code of Ethics for Fund Access Persons for BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, effective April 1, 2021, reviewed March 4, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.2 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(3)	Code of Ethics for Nationwide Fund Distributors, LLC, January 1, 2024, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.3 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 20, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(4)	Code of Ethics and Business Conduct for Bailard, Inc., dated August 5, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.4 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(5)	Code of Ethics for Geneva Capital Management LLC, dated August 25, 2021, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.7 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 20, 2024, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(6)	Code of Ethics for Wellington Management Company LLP, dated December 1, 2023, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.9 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 20, 2024, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(7)	Code of Ethics and Policy on Personal Trading and Related Activities by Loomis Sayles Personnel for Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., effective January 14, 2000, amended September 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.7 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(8)	Code of Ethics for Renaissance Investment Management, dated December 31, 2024, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.8 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(9)	Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for Nationwide Asset Management, LLC, dated April 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.9 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(10)	Personal Trading Policy and Code of Conduct for Mellon Investments Corporation, dated February 11, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.10 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(11)	Code of Ethics for GQG Partners LLC, dated September 30, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.11 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(12)	Code of Conduct for Newton Investment Management North America, LLC, dated 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.12 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(13)	Personal Trading Policy and Code of Conduct for Dreyfus, a division of Mellon Investments Corporation, dated February 11, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.13 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(14)	Code of Ethics for Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., dated July 3, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.14 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(15)	Code of Ethics for Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc., revised January 2016, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.24 with the Trust’s registration statement on August 8, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(16)	Code of Ethics for Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC, dated January 31, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.16 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(17)	Code of Ethics for Los Angeles Capital Management LLC, dated May 30, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.17 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(18)	Code of Ethics for Victory Capital Management Inc., effective April 1, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.18 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(19)	Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy for North America for Invesco Advisers, Inc., effective January 2020, reviewed January 2026, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.19 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 19, 2026, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(20)	Code of Ethics for Schroder Investment Management North America Inc., effective May 1, 2017, revised August 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.p.20 with the Trust’s registration statement on December 12, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.

(q)	(1)	Power of Attorney with respect to the Trust for Keith F. Karlawish, dated June 14, 2017, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.q.7 with the Trust’s registration statement on August 24, 2017, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(2)	Power of Attorney with respect to the Trust for Carol A. Kosel, dated June 14, 2017, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.q.9 with the Trust’s registration statement on August 24, 2017, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(3)	Power of Attorney with respect to the Trust for Lorn C. Davis, dated January 1, 2021, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.q.10 with the Trust’s registration statement on January 15, 2021, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(4)	Power of Attorney with respect to the Trust for David E. Wezdenko, dated January 1, 2021, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.q.11 with the Trust’s registration statement on January 15, 2021, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(5)	Power of Attorney with respect to the Trust for David Majewski, dated September 28, 2022, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.q.12 with the Trust’s registration statement on October 11, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(6)	Power of Attorney with respect to the Trust for Charlotte Petersen, dated January 1, 2023, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.q.11 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 21, 2023, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(7)	Power of Attorney with respect to the Trust for Kristina Bradshaw, dated January 1, 2023, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.q.12 with the Trust’s registration statement on February 21, 2023, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(8)	Power of Attorney with respect to the Trust for Tracy Bollin, dated July 1, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.q.11 with the Trust’s registration statement on July 10, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.
	(9)	Power of Attorney with respect to the Trust for Joseph Aniano, dated November 13, 2025, previously filed as Exhibit EX-28.q.11 with the Trust’s registration statement on December 12, 2025, is hereby incorporated by reference.

ITEM 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT

No person is presently controlled by or under common control with Registrant.

ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION

Indemnification provisions for officers, directors and employees of the Registrant are set forth in Article VII, Section 2 of the Amended Declaration. See Item 28(a) above.

The Trust has entered into indemnification agreements with each of the trustees and certain of its officers. The indemnification agreements provide that the Trust will indemnify the indemnitee for and against any and all judgments, penalties, fines, and amounts paid in settlement, and all expenses actually and reasonably incurred by indemnitee in connection with a proceeding that the indemnitee is a party to or is threatened to be made a party to (other than certain exceptions specified in the agreements), to the maximum extent not expressly prohibited by Delaware law or applicable federal securities law and regulations (including, without limitation, Section 17(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules and regulations issued with respect thereto by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission). The Trust also will indemnify indemnitee for and against all expenses actually and reasonably incurred by indemnitee in connection with any proceeding to which indemnitee is or is threatened to be made a witness but not a party. See Item 23(h)(4) above.

