Solidarity during Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic deeply affected many not-for-profit organisations. Early in the pandemic in 2020, Oak’s Trustees increased grant-making by more than USD 24 million to support our current grantee partners, as well as new partners working on the frontlines of the pandemic response. We were determined to face the worldwide uncertainty head on, and to continue providing unwavering support to our communities during these challenging times.

By the end of 2020, our Covid-specific grants helped strengthen vulnerable organisations and communities. We are proud to have committed to support our partners in ways that are guided by the US Council on Foundation’s philanthropy pledge and the European Foundation Centre’s statement of solidarity. Some of these elements have included moving project grants to core grants, modifying agreed outcomes, and adapting what we ask of our partners by postponing reporting requirements, site visits, and other demands on their time.

In 2020, children with learning differences had a harder time accessing resources while schools were shut down. Many children were more vulnerable to exploitation, online and offline. Lockdowns were dangerous for people in domestic violence situations, as they were unable to get away from their abusers, making shelters more important than ever. Oak’s support helped our partners and other not-for-profit organisations to: find emergency accommodation for those in need; give training to those who had lost access to employment or schooling; support women’s shelters and advice centres; protect the legal rights of students with learning disabilities to be taught; and protect children from sexual perpetration. In Brazil, our partners delivered emergency kits with food and hygiene equipment to indigenous villages. In India, hundreds of meals were produced daily for the homeless, and thousands of families who were facing problems accessing government food supplies were supported. Across the world, our partners brought hope, by: preventing the eviction of tenants; providing hospitals with urgent supplies; supporting the mental health of frontline workers; and distributing food, clothing, medicine and hygiene products.

Like many people, we are glad to see 2020 behind us and we are looking forward to 2021 and the promise it brings: vaccines are already being distributed and other therapies are being developed. “Now is the moment to join with our partners in order to build back better in ways that are more equitable and sustainable,” says Douglas Griffiths, President of Oak Foundation. “In addition to redoubled support to grassroots organisations, we have been supporting some of our Environment Programme partners to positively influence stimulus packages and economic recovery plans as a means to accelerate the changes that are needed.” A European Green Deal will lay the foundation for transforming the European continent into a low-carbon economy, achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, while improving social justice and protecting biodiversity.

In addition, Oak has focused on partners working to improve the lives of women, children, or those experiencing homelessness. We believe that we can also “build back better” in the social sectors. Even in affluent nations, the pandemic exposed growing inequality. Through all of our work, but especially in our Covid-related grant-making, we want to be a force for greater inclusion and respect for human rights.

Throughout 2020, we were inspired by the compassion of our partners to help people and communities, as well as their tenacity and creativity in overcoming these extraordinary circumstances. In 2021, we hope to rise up stronger together, and to be more resilient and more determined than ever. We are looking forward to continuing to contribute to a positive future together with our partners, and to making this world a more equitable, inclusive, cleaner and just place to live – for everyone.

In 2020 we made 303 grants totalling more than USD 24 million in response to the Covid-19 crisis. All grants above USD 100,000 are listed here, by region.

Africa

  • African Child Policy Forum – USD 100,000
  • FNB Philanthropy Donor Choice Foundation Trust – USD 100,000
  • Maliasili Initiatives Inc – USD 100,000
  • Médecins sans Frontières Suisse – (MSF Switzerland) – USD 400,000
  • Peninsula School Feeding Association – USD 100,000
  • Solidarité Féminine pour la Paix et le Développement Intégral – USD 100,000
  • South Africa National Parks – USD 100,000
  • Terre des Hommes Lausanne – USD 100,000
  • Wildlife Crime Prevention – USD 100,000

