Oak Foundation was formally established in 1983. Early grants were made in Denmark to organizations 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 programs.

Since then we have been growing steadily and today we have 11 programs, through which we have made more than 5,440 grants to organizations around the world. Our six main programs are: Environment, Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, Housing and Homelessness, International Human Rights, Issues Affecting Women and Learning Differences. In addition our Trustees support causes that fall outside the remits of the other programs through the Special Interest Programme. There are also four national programs: 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.