Oak Foundation: Learning Differences Grant Programme

Oak Foundation: Learning Differences Grant Programme

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Oak Foundation USA
Last Updated: May 05, 2025

Summary

The Oak Foundation's Learning Differences Grant Programme aims to foster equitable educational experiences for students with learning differences, particularly those marginalized by racism and poverty. Through strategic partnerships with not-for-profit organizations, the program enhances understanding of diverse learners' needs, translates knowledge into effective practices, and influences systemic changes to create supportive learning environments. The initiative emphasizes the importance of community involvement, ensuring that students' voices are heard and their educational needs are met.

Overview

NOTE: Oak Foundation has an invitation-only application process and we fund on a rolling basis. Not-for-profit organisations who have not been invited to apply by a programme officer can submit unsolicited requests for funding through our letter of enquiry process. Overview In the Learning Differences Programme, we believe that together we can build a world in which schools unlock the creativity and power of every young person and equip them to shape more just and equitable communities. We partner with and invest in not-for-profit organisations that improve education for all students, particularly those with learning differences who experience further marginalisation due to racism and poverty.You can read more about how we work in our programme strategy paper. Our Strategy The Learning Differences Programme promotes more equitable educational experiences and systems for students with learning differences who are furthest from opportunity. Our strategic framework is comprised of three approaches. Build knowledge and understanding of what works best for diverse learners As schools, teachers and education systems recognize the variability of each learner and reimagine classrooms with a broader understanding of how students learn, we seek to better understand what is working, with an emphasis on how racism and poverty contribute to disproportionate outcomes. Translate knowledge into practice to build more equitable learning environments and student experiences so that students with learning differences thrive. As we learn what research and evidence-based strategies, practices, and conditions are most effective to help students with learning differences thrive, we seek to share that knowledge with educators and other leaders and to support approaches that work for all students, particularly students with learning differences who are furthest from opportunity.Influence systems to embrace and adopt enabling conditions necessary for schools to meet the needs of students with learning differences and those furthest from opportunityWe recognise that students and educators exist within a broader context and that the redesign of learning environments often requires changes in policy and systems more broadly. The voices of parents and families, students, and educators are essential to promote awareness of and strengthen demand for learning environments that are responsive to students with learning differences, particularly those who are furthest from opportunity.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Ineligibility

We do not provide support for: Individuals Scholarships or tuition assistance for undergraduate or postgraduate studiesReligious organisations for religious purposes Election campaigns  Programme grants under USD 25,000, except in special circumstances.

Application Details

Learning Differences Programme
Programme strategy
Unlocking the potential of all learners

Oak Foundation / Learning Differences Programme / Our Strategy
Latest update November 2023
Overview
Our definition of learning differences
Vision
Together we can build a world in which
For Oak Foundation, the learning
schools unlock the creativity and power
differences population includes students
of every young person and equip each
who have specific learning disabilities
learner to shape more just and equitable (such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and
communities. dysgraphia) as well as individuals who
may have other related neurological
What we fund processing challenges that can impact
learning (such as attention deficits,
Oak Foundation’s Learning Differences
Programme makes grants to not-for-profit sensory processing disorders, and
executive function challenges). Oak
organisations that create learning environments
and promote educational equity to improve includes both those who have been
education for students with learning formally identified for special education
differences, particularly those who are furthest and related services as well as those who
from opportunity due to racism and poverty. do not meet diagnostic criteria but who
experience challenges between the ways
they best learn and the ways classrooms
and instruction have typically been
designed.
We believe that every student should benefit
from engaging and rigorous educational
opportunities regardless of personal and social
identifiers that privilege some students and
marginalise others such as learning differences,
race, income, language, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, gender, and religion.

Oak Foundation / Learning Differences Programme / Our strategy
Latest update December 2023
Our view of the need Our strategic framework
Too often for too many students, the The Learning Differences Programme promotes
environments in which they learn do not more equitable educational experiences and
support their success. Years of research point systems for students with learning differences
to inequities in education for students with who are furthest from opportunity. Our
learning differences, students of colour, and strategic framework is comprised of three
students from low-income backgrounds. approaches.
Students with learning differences such as 1)Build knowledge and understanding
dyslexia or ADHD face many barriers to success, of what works best for students with
such as a lack of understanding about their learning differences
learning needs, inadequate accommodations
and support, and/or stigmas related to their As schools, teachers, and education systems
performance. Students with learning differences recognise the variability of each learner
are also more likely to fall far behind their peers and reimagine classrooms with a broader
in reading and mathematics and are more than understanding of how students learn, we
twice as likely to drop out of school. seek to better understand what is working,
particularly for students with learning
These challenges are often further exacerbated differences who experience racism and
for students of colour who also have learning poverty.
differences. Systemic inequities in education
can lead to compounded barriers for students We support organisations that:
of colour with learning differences. They are
more likely to be misidentified for special • Conduct research, with a priority on
education services, and those who receive supporting more diverse perspectives,
referrals to special education are more likely to understand how teaching and learning
to be placed in restrictive settings and can be transformed to unlock the potential
experience harsher discipline than their peers. of students with learning differences.
• Analyse quantitative and qualitative data
Advances in cognitive science and neuroscience related to student outcomes, resource
have provided more understanding than ever allocation, and public policy to develop
about human development – from the science policy- and system-level recommendations
of reading to the link between academic for improving learning environments for
mastery and social and emotional growth. students with learning differences.
However, changes in school organisation and • Share research findings to improve
instructional practice are often slow to respond. teaching and learning for students
with learning differences.

