Oak Foundation

The resources of the Oak Foundation originated from an interest in the Duty Free Shoppers business which Alan M. Parker helped to build up.

Mission

To address issues of global social and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged.

Geographic Focus

International, Africa, India

Programme Areas

The foundation works in the following areas:

– Child Abuse
– Environment
– Housing and Homelessness
– International Human Rights
– Issues Affecting Women
– Learning Differences
– Special Interest
– Joint India Programme
– Denmark
– Zimbabwe

Child Abuse: the foundation supports initiatives that aim to eliminate the sexual exploitation of children; engage men and boys in combating the sexual abuse of children; and promote the prevention of violence against children.

Environment: the foundation’s grant-making focuses on three main areas: climate change mitigation; wildlife conservation; and the conservation of marine resources.

Housing and Homelessness: the foundation focuses on preventing homelessness by funding sustainable solutions that improve the economic and social wellbeing of marginalised youth, adults and families. The programme has three priorities: promoting economic self-sufficiency; increasing the availability and supply of affordable housing; and preventing homelessness.

International Human Rights: for this programme the foundation works with partners to end impunity for the gross violations of human rights; uphold prohibitions on arbitrary detention and torture; protect human rights defenders at risk; and multiply and amplify influential voices on IHRP global priorities.

Issues Affecting Women: the foundation supports organisations that work to end patterns of violence and exploitation that disrupt women’s lives by ensuring that rights-based laws and policies guarantee an environment free from violence, and by transforming harmful social norms. This is complemented by support to a range of comprehensive services that empower women to recover from the trauma of violence and rebuild their lives.

Learning Differences: the foundation supports teacher development, student engagement and parental understanding to enable students to follow their own individual paths to lifelong learning success. The foundation seeks partners who design and create learning environments that are informed by student voices, neuroscience, personalised learning best practices and universal design concepts.

Special Interest: Special Interest grants cover a wide range of fields, including health, humanitarian relief, education and the arts. They are made to organisations whose activities the Trustees wish to support, irrespective of country or region.

Joint India Programme: it consists of five Oak Programmes that work together to address a combination of issues that affect populations with less access to resources in Jharkhand and West Bengal located in east India.

Denmark: Oak Foundation Denmark is a national programme through which the foundation provides grants to organisations in Denmark and Greenland. Through this programme the foundation seeks innovative solutions that improve the daily lives and future prospects of socially vulnerable and marginalised groups. In particular, it
focuses on initiatives that target ethnic minority women, homeless people, mothers, children, immigrants and refugees.

Zimbabwe: Oak Zimbabwe Foundation is a national programme through which the foundation funds local organisations involved in caring and providing for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in Zimbabwean society. It gives support to organisations operating in the following priority areas: healthcare, including HIV/AIDS; rural water supplies; special needs education; and services that help vulnerable women, children and elderly persons.