The Oak Foundation Usa
The Oak Foundation USA is a private foundation and 501(c)(3) organization based in New York, NY (located at 1 Rockefeller Plaza, 18th Floor). Established in 1986, it operates as a corporate foundation affiliated with Oak Furnitureland. The foundation is part of a larger global Oak Foundation network with administrative headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and offices in multiple countries worldwide.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$17.4M
-27.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.4M
-40.6% YoY
Grant Count
9
-40.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$825K
-1.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Oak Foundation makes grants across the following priority areas:
- Environment and climate
- Sustainable agriculture and clean energy
- Housing and homelessness
- Human rights
- Women's causes
- Learning differences
- Violence prevention and child sexual abuse prevention
- Investigative journalism
- Psychological violence research
- Shareholder activism on plastics pollution
The foundation works primarily through long-standing partnerships with organizations that have demonstrated success in its areas of interest. The foundation has shifted its grantmaking approach to direct more resources toward general operating support rather than specific programs and initiatives.
Grantmaking
The Oak Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. The foundation accepts online letters of enquiry from organizations with strong alignment to its priorities. The foundation maintains a detailed grants database available online and is considered a transparent funder.
Grant Range
$71,000 to $7,731,500
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grantmaking is global, with significant proportions of giving directed to organizations in:
- Denmark
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Zimbabwe
Recent grant activity also shows funding in Massachusetts, New York, and North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Filing (2024):
- Total Assets: $17,359,462
- Total Revenue: $827,919
- Total Expenses: $71,768
- Net Income: $756,151
- Total Giving: $7,452,050
2023 Filing:
- Total Assets: $24,037,557
- Total Revenues: $1,699,470
- Total Expenses: $32,905,066
Staffing:
- 1 employee listed on 2023 filing
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $17,359,462 | $24,037,557 | $35,737,118 |
| Revenue | $827,919 | $1,699,470 | $32,902,551 |
| Expenses | $71,768 | $32,905,066 | $7,200,905 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $7,452,050 | $13,349,513 | $7,167,567 |
| Net Investment Income | $799,283 | $891,964 | $139,008 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,019,129 | $1,384,683 | $742,621 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from The Oak Foundation Usa
International Human Rights Grant Programme
THE OAK FOUNDATION USA
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Issues Affecting Women Grant Programme
THE OAK FOUNDATION USA
Amount
More than US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Oak Foundation - Housing and Homelessness Grant Program
THE OAK FOUNDATION USA
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board & Governance:
- Douglas Griffiths, President
- Caroline Turner, President/Treasurer/Trustee
- Heather Graham, Vice President and Director of Learning Differences Programme
- Kristian Parker, Trustee
- Natalie Parker, Trustee
- James Zha, Secretary
Program Directors:
- Adrian Arena, Director of International Human Rights Programme
- Nathan Argent, Director of Global Climate Initiative Programme
- Julie Broome, Director of Issues Affecting Women Programme
- Brigette De Lay, Director of Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Programme
- Heather Graham, Director of Learning Differences Programme
- Masego Madzwamuse, Director of Environment Programme
- Brian Robson, Director of Housing and Homelessness Programme
- Rachel Quick, Director of Special Interest
The foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees that includes the Parker family. An Advisory Panel supports the foundation's work across various grantmaking issues. The organization employs just over 90 staff members representing 37 nationalities.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEATHER GRAHAM | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| CAROLINE TURNER | PRESIDENT/TREASURER/TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KRISTIAN PARKER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| NATALIE PARKER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JAMES ZHA | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Oak Foundation has made several significant recent grants and partnerships:
Climate Justice Resilience Fund received a major grant from the foundation
Climate Justice Resilience Fund receives major grantUnderstood.org was awarded an Oak Foundation grant to launch a digital resource for students with learning and thinking differences
Understood.org Awarded Oak Foundation Grant to Launch Groundbreaking DigitalRAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) partnered with the Oak Foundation to combat child sexual abuse
RAINN and Oak Foundation Join Forces to Combat Child Sexual AbuseDarkness to Light received a multi-million dollar grant from the foundation
Understood.org Awarded Oak Foundation Grant to Launch Groundbreaking DigitalData last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with The Oak Foundation Usa on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities