Report a concern
Oak Foundation is committed to lawful, ethical, and responsible conduct in all areas of our work. This mechanism is for reporting serious concerns related to Oak Foundation, our staff, or the work we support, including legal, ethical, safeguarding, financial, or operational concerns. On this page, we explain what kinds of concerns can be reported, who can use this mechanism, and how we will respond.
Who can use this mechanism
Grantees, sub-grantees, and others with a relevant concern related to Oak Foundation may use this mechanism to report current, past, or anticipated concerns. You do not need to have all the facts to report a concern, but we ask that reports are made in good faith. Reports may be submitted confidentially or anonymously. If you report anonymously, we may have limited ability to ask follow-up questions or provide a response. We will treat all reports carefully and will share information only with those who need it to review and respond to the concern.
How we can and can’t respond
When we receive a concern, we will review it carefully. Where contact details have been provided, we may acknowledge receipt, ask follow-up questions, or share limited updates where appropriate. Depending on the nature of the concern, we may also ask whether there are any immediate safety, safeguarding, or retaliation risks, engage with the relevant organisation’s leadership or board, ask what safeguards or corrective actions are in place, and assess how the organisation is responding. We may also consider whether any changes to Oak’s funding relationship are appropriate. Where the concern relates to an Oak grantee, this may include adding grant conditions, offering additional support, pausing funding, or discontinuing funding.
Oak Foundation is not a regulator or an investigative body. We do not determine the facts of individual complaints, and we cannot replace an organisation’s own accountability, governance, employment, safeguarding, or complaints processes. Where concerns relate to an independent organisation, Oak cannot direct internal governance, manage investigations, compel a board to act, or take over that organisation’s own accountability processes.
What not to report
This mechanism should not be used for funding proposals, general enquiries, or comments on Oak’s strategy. It is also not intended for individual employment or staff disagreements, which should usually be addressed through the internal procedures of the employing organisation. Such matters should only be raised through this mechanism if there is a serious management, safeguarding, or governance failure to address them.
How to report
You can report a concern using the online form below. The information you submit will initially be shared with Oak Foundation’s Director of Operations and Chief of Staff. After an initial review, other staff or advisers may be informed where appropriate and on a need-to-know basis.
For funding proposals, please visit our Submit a letter of enquiry For general enquiries, please visit our Contact us page.
More information
For more information, you may wish to review the following policies:
• Oak Foundation Financial Integrity Policy
• Oak Foundation Child Safeguarding Policy
You can find out more about Oak’s child safeguarding work here.
Report a concern form
Please provide as much information as you can. You do not need to have all the facts to report a concern, but we ask that reports are made in good faith. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. All other fields are optional. If you provide contact details, we may use them to ask follow-up questions or to let you know that your report has been received.