Europe

  • Accem – USD 100,000
  • Alliance for international medical action – USD 100,000
  • Brugernes Akademi – USD 100,000
  • Calala Fondo de Mujeres – USD 100,000
  • Care After Prison – USD 100,000
  • Caring in Bristol – USD 100,000
  • Caritas Canary Islands – USD 100,000
  • Caritas Española – USD 100,000
  • Centre Social Protestant (CSP) – USD 100,000
  • Colegio General de Colegios Oficiales de Psicólogos – USD 100,000
  • Crisis UK – USD 100,000
  • Cruz Roja Espanola (Spanish Red Cross) – USD 200,000
  • Diocesan Caritas of the Canary Islands – USD 1,000,000
  • European Choice – USD 100,000
  • Ex Cathedra – USD 100,000
  • Fond’imad – USD 100,000
  • FødevareBanken – USD 100,000
  • Gadejuristen – USD 100,000
  • Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity – USD 100,000
  • Imkaan – USD 500,000
  • Imperial College London – USD 100,000
  • Indvandrer Kvindecentre – USD 100,000
  • Irish Refugee Council – USD 100,000
  • Jesuit Refugee Service – Europe – USD 100,000
  • King’s College (Guy’s & St. Thomas Hospital Trust) – USD 100,000
  • Kirkens Korshær – USD 100,000
  • Marie Curie Cancer Care – USD 100,000
  • Médecins sans Frontières Spain – USD 100,000
  • Médecins sans Frontières Suisse (MSF Switzerland) – USD 100,000
  • Media Matters for Women – USD 100,000
  • Oxfam – USD 200,000
  • Oxford University – USD 100,000
  • Protezione Civile – USD 100,000
  • Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc. – USD 100,000
  • Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – USD 649,351
  • Solidarité Femmes Network – USD 100,000
  • Swiss Philanthropy Foundation – USD 100,000
  • The Mediterranean Women’s Fund – USD 100,000
  • The Priory of England and the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem – USD 100,000
  • The Voices Project – USD 100,000
  • Union Chapel – USD 100,000
  • University of Cambridge – USD 100,000
  • Vicar’s Relief Fund – USD 649,351
  • WAWCAS International – USD 200,000
  • Winterhilfe Schweiz – Secours Suisse d’Hiver – USD 100,000

India

  • Doctors for You – USD 100,000
  • Oxfam India – USD 100,000
  • Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society India – USD 100,000
  • Traidcraft Exchange UK – USD 100,000
  • Praxis – Institute for Participatory Practices – USD 150,000

Latin America

  • Associação Habitat para a Humanidade – USD 100,000
  • Brazil Fund for Human Rights – USD 100,000
  • Central de Artivismo e Innovación – USD 100,000
  • Centro de Estudos Avançados de Promoção Social e Ambiental – USD 100,000
  • Centro de Culturas Indigenas del Peru – USD 100,000
  • Fundación Hombro a Hombro – USD 100,000
  • Fundo Socioambiental CASA – USD 100,000
  • Hispanics in Philanthropy – USD 250,000
  • Urgent Action Fund of Latin America – USD 100,000

United States and Canada

  • Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc. – USD 100,000
  • American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc – USD 100,000
  • Blueprint NC – USD 100,000
  • Boston Medical Center Corporation – USD 100,000
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of America – USD 100,000
  • Center for Economic and Social Rights – USD 100,000
  • Center for Economic Democracy – USD 100,000
  • Child Mind Institute Inc – USD 100,000
  • Community Empowerment Fund – USD 100,000
  • DonorsChoose – USD 100,000
  • Duke University – USD 100,000
  • First Nations Development Institute – USD 100,000
  • Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina – USD 100,000
  • Footsteps – USD 100,000
  • Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives – USD 100,000
  • Harlem Children’s Zone – USD 200,000
  • Hawaii Community Foundation – USD 100,000
  • HealthySteps – USD 100,000
  • Ilisaqsivik Society – USD 100,000
  • Inter-Faith Food Shuttle – USD 100,000
  • Lenawee Community Foundation – USD 100,000
  • Montefiore Medical Center – USD 100,000
  • National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty – USD 100,000
  • Nest, Inc. – USD 100,000
  • New York City Health and Hospitals – USD 100,000
  • Partners in Health – USD 100,000
  • Robin Hood Foundation – USD 500,000
  • Seventh Generation Fund For Indigenous Peoples – USD 100,000
  • Silicon Valley Community Foundation – USD 100,000
  • Southern Partners Fund – USD 100,000
  • Tahirih Justice Center – USD 100,000
  • Tenant Union Representative Network – USD 100,000
  • The Conservation Fund – USD 250,000
  • Tides Foundation – USD 100,000
  • Transcend – USD 100,000
  • Triangle Community Foundation – USD 100,000
  • United Way of the Greater Triangle – USD 100,000
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – USD 100,000
  • Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights – USD 100,000
  • VoteAmerica Inc – USD 100,000

Worldwide

  • CARE USA – USD 200,000
  • Fundación Avina – USD 100,000
  • Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion – USD 100,000
  • International Women’s Health Coalition – USD 100,000
  • Oxford University – USD 1,298,701
  • Physicians for Human Rights – USD 100,000
  • Together for Girls – USD 200,000
  • WAVE Network – USD 250,000