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Did Doris fund protests and indivisible
Executive summary
Available reporting shows Indivisible is a national organizing network that both coordinates local protests and receives funding from a mix of small donors, wealthy progressive philanthropists and foundations — including documented grants from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations — while local groups and Indivisible itself say many events are locally funded or volunteer-driven [1] [2] [3] [4]. Conservative outlets and some state actors accuse Indivisible of running “paid” protests backed by dark money; Indivisible and local chapters dispute that characterization, saying most turnout is grassroots and some reimbursements or grants are limited and targeted [5] [3] [2].
1. Who/what is “Indivisible”? — From a guide to a national network
Indivisible began as a grassroots playbook and grew into a national organizing operation with a national team that provides tools, training, and coordination while thousands of local chapters run protests and constituent actions in their districts [1] [6]. The organization operates with a dual structure — Indivisible Project (a 501(c)[7]) and a charitable affiliate Indivisible Civics (a 501(c)[8]) — enabling both political advocacy and tax-deductible support for social-welfare activities [9] [10].
2. Does Indivisible fund protests directly? — Yes in some cases, but scale and purpose matter
Reporting documents that Indivisible runs programs that reimburse local chapters for certain protest expenses (examples: up to $200 per congressional recess for costs such as signage, promotion, gas, even “chicken suits”) and that the national team supplies materials, training and logistical support for coordinated actions like “No Kings” [2] [10]. Foundation filings and investigative pieces show Indivisible has received institutional grants intended to support organizing and social-welfare activities, and Indivisible has acknowledged receiving grants from foundations including Open Society-related funding [9] [4].
3. Did “Doris” fund protests and Indivisible? — Not found in current reporting
The available sources do not mention any funder named “Doris” in connection with Indivisible or protest funding; searches and the provided items list named donors such as George Soros/Open Society Foundations and other progressive philanthropists but no “Doris” is cited [9] [2] [4]. If you mean a specific individual or organization called Doris, that name is not present in the materials supplied here — “not found in current reporting.”
4. How big are the grants reported, and what do they cover? — Grants plus small-dollar donations
Several outlets cite multi‑million-dollar grants from Open Society Foundations to Indivisible over multiple years (reporting ranges cited include figures like nearly $8 million since 2017 in news coverage), and some foundation reporting shows multi‑year grants earmarked to support Indivisible’s social-welfare and organizing activities rather than a line-item “pay protesters” budget [2] [11] [9]. At the same time Indivisible emphasizes grassroots small-dollar donations and local fundraising as funding sources for many local events [1] [3] [6].
5. Claims of “paid protests” and “dark money” — competing narratives
State and partisan reports frame recent protest waves as organized and “well‑funded by practically invisible dark money,” asserting top-down coordination [5]. Conservative outlets and social posts amplify claims that Indivisible is “Soros‑funded” and centrally running paid protests [12] [2]. Indivisible and local chapters push back: local groups state “none of thousands of people that have turned out have received a dime from us or from Indivisible National” and attribute turnout to local donations and volunteer activism [3]. Independent outlets note that while institutional grants exist, the overall funding picture mixes small donors and institutional support and is not fully transparent in every case [13] [6].
6. What the records and investigative sources do and do not show
Foundation and nonprofit records (Form 990s and grant databases) documented in watchdog reporting and news articles show grants to Indivisible entities and financial transfers consistent with running national programs and support for local activities [9] [14]. Those records document grants but do not, in the present sources, prove a universal pattern of “paying protesters.” Conversely, some political actors interpret grants for organizing as evidence of astroturfing; Indivisible’s public statements and local chapter responses emphasize volunteer-led, locally funded actions [5] [3].
7. Bottom line and what to watch for next
Available sources confirm Indivisible receives both foundation grants (including from Open Society-related entities) and small-dollar donations and that the national group assists local chapters financially in limited ways [2] [4] [9]. Sources do not show a funder named “Doris” (not found in current reporting). Disputes persist: conservative outlets describe centralized, “dark money”‑backed paid protests, while Indivisible and local chapters describe decentralized, volunteer-driven actions with some national logistical support [5] [3]. For a clearer picture, consult Indivisible’s own filings (Form 990s) and the specific grant contracts cited by foundations and follow local chapter statements about whether reimbursements or grants were used for particular events [9] [14].