American Civil Liberties Union

Also known as ACLU, ACLU National, American Civil Liberties Union, Inc.

American advocacy group

Key facts

Predecessor: National Civil Liberties Bureau
Formation: January 19, 1920 ; 106 years ago ( 1920-01-19 )
Founders: Jeannette Rankin Roger Nash Baldwin Crystal Eastman Helen Keller Walter Nelles Morris Ernst Albert DeSilver Arthur Garfield Hays Jane Addams Felix Frankfurter Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
Type: 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization
Tax id no: 13-3871360
Purpose: Civil liberties advocacy
Headquarters: 125 Broad Street , New York City, U.S.
Region served: United States
Members: 1.7 million (2024)
President: Deborah Archer
Executive director: Anthony Romero
Budget

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Article

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million.

The ACLU provides legal assistance in cases where it considers civil liberties at risk with advocacy from a secularist stance against excessive religious entanglement over the United States government. Legal support from the ACLU can take the form of direct legal representation or preparation of amicus curiae briefs expressing legal arguments when another law firm is already providing representation. In addition to representing persons and organizations in lawsuits, the ACLU lobbies for policy positions established by its board of directors.