About:

The resources of Oak Foundation originated from an interest in the Duty Free Shoppers business which Alan Parker helped to build. Today, the Foundation comprises a group of philanthropic organisations based in various countries around the world.

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, Oak Foundation has been growing steadily, and today it has seven global and four country programmes, through which it has made more than 6,300 grants to organisations around the world. The seven programmes are: Environment, Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, Housing and Homelessness, International Human Rights, Issues Affecting Women, Learning Differences, and the Special Interest Programme. The four national programmes are located in Brazil, Denmark, India, and Zimbabwe.

Oak Foundation has its main administrative office in Geneva, Switzerland, and a presence in five other countries: Denmark, India, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zimbabwe.

Mission statement:

Oak Foundation commits its resources to address issues of global, social, and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged. Through its grant-making, the Foundation supports others to make the world a safer, fairer, and more sustainable place to live. With offices in Europe, India, and North America, Oak Foundation makes grants to organisations in approximately 40 countries worldwide.