Meet Amina
Guiding donors and institutions through complexity with clarity, care, and purpose.
Amina Doherty is a globally respected philanthropic strategist and senior advisor with more than two decades of experience helping institutions invest in social change.
She currently serves as Head of Programs and Impact at the Clara Lionel Foundation, where she leads strategy and oversees funding that supports community resilience and expands access to opportunity across the Caribbean and the U.S. South.
Career
Amina is known for building trust, asking the right questions, and helping organizations move resources with care and intention. She has worked with philanthropic leaders, governments, and community partners to design funding approaches that are both practical and values-led. As Co-Founder of the Black Feminist Fund, she helped build a multi-million-dollar global platform that reshaped how funding reaches Black-led movements.
Earlier in her career, she served as the founding Executive Director of FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund, influencing grantmaking practices that continue to shape the field. She later supported the early development of the Equality Fund, serving as Vice President of People, Equity, and Culture and leading grantmaking in the Caribbean. Read more about her Board and Advisory work.
Roots
Raised between Africa and the Caribbean, Amina brings a global perspective shaped by lived experience across four continents. This background informs her understanding of how power operates within institutions and communities, and why trust, accountability, and long-term partnership matter. Throughout her career, she has worked alongside institutional leaders and cultural practitioners to strengthen local leadership and expand who gets to shape solutions.
Amina advises foundations and social impact organizations during moments of change. She is valued for her clear thinking, steady presence, and ability to help leadership teams turn intention into action.
Amina holds an MSc in Gender and Development from the London School of Economics and a BA with distinction in Political Science and Women’s Studies from McGill University. She serves on several international boards and advisory councils, offering practical insight drawn from years of experience in the field.