Oak Foundation / Learning Differences Programme / Our strategy
Latest update December 2023
2)Translate knowledge into practice to build We recognise that students and educators exist
more equitable learning environments and within a broader context and that the redesign
student experiences so that students with of learning environments often requires
learning differences thrive. changes in policy and systems more broadly.
The voices of parents and families, students,
As we learn what research and evidence-based and educators are essential to promote
strategies, practices, and conditions are most awareness of and strengthen demand for
effective to help students with learning learning environments that are responsive to
differences thrive, we seek to share that students with learning differences, particularly
knowledge with educators and other leaders those who are furthest from opportunity.
and to support approaches that work for all
students, particularly students with learning We support organisations that:
differences who are furthest from opportunity.
• Build movements through grassroots and
We support organisations that: policy advocacy to advance the needs of
students with learning differences who
• Connect research on the science of learning are furthest from opportunity.
with the needs of students with learning • Develop broader measures of student
differences, particularly to ensure the success and support their adoption in
science of reading informs teacher education policy and practice.
professional learning and practice in • Elevate the voices of students with
literacy instruction. learning differences and their families
• Strengthen the pipeline of talented and in transforming education by amplifying
diverse educators who are equipped to their skills and agency as advocates.
serve students with learning differences.
• Support activities that engage students in
developing social, emotional, and cognitive Our grantee partners
competencies, with a priority on building
relationships, developing youth leadership,
Please see our grant database for a complete
and engaging young people with learning
list of our grants and their locations
differences in the design of supportive
(oakfnd.org/grant-database.html). Visit our
learning environments.
website page to learn more about our partners’
• Support the curation and dissemination
work. We publish stories on a regular basis that
of tools and resources that provide
explain our grant-making approaches.
stakeholders with evidence-based strategies
and frameworks for supporting students
with learning differences.
3)Influence systems to embrace and adopt
Where we fund
enabling conditions necessary for schools
to meet the needs of students with learning
We support education not-for-profit
differences and those furthest from
organisations in the United States as well
opportunity
as a limited number of global networks and
initiatives.

Oak Foundation / Learning Differences Programme / Our strategy
Latest update December 2023
Requests for support
General information
about Oak Foundation
The Learning Differences Programme’s annual
budget is currently USD 31 million. On average,
Oak Foundation reflects the vision and
we make 30 grants per year to new and existing
values of its founders. We commit our
partners. Organisations that fit our current
resources to address issues of global, social,
strategy can submit an enquiry through our
and environmental concern, particularly
website. We value and consider all submissions.
those that have a major impact on the lives
However, due to the volume of requests we
of the disadvantaged. Through our grant-
receive, we are unable to fund all requests,
making, we support others to make the
despite alignment with our strategy.
world a safer, fairer, and more sustainable
We believe in providing long-term support to
place to live. We make grants to
our partners to help create long-lasting change.
organisations in approximately
We also believe that our partners benefit from
40 countries worldwide.
having diverse funding sources to promote
resiliency and to achieve the impact they desire.
Oak Foundation has seven global and four
Therefore, we generally fund no more than
country programmes. The seven global
50 per cent of any project budget and no more
programmes are:
than 20 per cent of organisational budgets.
•Environment
Requests to fund higher levels should be
•Housing and Homelessness
discussed with the programme officer. We
•International Human Rights
provide core support grants to organisations
•Issues Affecting Women
whose overall missions align fully with our
•Learning Differences
programme strategy.
•Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
•Special Interest
We do not provide support for:
The four country programmes are:
• individuals •Brazil
• scholarships or tuition assistance for •Oak Foundation Denmark
undergraduate or postgraduate studies
•India
• religious organisations for religious purposes
•Zimbabwe
• election campaigns
• programme grants under USD 25,000,
except in special circumstances.
More information can be found at:
http://www.oakfnd.org
Download this document to learn about the
grant-making timeline and process.