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

ITEM 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER

(a)

Nationwide Fund Advisors (“NFA”), the investment adviser to the Trust, also serves as investment adviser to Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of NFA have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of NFA or its affiliates.

Each of the following persons serves in the same or similar capacity with one or more affiliates of Nationwide Fund Advisors. The address for the persons listed below, except as otherwise noted, is One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215.

Name and Address	Principal Occupation	Position with NFA	Position with Funds
Joseph N. Aniano	President and Chief Executive Officer of Nationwide Investment Management Group; Senior Vice President of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	President and Director	President, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer
Lee T. Cummings	Senior Vice President and Head of Fund Operations of Nationwide Investment Management Group; Vice President of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Senior Vice President	Senior Vice President and Head of Fund Operations
Kevin D. Grether	Vice President of NFA and Chief Compliance Officer of NFA and the Trust; Vice President of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer	Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer
Kevin P. Scheiderer	Vice President, Chief Tax Officer of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Vice President-Chief Tax Officer	N/A
Denise L. Skingle	Senior Vice President, Finance & Strategy Legal and Corporate Secretary of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Senior Vice President and Secretary	N/A
Steve A. Ginnan	Senior Vice President, Director and Chief Financial Officer of Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.	Director	N/A
Stephen R. Rimes	Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Secretary for Nationwide Investment Management Group; Vice President of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary	Secretary, Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Hope C. Hacker	Associate Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Associate Vice President and Assistant Treasurer	N/A
Nathan Radabaugh	Associate Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Associate Vice President and Assistant Treasurer	N/A
Anthony L. Sutch	Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Vice President and Assistant Treasurer	N/A

Name and Address	Principal Occupation	Position with NFA	Position with Funds
David A. Garman	Vice President-Enterprise Governance & Finance Legal of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Vice President and Assistant Secretary	N/A
Mark E. Hartman	Sr. Counsel, Corporate Governance and Assistant Secretary of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Assistant Secretary	N/A
David Dokko	Sr. Counsel, Corporate Governance and Assistant Secretary of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Assistant Secretary	N/A
John L. Carter	President and Chief Operating Officer of Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.	Director	N/A
Steve Hall	Associate Vice President, Investments and Risk Data Analytics Risk Monitoring	Associate Vice President- Derivatives Risk Manager	N/A
Tonya G. Walker	Associate Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company	Associate Vice President and Assistant Treasurer	N/A

(b)

BlackRock Investment Management, LLC (“BlackRock”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide S&P 500 Index Fund, Nationwide Small Cap Index Fund, Nationwide Mid Cap Market Index Fund, Nationwide Bond Index Fund and Nationwide International Index Fund. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of BlackRock have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

(c)

Nationwide Asset Management, LLC (“NWAM”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide Inflation-Protected Securities Fund. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of NWAM have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

(d)

Dreyfus, a division of Mellon Investments Corporation (“MIC”), acts as subadviser to the Nationwide Government Money Market Fund. MIC also acts as an investment adviser or subadviser to other investment companies. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of MIC have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

(e)

Mellon Investments Corporation (“MIC”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide NYSE Arca Tech 100 Index Fund. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of MIC have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

(f)

Bailard, Inc. (“Bailard”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide Bailard Small Cap Value Fund (formerly, Nationwide Bailard Cognitive Value Fund), Nationwide Bailard Technology Fund (formerly, Nationwide Bailard Technology & Science Fund) and Nationwide Bailard International Equities Fund. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of Bailard have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities. Bailard provides real estate services (such as identifying and recommending potential property acquisitions and dispositions, supervising day-to-day property management and providing real estate research) to a client that is an affiliated private real estate investment trust.

(g)

Geneva Capital Management LLC (“Geneva”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide Geneva Mid Cap Growth Fund and Nationwide Geneva Small Cap Growth Fund. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of Geneva have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

(h)

Wellington Management Company LLP (“Wellington Management”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide International Small Cap Fund. Wellington Management is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

During the past two fiscal years, no partner of Wellington Management has engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature other than that of the business of investment management.

