The Oak Foundation’s top grantees in low- and middle-income countries

As Devex continues with its primers on the world’s largest philanthropic organizations, we now take a deep dive into the Oak Foundation, focusing on its largest grantees in low- and middle-income countries — their works and the grants they won from the foundation. The Oak Foundation was established in 1983 by British billionaire Alan Parker, who was one of the major shareholders in the Duty Free Shoppers chain of stores. From its early grants to single mothers and torture victims in Denmark and vulnerable families and children in Zimbabwe, the Oak Foundation has since expanded both geographically and sectorally. Currently, the Oak Foundation has eight global programs and two country programs — in Denmark and Zimbabwe — supporting projects in areas such as climate, human rights, and women’s and children’s rights. The top-level data Based on its latest annual report, the Oak Foundation made a total of 411 grants in 40 countries in 2024, with a total funding of $466 million. However, only 331 grants, worth $408.2 million, have been published on its grant database. We already reached out to Oak Foundation to clarify the discrepancy, and we will update the article as we receive confirmation. Our analysis shows that of the $408.2 million awarded grants, $166.8 million, or 40.9% of the total, went to U.S.-based organizations. U.K.-based awardees ranked next, receiving $107.8 million, or more than a quarter of the total. The other top-ranking recipient countries were the Netherlands with $20.5 million, Switzerland with $18.4 million, and Denmark with nearly $15 million. Organizations from high-income countries were Oak Foundation’s overall top grantees in 2024, with Oak Leaf Research Limited, a U.K.-based organization, receiving the largest grant in 2024, worth $28.1 million, for its research on a drug for inflammatory brain diseases. The other overall top grantees were the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, which got $20.9 million; the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, which received $13.4 million; and Women Win, which won $11.9 million. Among low- and middle-income countries, South Africa emerged as Oak Foundation’s top grant recipient, with $12 million. Brazil followed with $10.1 million, Serbia with $7.4 million, Zambia with $5.2 million, Zimbabwe with $4.4 million, and India with $3.7 million. Overall, the Oak Foundation awarded 57 grants, worth $57.3 million, to 53 LMIC-based grantees. This accounted for 14% of the total awarded grant amount in 2024. The top LMICs-based grantees African Climate Foundation Headquarters: Cape Town, South Africa Total grant amount: $10 million Established in 2020, the African Climate Foundation works in the intersection of climate change and development. It received $10 million in core funding from the Oak Foundation to support its work in the African continent. Trag Foundation Headquarters: Belgrade, Serbia Total grant amount: $7.4 million Formerly the Balkan Community Initiatives Fund, the Trag Foundation forms partnerships with the business sector and offers capacity-building support to civil society organizations. Trag Foundation was awarded a $7.4 million grant to support women’s movements in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. Instituto Clima e Sociedade Headquarters: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Total grant amount: $6 million The Institute for Climate and Society, or iCS, provides financial and institutional support to nonprofits in Brazil that are working in the area of climate change. It received $6 million in core support from the Oak Foundation. Alinea Network Headquarters: Lusaka, Zambia Total grant amount: $3.5 million Founded within the Wildlife Crime Prevention project in January 2025, Alinea provides funding and technical support to government agencies and local nonprofits working in the area of conservation. It received $3.5 million to support the partner organizations of the Wildlife Crime Prevention project in sub-Saharan Africa. ECPAT International Headquarters: Bangkok, Thailand Total grant amount: $3.25 million ECPAT works toward ending the sexual exploitation of children around the world. It received $3.25 million from the Oak Foundation for its work on the protection of boys from sexual violence, as well as the online safety of children in the European Union. Heartlines Headquarters: Randburg, South Africa Total grant amount: $1.5 million Heartlines produces communication materials and films for social change campaigns. Among its projects is “Father Matters,” for which it received $1.5 million from the Oak Foundation. The program aims to raise awareness and promote positive fatherhood in South Africa, where many children grow up without their biological fathers. Instituto Incube Headquarters: São Paulo, Brazil Total grant amount: $1.48 million The Incube Institute is a nonprofit working with civil society organizations to advance democracy and social justice. It won a total of three grants from the Oak Foundation for various works in Brazil: $581,000 to support organizations working in community well-being, a $500,000 pilot fund for public interest journalism, and $400,000 for core support to the Brazilian Center for Climate Justice. Time + Tide Foundation Headquarters: Calebasses, Mauritius Total grant amount: $1.45 million The Time + Tide Foundation primarily works in Madagascar and Zambia, in the areas of education, health, and women's empowerment. It received $1.45 million for its program in strengthening civil society’s work in rural conservation in both countries. Bantwana Initiative Uganda Headquarters: Kampala, Uganda Total grant amount: $1.1 million Oak Foundation awarded $1.1 million in core support to the Bantwana Initiative Uganda, an organization that caters to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children affected by the HIV epidemic and other socioeconomic challenges in Uganda. Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa Headquarters: Kampala, Uganda Total grant amount: $1.1 million AFSA is an alliance of nonprofit and civil society organizations in Africa working in the areas of regenerative agroecology, an approach promoting sustainable farming and food sovereignty. It received $1.1 million from Oak Foundation as core funding. Try out Devex Pro Funding today with a free five-day trial, and explore funding opportunities from over 850 sources in addition to our analysis and news content.