Doria invites feminist activists and feminist movement builders to apply for any of our core funding, project funding, or knowledge production grants. Doria Fund will prioritize applications from:

• New and emerging groups, individuals, and collectives in the MENA region
• Groups, individuals, and collectives who have never previously received funding
• Established groups, individuals, or collectives seeking funding to launch a new project

Doria Fund seeks to support groups, individuals, and collectives working from a feminist lense, that contribute to feminist movement building, knowledge production, and solidarity. Doria will prioritize:

• Projects and applications led by women and trans* groups, individuals, and collectives
• Projects and applications from any country or sub-region in the MENA region
• Arabic, French, and English language applications (however, Doria will make reasonable accommodations for applicants who are unable to submit in one of the three languages)

Doria Feminist Fund supports new and emerging feminist groups, collectives, and individuals with flexible funding in three main areas: Core, Flexible Grants, Knowledge Production Grants, and Collaborative Project Grants. Doria grants are open to any feminist group or collective in the MENA region, however, Doria will prioritize applications from groups that have not received funding or financial support in the past.

• Core, Flexible Grant: Groups may apply for core grants through Doria Fund. Core grants are flexible funds that groups may use to sustain the general operations of their group’s activities. Core, Flexible Grants are tailored to enable groups to lead decision-making for how their funding is used to support their operations. Core, flexible grants may be used for office rent, equipment/supplies, salaries, project activities, capacity building, and more. In addition to receiving the grant, Doria grantees will receive direct support and mentorship from the Doria community to support with building and strengthening capacities that will ensure the sustainability of the group after receiving Doria funding. Core, Flexible Grants can range up to $15,000 USD.
• Knowledge Production Grant: Groups, collectives, and individuals may apply for Knowledge Production Grants as part of Doria Fund’s commitment to fostering unique narratives of the feminist movement in the MENA region by and for feminists in the region. Working within the Creative Commons framework, content produced through the grant will be shared publicly, and accessible to the public, while remaining under the ownership of the content creators. Knowledge Production Grants are open to projects that highlight the lived experiences and realities of the feminist movement in the MENA region, through any medium including creative writing, translation to Arabic, convenings/workshops on feminist themes, publishing educational materials on women, gender, and feminist issues in the MENA region, and more. Knowledge Production Grants are awarded up to $15,000 USD.
• Project Grants: The Project Fund (up to $15,000 USD) grant to established feminist groups seeking to provide technical and political support that may enable groups who are seeking to establish new programs or start a new activities. Project Grants aim to encourage groups that have ongoing, funded, activities to keep up with changing political contexts and community needs by supporting them financially and technically as they mindfully expand their work. Doria Fund encourages groups to broaden the scope of their work and to adopt new feminist practices and mechanisms that further their current work as well.
• Emergency Response Grants: Doria’s Emergency Response Grants are flexible core support offered to existing and new grantee partners, Doria grant applicants, and other organisations and collectives within our networks or by referral, that are in need of urgent and short-term financial resources. This grant is core, flexible support to support the grantee community through unexpected crises. The grant can be used for emergency response, disaster relief support, well-being and care initiatives, medical or health support, community aid, or for strengthening the work of the organisation or initiative to be able to respond more effectively to the changing conditions in their context. The Emergency Response grant will be a one-time core, flexible grant of up to $15,00 USD, and the grant period will be six months to one year.

Doria is committed to supporting groups, individuals, and collectives to initially launch or strengthen their work, and therefore only supports groups over one grantmaking cycle. Doria Fund is committed to ensuring that the Doria grantee community is supporting beyond financial resources. By connecting groups with peers, experts, and other support in the MENA feminist movement space, Doria Fund seeks to support grantees on their own terms. Doria grantees will work one-on-one in a feminist mentorship program that fosters knowledge exchange, collective learning, and capacity building as a mechanism for movement building and sustainability.

Outreach Approaches
Doria ensures inclusive outreach by creating a multilingual online presence in Arabic, French, and English. Outreach efforts include engaging with feminist activists across the MENA region through solidarity spaces, storytelling initiatives, and networks. Doria also organizes prospective applicant webinars to guide applicants through the application process, ensuring accessibility and clarity.

Application Process
Applications are submitted via Doria’s grant platform, which collects essential information about the applicants, including organizational details, references, online presence, and past projects. This process supports Doria’s due diligence efforts and helps identify strong candidates.

Eligibility Criteria
Doria grants are open to feminist organizations and collectives working in or supporting activists in the MENA region. Priority is given to applicants addressing marginalized communities, operating in sensitive or urgent contexts, or employing innovative approaches to movement building. Doria values proposals that highlight underrepresented issues in feminist spaces and respond to the changing regional landscape.

Eligibility Criteria
Doria grants are open to feminist organizations and collectives working in or supporting activists in the MENA region. Priority is given to applicants addressing marginalized communities, operating in sensitive or urgent contexts, or employing innovative approaches to movement building. Doria values proposals that highlight underrepresented issues in feminist spaces and respond to the changing regional landscape.

Grant Selection Process

• Activist Review Committee: Doria establishes a Grants Review Committee of five independent feminist activists with no conflicts of interest. Committee members follow a clear Terms of Reference (ToR) and collaborate with Doria staff to review applications.
• Application Review: Doria staff ensures all applications are complete and eligible. Applications are scored based on alignment with Doria’s values, movement-building potential, and community impact.
• Selection: The committee shortlists applicants after thorough review and feedback. A due diligence process validates shortlisted applicants through reference checks, online verification, and security assessments. Final recommendations are approved collectively by the committee and Doria grants team.