(i)

Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (“Loomis Sayles”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide Loomis All Cap Growth Fund, Nationwide Loomis Core Bond Fund and Nationwide Loomis Short Term Bond Fund. The address of Loomis Sayles is One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. Loomis Sayles is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Except as noted below, the directors and officers of Loomis Sayles have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years, other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

Name and Position with Investment Adviser	Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company	Connection with Other Company
Pramila Agrawal Portfolio Manager, Head of Custom Income Strategies and Director	None.	None.
Kevin P. Charleston Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director	Loomis Sayles Funds I 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer
	Loomis Sayles Funds II 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee
	Natixis Funds Trust I 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee
	Natixis Funds Trust II 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee
	Natixis Funds Trust IV 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee
	Natixis ETF Trust 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee
	Natixis ETF Trust II 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee
	Gateway Trust 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee
	Loomis Sayles Distributors, Inc. One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Director
	Loomis Sayles Investments Limited 77 Coleman Street, 6th Floor, London, England EC2R 5BJ	Representative of Loomis Sayles as a corporate Director
	Loomis Sayles Trust Company, LLC One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Manager and President
	Loomis Sayles Investments Asia Pte. Ltd. 10 Collyer Quay #05-01/03, Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315	Director
	Loomis Sayles (Netherlands) B.V. Stadsplateau 7, Utrecht, Netherlands 3521 AZ	Managing Director
	Loomis Sayles Capital Re, SAS 43 avenue Pierre Mendès -France 75013 Paris	Chairman of the Supervisory Board (2022– 2024)
	NIM-os, LLC One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Manager

Name and Position with Investment Adviser	Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company	Connection with Other Company
Matthew J. Eagan Portfolio Manager and Head of Full Discretion and Director	None.	None.
Daniel J. Fuss Vice Chairman and Director	None.	None.
John R. Gidman Chief Operating Officer and Director	NIM-os Technologies, Inc. One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Director and President
	NIM-os, LLC One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Manager and Chief Executive Officer
David L. Giunta Director	Natixis Investment Managers, LLC 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	President and Chief Executive Officer, US; Member of the Board of Managers
	Natixis Advisors, LLC 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	President and Chief Executive Officer; Member of the Board of Managers
	Natixis Distribution, LLC 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	President and Chief Executive Officer; Member of the Board of Managers
	AEW Capital Management, Inc. Two Seaport Lane, Boston, MA 02210	Director
	Gateway Investment Advisers, LLC 312 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202	Member of the Board of Managers
	Harris Associates, Inc. 111 South Wacker Drive, Suite 4600, Chicago IL 60606	Director
	Vaughan Nelson Investment Management, Inc. 600 Travis Street, Suite 3800 Houston, TX 77002	Director
	Loomis Sayles Funds I 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee and Executive Vice President
	Loomis Sayles Funds II 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer
	Natixis Funds Trust I 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer
	Natixis Funds Trust II 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer
	Natixis Funds Trust IV 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer
	Natixis ETF Trust 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer
	Natixis ETF Trust II 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer
	Gateway Trust 888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199	Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer
	NIM-os, LLC One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Manager

Name and Position with Investment Adviser	Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company	Connection with Other Company
Aziz V. Hamzaogullari Founder, Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Growth Equity Strategies, and Director	None.	None.
Maurice Leger Head of Global Distribution and Director	Loomis Sayles Trust Company, LLC One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Manager
	Loomis Sayles Distributors, L.P. One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	President
	Loomis Sayles Capital Re, SAS 43 avenue Pierre Mendès -France 75013 Paris	Supervisory Board Member (2022– 2024)
Richard G. Raczkowski Co-Head and Portfolio Manager, Relative Return, and Director	None.	None.
Rebecca O’Brien Radford General Counsel, Secretary and Director (1/1/23 to present)	Loomis Sayles Distributors, Inc. One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Director
	Loomis Sayles Investments Limited 77 Coleman Street, 6th Floor, London, England EC2R 5BJ	General Counsel and Secretary
	Loomis Sayles Trust Company, LLC One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Manager and Secretary
	Loomis Sayles Capital Re, SAS 43 avenue Pierre Mendès -France 75013 Paris	Supervisory Board Member (2022– 2024)
	NIM-os Technologies, Inc. One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Director and Secretary
	NIM-os, LLC One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Manager and General Counsel
Philippe Setbon Director	Natixis Investment Managers 59, avenue Pierre Mendès-France,75013 Paris, France	Chief Executive Officer (Directeur général)
	Natixis 7 Promenade Germaine Sablon, 75013 Paris, France	Member of Senior Management Committee Deputy Chief Executive Officer (directeur général délégué) (2025– present)
	Natixis TradEx Solutions 59 avenue Pierre Mendès-France, 75013 Paris, France	Director (2020– 2024)
	Harris Associates, Inc. 111 South Wacker Drive, Suite 4600 Chicago, Illinois 60606	Director (2024– present)
	AEW Europe 43 avenue Pierre Mendès-France 75013 Paris, France	Chair of the Board of Directors (Président du conseil d'administration) (2024– present)
	DNCA Finance 19 place Vendôme 75001 Paris, France	Chair of Supervisory Board (Président du comité de surveillance) (2024– present)

