Oak Foundation Environment Programme

Enriched Foundation · Found: 2026-03-11 13:05

Grants $25K-$7M for reducing single-use plastics, promoting reuse/repair/recycling. Supports Plastics Solution Fund sub-grantees. Sub-programmes: Marine food systems, Nature and people, Regenerative landscapes. Accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry.

Source: https://www.oakfnd.org/programmes/environment

Funding Details

Funder

Oak Foundation

Funding Goal

Safeguarding the future and restoring humanity's connection to nature through grants supporting marine food systems and livelihoods, biodiversity and people, and regenerative landscapes — with a systems change approach targeting social and ecological co-benefits.

Funding Amount

$25,000–$7,000,000 per grant (25.000 € – 7.000.000 €)

How to Apply

Submit an unsolicited letter of inquiry via the online form at oakfnd.org/submit-enquiry/. Oak Foundation reviews all submitted enquiries and contacts applicants if there is a potential fit.

Target Region

Africa, Asia, Latin America (Marine food systems); Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe (Nature and people); Southern Africa (Regenerative landscapes)

Contact

Contact form: https://oakfnd.org/contact/ | Submit letter of inquiry: https://oakfnd.org/submit-enquiry/

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:29

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a registered NGO or non-profit organisation
• Project must be located in a priority geography: Africa, Asia, Latin America (marine food), Southern Africa/SE Asia/Europe (nature and people), or Southern Africa (regenerative landscapes)

Project Scope

• Project must align with one of the three sub-programmes: Marine food systems and livelihoods, Nature and people, or Regenerative landscapes
• Proposals must demonstrate a systems change approach addressing root causes, not just symptoms
• Must show social AND biodiversity co-benefits (people-centred approach)
• Marine food systems projects should focus on small-scale fisheries governance, coastal community resilience, or habitat/stock conservation with regional or global impact

Required Documents

• Submit unsolicited letter of inquiry via online portal at oakfnd.org/submit-enquiry/

Constraints

• No explicit deadline — rolling review; no guarantee of response unless Oak sees a fit

Summary

The Oak Foundation Environment Programme is a major philanthropic grant-maker funding environmental conservation and sustainability through three sub-programmes: (1) Marine food systems and livelihoods — protecting food security of coastal and Indigenous communities, governance of small-scale fisheries, climate resilience, and habitat conservation, primarily in Africa, Asia, and Latin America; (2) Nature and people — promoting "living landscapes" that safeguard biodiversity while supporting community livelihoods and wildlife protection, focusing on Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe; and (3) Regenerative landscapes — supporting regenerative agriculture and rewilding, with a focus on buffer zones and communal lands in Southern Africa. Grants range from $25,000 to $7,000,000. The programme also has a connection to the Plastics Solution Fund, supporting reduction of single-use plastics and promotion of reuse, repair, and recycling — though this is not prominently featured on the current programme page. Oak accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry through their online portal, making it accessible to NGOs that align with the programme's thematic and geographic priorities. The programme is explicitly people-centred, placing community wellbeing and livelihoods alongside biodiversity outcomes. It targets systems change rather than project-level fixes, aiming to address root causes of environmental and social challenges. Grantees are typically established NGOs with demonstrated track records working in the targeted geographies. Oak Foundation is a well-established philanthropic family foundation headquartered in Geneva with a long history of supporting environmental and human rights causes. The Environment Programme has a multi-decade track record, including 21+ years supporting ocean conservation organisation Oceana.

Historical Context

Oak Foundation has supported Oceana since 2001 — over 21 years of ocean conservation grant-making. The Environment Programme has been running for multiple decades. The programme document on people-centred approach was updated in August 2025.

Why it was added

Major foundation with $25K-$7M grants directly supporting plastic reduction and circular practices

Similar Programs

← Back to list