Onboarding and Welcome Process
Once selected, grantees receive an official award letter detailing the grant type, funding amount, and main points of contact. Grantees participate in welcome calls with Doria staff and committee members to discuss the grantee journey, including reporting timelines, safety measures, and capacity-building opportunities.

Grantee Support and Reporting
Grantees complete a narrative report and financial summary, participate in regular check-ins, and may undergo interviews to contribute to Doria’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) processes. A centralized database tracks all grantee interactions and documents progress.

Accompaniment Program
Doria collaborates with grantees to identify capacity-building needs through a tailored assessment. Grantees are paired with experts for targeted mentorship and participate in webinars and peer-learning sessions on topics such as digital security, financial strengthening, and proposal writing. Doria also connects grantees with regional feminist networks to foster collective learning, knowledge exchange, and movement sustainability.

Individuals are not eligible to apply for grants. Only collectives, groups, or organizations are eligible to submit applications. This ensures that Doria grants support collaborative efforts, foster feminist accountability, and have a broader community impact. Eligible applicants must demonstrate that they are working collectively to produce knowledge, drive advocacy, or implement initiatives aligned with the grant’s objectives. Collectives or groups can include informal networks, grassroots organizations, or formal entities, provided they meet the criteria specified in the grant guidelines.

No, Doria is committed to supporting the work of activists who may not be able to register. Doria will work with each grantee on a case-by-case basis to receive the funds in a safe way. Doria grantees are asked to receive, spend, and report on the spending of the grant in a transparent way, following Doria’s feminist values and policies.

No, Doria will work with each grantee on a case-by-case basis to receive the funds in a safe way.

Yes

No, Doria is committed to supporting work led by women and trans* groups, individuals, and collectives.

Yes, however, Doria prioritizes applications led by women and trans* groups, individuals, and collectives.

Yes, Doria Fund will prioritize applications from:

• New and emerging groups, individuals, and collectives in the MENA region
• Groups, individuals, and collectives who have never previously received funding
• Established groups, individuals, or collectives seeking funding to launch a new project

No

Doria trusts the group to determine its own priorities and therefore its own expenditures.  By core grant, we mean that you may use the grant for operational expenses, for activities or for building your own internal capacities.
By flexibility we mean that you may reconsider your priorities and reallocate your grant accordingly.

Doria Feminist Fund Grants Portal

If you are unable to submit the online application, please reach out to Doria via: grants@doriafeministfund.org

Doria Fund will prioritize applications from:

• New and emerging groups, individuals, and collectives in the MENA region
• Groups, individuals, and collectives who have never previously receivedfunding
• Established groups, individuals, or collectives seeking funding to launch a new project

Doria Fund seeks to support groups, individuals, and collectives working from a feminist lense, that contribute to feminist movement building, knowledge production, and solidarity. Doria will prioritize:

• Projects and applications led by women and trans* groups, individuals, and collectives
• Projects and applications from any country or sub-region in the MENA region
• Arabic, French, and English language applications (however, Doria will make reasonable accommodations for applicants who are unable to submit in one of the three languages)

Also, we are open to innovative ways and simple ones for those who are in critical situations (conflict, rural ...)

Some tips for drafting your grants proposal

• Carefully review Doria’s eligibility criteria and priorities. Highlight how your work aligns with feminist movement building, supports marginalized communities, or addresses women issues in the MENA region.
• Write clearly and avoid jargon. Provide specific examples of your past work, impact, and how the proposed grant will contribute to your goals.
• Include information about your collective or organization’s members, their roles, and how their experiences contribute to the project.
• Explain how your project addresses the needs of your community and involves them in decision-making.
• Focus on what sets your work apart—innovative approaches, working in sensitive contexts, or centering underrepresented voices.
• Present a realistic budget and timeline that reflect the scale and scope of your project.
• Prepare to engage with Doria’s team throughout the application process and beyond, as part of a collaborative feminist movement.
• Attend Doria’s webinars, review application guidelines, and ask questions if needed to ensure a strong and informed proposal.

Doria Fund’s grant selection process is led by a Grants Review Committee made up of five independent reviewers. These reviewers are feminist activists, advocates, and experts from diverse backgrounds who are carefully selected to ensure there are no conflicts of interest with any of the applicants.

The reviewers are provided with a detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) that outlines their responsibilities and the selection criteria. These criteria include alignment with Doria’s mission and values, the innovative and strategic nature of the proposal, the applicant’s focus on marginalized and underrepresented communities, and the feasibility and impact of the proposed work.

Each application is thoroughly reviewed and scored by the committee members based on these criteria. The committee discusses the top-scoring applications collectively to create a shortlist. This is followed by a due diligence process conducted by the Doria team, which includes verifying the legitimacy of applicants through references, online presence, and additional checks.

Once the due diligence process is complete, the final list of grantees is reviewed and approved collaboratively by the committee and Doria’s leadership. Security assessments are conducted to ensure safe and ethical funding practices before finalizing the awards.

This participatory and transparent process ensures that the grants are awarded to applicants who best align with Doria’s strategic objectives and have the potential to create meaningful impact in their communities.

Yes, Doria requests financial reporting from grantee partners. Grantees are required to submit a financial summary along with a narrative report as part of their reporting process. This helps ensure transparency and accountability while also supporting Doria’s understanding of how the funds are being used to achieve the intended impact.