Name and Position with Investment Adviser	Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company	Connection with Other Company
	AEW Capital Management, Inc. Two Seaport Lane, Boston Massachusetts 02210	Director (2024– present)
Susan L. Sieker Chief Financial Officer and Director	Loomis Sayles Investments Limited 77 Coleman Street, 6th Floor, London, England EC2R 5BJ	Chief Financial Officer
	Loomis Sayles Trust Company, LLC One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Manager and Chief Financial Officer
	Loomis Sayles Capital Re, SAS 43 avenue Pierre Mendès -France 75013 Paris	Supervisory Board Member (2022– 2024)
	Loomis Sayles Investments Asia Pte. Ltd. 10 Collyer Quay #05-01/03, Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315	Director
	NIM-os Technologies, Inc. One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Director and Treasurer
	NIM-os, LLC One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111	Manager and Chief Financial Officer
David L. WaldmanChief Investment Officer and Director	Loomis Sayles Capital Re, SAS 43 avenue Pierre Mendès -France 75013 Paris	Supervisory Board Member (2022– 2024)

(j)

The Renaissance Group LLC, doing business as Renaissance Investment Management (“Renaissance”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide Renaissance Small Cap Growth Fund (formerly, Nationwide WCM Focused Small Cap Fund). To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of Renaissance have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

(k)

GQG Partners LLC (“GQG”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide GQG US Quality Equity Fund. Except as noted below, during past two fiscal years the directors and officers of GQG have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee partner or trustee.

Name and Position with Investment Adviser	Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company	Connection with Other Company
Rajiv Jain, Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and Manager	GQG Partners Community Empowerment Foundation* 350 East Las Olas Blvd, 18th Floor Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301	Sole Member
Rajiv Jain, Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and Manager	GQG Partners Inc.* 350 East Las Olas Blvd, 18th Floor Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301	Executive Chairman, Chief Investment Officer
Tim Carver, Chief Executive Officer and Manager	GQG Partners Inc.* 350 East Las Olas Blvd, 18th Floor Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301	Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director
Tim Carver, Chief Executive Officer and Manager	GQG Private Capital Solutions LLC* 909 A St, Suite 810 Tacoma, WA 98402	Manager, Chief Executive Officer

