When an organisation is formally invited to apply for a grant, the Foundation discusses the size of the grant and whether it will be project support or core support (i.e., flexible and unrestricted funding). They work with organisations to develop the application in partnership, ensuring they communicate consistently about when and who will make the decision on a grant, how the application process works, and how long it will take. They also discuss the possibilities of renewal well in advance of the end of a grant. They consider all renewals as distinct and separate grants. The below timeline is an approximate timeline.
- Idea exchange & initial screen (Approximate timeline: 1 month)
- Concept note & summary stage (Approximate timeline: 1 month)
- Application development (Approximate timeline: 2 months)
- Application review (Approximate timeline: 2-4 months)
- Recommendation and decision (Approximate timeline: 1-2 months)
- Notification and payment (Approximate timeline: 1-2 months)
The Oak Foundation was formally established in 1983. Early grants were made in Denmark to organisations supporting single mothers and torture victims (1983) and in Zimbabwe to groups supporting vulnerable children and families, primarily at community levels (1984). Grants continued to be made annually in several countries until a new phase for Oak Foundation began in the early 1990s, when annual grant-making increased and staff were hired to run substantive programmes.
Since then the Foundation has been growing steadily and today they have eight global and two country programmes, through which they make grants to organisations around the world. The seven programmes are:
- Environment
- Global Climate Initiatives
- Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
- Housing and Homelessness
- International Human Rights
- Issues Affecting Women,
- Learning Differences, and
- Special Interest.
Oak Foundation has its main administrative office in Geneva, Switzerland and a presence in four other countries: Denmark, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zimbabwe.
Oak Foundation
Co-financing Requirement Details
The Oak Foundation generally funds no more than 50 per cent of any project budget or 20 per cent of organisational budgets.
Funding Type
Organizational and Decision Making Structure
The Oak Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees that includes the Parker family. An Advisory Panel also supports the Foundation’s work on a range of grant-making issues.
Eligibility Criteria
The Oak Foundation supports organisations to help people and communities thrive in just societies, where everyone is safe, and has the opportunities to succeed. This also includes safeguarding our natural environment for future generations. They support civil society as a pilar of democracy and believe in the power of collective action in achieving ambitious goals. They believe the best grant-making reflects both careful due diligence and a willingness to take risk. They support their partners’ capacity to assess and measure progress. They invest in visionary leadership and provide resources to strengthen civil society organisations.
They fund initiatives that:
- address the root causes of problems
- are replicable either within a sector or across geographical locations
- include plans for long-term sustainability, including co-funding
- strive to collaborate with like-minded organisations
- demonstrate good financial and organisational management
- value the participation of people and communities
The Oak Foundation believes in providing long-term support to their partners to help create long-lasting change. They also believe that their partners benefit from having diverse funding sources to promote resiliency and achieve the impact they desire. Therefore, they generally fund no more than 50 per cent of any project budget or 20 per cent of organisational budgets. Requests to fund higher levels should be discussed with the programme officer.
They do not provide support for:
- individuals
- scholarships or tuition assistance for undergraduate or postgraduate studies
- religious organisations for religious purposes
- election campaigns, political parties, or activities affiliated with political parties
- except in special circumstances, they generally do not provide programme grants under USD 25,000
Please read the Grant-making page for more information
Eligible Countries
No country restrictions stated.