American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. It has groups working in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. In 2024, the ACLU had a budget of $383 million.

The ACLU helps people when their basic rights are in danger. It offers legal help, either by representing people directly in court or by writing special documents called amicus curiae briefs to support other lawyers. The ACLU also works to change laws and policies to protect important rights.

Today, the ACLU works on many issues. It opposes the death penalty and supports same-sex marriage and the right of LGBTQ+ people to adopt. It supports reproductive rights like birth control and abortion rights. The ACLU fights against unfair treatment of women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ people. It also works to protect the rights of veterans, prisoners, and people who have been convicted of crimes for the first time. The ACLU believes in keeping churches and government separate and supports treatments for young people who want to change their gender.

Leadership

The ACLU is led by a president and an executive director, Deborah Archer and Anthony D. Romero, as of September 2025. The president chairs the ACLU's board of directors, helps with fundraising, and supports setting policies. The executive director handles the organization's daily work. The board has 80 members, including representatives from each state and other delegates. The ACLU's main office is in a tall building at 125 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

Sometimes, the leaders of the ACLU disagree on important decisions. For example, in 1937, they debated whether to support someone's right to share certain literature. In 1939, they discussed whether certain groups should be allowed in leadership roles. These discussions continued through different times in history, showing that leading the ACLU can be challenging.

Funding

The ACLU asks people to give money to support its work. Each local group in different states collects its own money, but they can also get help from the main ACLU office. The main office sometimes gives money to smaller groups that need it.

In 2004, the ACLU chose not to take $1.5 million from two big foundations because the papers they wanted the ACLU to sign had words that the ACLU thought could hurt people’s rights.

Sometimes, when the ACLU wins a case against a government group, that group has to pay money to the ACLU. In 2024, the ACLU got $268 million from people who support its work.^: 22–3

Policy positions

The ACLU works to protect important rights for everyone. In 2024, they focused on helping people with things like equal treatment, free speech, and voting rights. They also support people who are treated unfairly because of who they are.

When the ACLU started in 1919, free speech was their main concern. They believe everyone should be able to speak their mind, even if others find it upsetting. They also think people should be able to protest and share their ideas, even outside places of worship.

The ACLU has long fought against unfair treatment of people based on their race, religion, or gender. They help protect the rights of people who are not citizens, making sure everyone is treated fairly.

The ACLU also works on issues related to the law and punishment, making sure people get a fair chance to defend themselves. They support people’s right to make their own health care choices, including decisions about having a baby or not. They also care about gun rights, supporting the right to own guns but also thinking there should be some rules about how guns are used.

Partisanship

The ACLU has sometimes been criticized for defending people and groups with unpopular or offensive ideas. This includes defending people with very harsh views, even if most people disagree strongly. The ACLU believes that protecting freedom of speech is most important when the ideas are upsetting to many people. They think everyone, even those with unpopular views, should have the right to speak freely.

The ACLU has worked with many different groups, including some that support equal rights and others that focus on different issues. Some people have said the ACLU favors one side over another, but the organization says it stays neutral and helps both conservative and liberal figures. However, both sides have criticized the ACLU at times for its choices in cases.

Organization and state affiliates

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has two main parts at the national level: the American Civil Liberties Union, which is a social welfare group, and the ACLU Foundation, which is a public charity. Both work to protect civil rights through legal cases, speaking up for important issues, and teaching others. They share similar goals and some leaders, but donations to the charity part can be deducted from taxes, while the social welfare part can speak up about politics more freely.

Most of the ACLU's work happens through local groups in each state, plus one in Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. California even has three of these local groups. These local groups work independently, each having their own team, leader, board, and budget. They also have two parts: one that can speak up about politics and one that cannot. These local groups handle legal cases, speak up for issues, and teach the public about important rights. For example, in 2020, the ACLU group in New Jersey argued 26 cases in the state’s highest court and sent many messages to leaders.

History

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) started from the National Civil Liberties Bureau, founded in 1917 during World War I by Crystal Eastman and Roger Nash Baldwin. It focused on freedom of speech and supporting people who refused to serve in the war because of their beliefs. In 1920, it became the ACLU.

In the 1920s, the ACLU mainly worked on freedom of speech, especially for people in the labor movement. They also helped in cases about racial discrimination. One famous case was when they supported John T. Scopes, who defied a law against teaching evolution in schools.

During the 1930s, the ACLU worked on many important cases, including one where the Supreme Court said peaceful gatherings for discussion cannot be made a crime. They also started working on issues like police misconduct.

In the 1960s, the ACLU grew a lot and took on many new issues, like protecting freedom of speech and association, fighting segregation, and helping people in prison. They also got involved in cases about the Vietnam War and civil rights protests.

The ACLU kept growing and changing over the years, taking on new challenges like protecting privacy, fighting for rights in schools and prisons, and supporting free speech online. They’ve been involved in many important Supreme Court cases and helped shape many laws that protect people's rights.