Name and Position with Investment Adviser	Name and Principal Business Address of Other Company	Connection with Other Company
Melodie Zakaluk, Chief Financial Officer and Manager**	GQG Partners Inc.* 350 East Las Olas Blvd, 18th Floor Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301	Chief Financial Officer
	GQG Partners (Australia) Pty Ltd* Chifley Tower, Level 15.03 2 Chifley Square Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia	Director
	GQG Private Capital Solutions LLC* 909 A St, Suite 810 Tacoma, WA 98402	Manager, Chief Financial Officer
Charles Falck Deputy Chief Financial Officer***	GQG Partners Inc.* 350 East Las Olas Blvd, 18th Floor Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301	Deputy Chief Financial Officer (as of June 2025); formerly, Chief Operating Officer
	GQG Global UCITS ICAV 2nd Floor, 5 Earlsfort Terrace Dublin D2 Ireland	Director
	GQG Partners Ltd Unit 12, Floor 7th, Al Khatem Tower, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	Director
	GQG Private Capital Solutions LLC* 909 A St, Suite 810 Tacoma, WA 98402	Deputy Chief Financial Officer (as of June 2025)
Todd LaFountaineChief Operating Officer	GQG Partners Inc.* 350 East Las Olas Blvd, 18th Floor Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301	Chief Operating Officer (since June 2025)
	GQG Partners Community Empowerment Foundation* 350 East Las Olas Blvd, 18th Floor Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301	Board Member
	GQG Private Capital Solutions LLC* 909 A St, Suite 810 Tacoma, WA 98402	Chief Operating Officer (since June 2025)
Sal DiGangi, Global Chief Compliance Officer	GQG Partners Inc.* 350 East Las Olas Blvd, 18th Floor Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301	Global Chief Compliance Officer
Sal DiGangi, Global Chief Compliance Officer	GQG Private Capital Solutions LLC*909 A St, Suite 810Tacoma, WA 98402	Chief Compliance Officer
Frederick H. Sherley, General Counsel and Secretary	GQG Partners Inc.* 350 East Las Olas Blvd, 18th Floor Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301	General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Frederick H. Sherley, General Counsel and Secretary	GQG Private Capital Solutions LLC* 909 A St, Suite 810 Tacoma, WA 98402	General Counsel and Secretary

* Affiliated entity

** Melodie Zakaluk will retire effective 12.31.2025

*** Charles Falck will become Chief Financial Officer upon Melodie Zakaluk’s retirement

(l)

Newton Investment Management North America, LLC (“Newton US”) acts as a subadviser to the Nationwide BNY Mellon Dynamic U.S. Equity Income Fund and Nationwide BNY Mellon Dynamic U.S. Core Fund. The directors and officers of Newton US have not been engaged in any other business or profession of substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.

(m)

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (“GSAM”) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and serves as a subadviser to the Nationwide Bond Portfolio and portions of the Nationwide Fundamental All Cap Equity Portfolio. GSAM is engaged in the investment advisory business. GSAM is part of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., a public company that is a bank holding company, financial holding company and a world-wide, full-service financial services organization. GSAM Holdings LLC is the general partner and principal owner of GSAM. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of GSAM have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

(n)

Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco”) acts as a subadviser to the Nationwide Invesco Core Plus Bond Fund (formerly, Nationwide BNY Mellon Core Plus Bond Fund and Nationwide BNY Mellon Core Plus Bond ESG Fund). Except as noted below, no director, officer, or partner of Invesco has been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

The following table provides information with respect to the principal executive officer and the directors of Invesco.

Registrant's investment sub-adviser, Invesco is located at 1331 Spring Street NW, Suite 2500, Atlanta, GA 30309. In addition to providing sub-advisory services, Invesco, through its subsidiaries, engages in the business of investment management on an international basis. The directors, officers, or partners of Invesco have held, during the past two fiscal years, the following positions of a substantial nature.

Name	Position
Andrew R. Schlossberg	Director and Sr. Vice President
L. Allison Dukes	Director
Todd Kuehl	Chief Compliance Officer
Greg Ketron	Treasurer
Mark Gregson	Chief Accounting Officer and Controller
Terry Gibson Vacheron	Chief Financial Officer
Jeffrey H. Kupor	Director
Crissie M. Wisdom	Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer
Tony Wong	Director, President, Chief Executive Officer

(o)

Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. (“Jacobs Levy”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide U.S. 130/30 Equity Portfolio. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of Jacobs Levy have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

(p)

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (“NBIA”) acts as a subadviser to the Nationwide Fundamental All Cap Equity Portfolio. NBIA is an indirect subsidiary of Neuberger Berman Group LLC (“NBG”). The directors, officers and/or employees of NBIA, who are deemed “control persons,” of NBIA are: Joseph Amato, Ashok Bhatia, Kenneth deRegt, Douglas Kramer, and Stephen Wright. Mr. Amato is a Trustee of the Trust.

NBG’s voting equity is owned by NBSH Acquisition, LLC (“NBSH”). NBSH is owned by portfolio managers, members of the NBG’s management team, and certain of NBG’s key employees and senior professionals.

(q)

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC (“LA Capital”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide International Equity Portfolio and the Nationwide Large Cap Equity Portfolio.

The following table includes any other business, profession, vocation or employment that officers or directors of the adviser have been engaged in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee within the last two fiscal years.

