Oak Foundation | Inside Philanthropy

Your notes (local)

Relevance Comment (remote)

Enriched family-office · Found: 2026-03-11 08:10

Grantees include Fondation Ensemble, which works with fisheries in Mozambique to promote sustainable fishing and preserve marine biodiversity, ...

Source: https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-o/oak-foundation

Funding Details

Funder: Oak Foundation
Funding Goal: To support global change through grantmaking in environment, climate, housing, human rights, women's issues, child protection, and learning differences, with a strong focus on systems change and people-centered approaches
Funding Amount: USD 25,000 to USD 10 million per grant; average approximately USD 900,000; total annual grantmaking ~$466 million across 400+ grants (25.000 € – 10.000.000 €)
How to Apply: Oak Foundation uses an invitation-based system with three entry routes: (1) Direct Invitation by programme officers, (2) Letters of Enquiry submitted through their online portal by new organisations, and (3) occasional Requests for Proposals. The process takes approximately 8-12 months: idea exchange (~1 month), concept note (~1 month), application development (~2 months), review (~2-4 months), recommendation/decision (~1-2 months), and notification/payment (~1-2 months). Most grants are multi-year and can be for core operating support or project-specific work.
Target Region: Global (with significant focus on Africa, Asia, Latin America, U.S., U.K., Denmark, Zimbabwe)
Contact: Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Regional offices worldwide. Letters of enquiry can be submitted through the online portal at oakfnd.org. Fraud/abuse reporting form available on website.
Official Page: https://oakfnd.org/
Last Checked: 2026-03-11 23:42

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Organisation must be a registered not-for-profit entity
Must demonstrate strong alignment with one of Oak's programme areas (especially Environment sub-programmes for marine/ocean work)
Organisation must have robust internal processes, clear strategy, and strong financial management
Individuals, religious organisations (for religious purposes), political parties, and educational scholarship programmes are ineligible

Project Scope

Projects should address root causes, be replicable, and include sustainability plans

Required Documents

Submit a Letter of Enquiry through Oak's online portal as initial application step

Constraints

Oak generally funds no more than 50% of project budgets or 20% of organisational budgets — diverse funding sources required
Grants typically exceed USD 25,000 minimum threshold

Summary

The Oak Foundation is a major private foundation established in 1983 by duty-free billionaire Alan Parker, headquartered in Geneva with offices worldwide. It distributes approximately $466 million annually through over 400 grants to not-for-profit organisations globally. The foundation operates eight programme areas plus two country-specific initiatives (Denmark and Zimbabwe), with environment being a core focus area. The Environment Programme is structured around three sub-programmes: Marine Food Systems and Livelihoods (supporting coastal and Indigenous communities, small-scale fisheries governance, and marine ecosystem health in Africa, Asia, and Latin America), Nature and People (promoting coexistence between communities and biodiversity), and Regenerative Landscapes (restoring degraded ecosystems). The foundation emphasizes placing people at the heart of its environmental work. Oak Foundation operates primarily through an invitation-based model where programme officers identify and invite organisations. However, it also accepts Letters of Enquiry from new organisations and occasionally issues Requests for Proposals. The typical application process takes 8-12 months from initial contact to payment. Grants range from USD 25,000 to USD 10 million, with an average of approximately USD 900,000, and most awards are multi-year. The foundation generally funds no more than 50% of a project budget or 20% of an organisational budget, preferring partners with diverse funding sources. The foundation also runs a Denmark-specific programme and has significant interest in issues affecting coastal communities, fisheries, and marine biodiversity. Key grantees have included Oceana and organisations working on sustainable fishing and marine biodiversity in countries like Mozambique.

Historical Context

Founded in 1983 by Alan Parker (duty-free industry billionaire). In 2024, the foundation awarded 411 programme grants across 40 countries totalling $466 million. The foundation has grown into one of the larger private foundations globally, consistently distributing $450-475 million annually.

Sources

Similar Programs

Program	Source	Shared Tags
Oak Foundation - Terra Viva Grants For NGOs Family Office Grant Africa Global Southeast Asia Biodiversity Climate Coastal Protection Fisheries Marine Conservation	family-office	10
Oak Foundation - Through our grant-making, we support others to ... For NGOs Family Office Foundation Grant Africa Global India Southeast Asia Biodiversity Circular Economy Climate Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Waste Management	family-office	10
Grant-making - Oak Foundation For NGOs Family Office Foundation Grant Africa Global Southeast Asia Biodiversity Circular Economy Climate Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution Waste Management	family-office	10
Oak Foundation Environment Programme For Communities / Cooperatives For NGOs Foundation Grant Africa Global Southeast Asia Biodiversity Blue Economy Capacity Building Circular Economy Climate Fisheries Marine Conservation Plastic Waste	Foundation	10
Oceans 5 For NGOs Philanthropic Network Grant Africa Global Southeast Asia Biodiversity Blue Economy Capacity Building Fisheries Marine Conservation Marine Protected Areas	Philanthropic Network	9

← Back to list