Name	Outside Entity Name	Position Held
Thomas Stevens	Proxy Parent Foundation (Plan of CA)	Vice Chairman of the Board
Thomas Stevens	Agripower	Advisory Board Member

Name	Outside Entity Name	Position Held
Thomas Stevens	Special Olympics of Southern California	Member of Board of Directors
Thomas Stevens	University of Wisconsin Foundation	Board Member
Hal Reynolds	Campbell Hall School	Director
Hal Reynolds	College Foundation University of Virginia	Trustee
Laina Draeger	CFA LA Society ESG Advisory Board	Advisory Board Member

The following table includes other substantial business or employment of officers or directors of the adviser solely in connection with the parent companies and/or affiliates of the adviser.

Name	LACM Global Ltd.(Affiliate)	Los Angeles Capital Global Funds plc (Affiliate)	LACM Holdings Inc.(Parent Company of Adviser)	LACM Equity LLC (Parent Company of Adviser)
Thomas Stevens	Director / Officer	Director	Director	Director
Hal Reynolds	Officer		Director / Officer	Director / Officer
Daniel Allen	Director / Officer	Director	Director / Officer	Director / Officer
Jennifer Reynolds	Officer		Director / Officer	Director / Officer
Stuart Matsuda			Director / Officer	Director / Officer
Edward Rackham			Director/Officer	Director/Officer
Bradford Rowe			Officer	Officer
Linda Barker			Officer	Officer
Liz Mueller			Officer	Officer
Steve Oetomo			Officer	Officer

(r)

Victory Capital Management Inc. (“Victory Capital”) acts as a subadviser to the Nationwide Strategic Income Fund. Victory Capital is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of Victory Capital have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

(s)

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (“Schroders”) acts as subadviser to the Nationwide Schroders Global Equity Fund. To the knowledge of the Registrant, the directors and officers of Schroders have not been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years other than in their capacities as a director or officer of affiliated entities.

ITEM 32. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS

(a)

Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC, the principal underwriter of the Trust, also acts as principal underwriter for Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust.

(b)

Herewith is the information required by the following table with respect to each director, officer or partner of NFD. The address for the persons listed below, except where otherwise noted, is One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215.

Name:	Position with NFD:	Position with Registrant:
Holly A. Butson	Chief Compliance Officer	N/A
Lee T. Cummings	President	Senior Vice President and Head of Fund Operations
Ewan T. Roswell	Associate Vice President and Treasurer	N/A
Denise L. Skingle	Senior Vice President and Secretary	N/A
Jennifer L. Monnin	Chief Marketing Officer	N/A
John L. Carter	Manager	N/A
Steven A. Ginnan	Manager	N/A
Joseph N. Aniano	Manager	President, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer

(c)

Not applicable.

ITEM 33. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS

J.P. Morgan Investor Services Co.
1 Beacon Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02108-3002

Nationwide Funds Group
One Nationwide Plaza
Columbus, OH 43215

ITEM 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Not applicable.

ITEM 35. UNDERTAKINGS

Not applicable.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment Nos. 297/324 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Columbus, and State of Ohio, on this 15th day of October, 2026.

	NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FUNDS

	BY:	/s/ Allan J. Oster
		Allan J. Oster, Assistant Secretary and Attorney-In-Fact for Registrant

PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT HAS BEEN SIGNED BELOW BY THE FOLLOWING PERSONS IN THE CAPACITIES INDICATED.

Signature & Title

/s/ Joseph Aniano*

Joseph Aniano, President, Chief

Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer

/s/ David Majewski*

David Majewski, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer

/s/ Lorn C. Davis*

Lorn C. Davis, Trustee

/s/ Keith F. Karlawish*

Keith F. Karlawish, Trustee and Chairman

/s/ Carol A. Kosel*

Carol A. Kosel, Trustee

/s/ David E. Wezdenko*

David E. Wezdenko, Trustee

/s/ Charlotte Petersen*

Charlotte Petersen, Trustee

/s/ Kristina Bradshaw*

Kristina Bradshaw, Trustee

/s/ Tracy Bollin*

Tracy Bollin, Trustee

*BY:/s/ Allan J. Oster

Allan J. Oster, Assistant Secretary and Attorney-In-Fact for Registrant

ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

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