AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC

EIN 13-6213516 · Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy (R600)

What they do

AS NOTED IN ITS ARTICLES of INCORPORATION, THE MISSION of THE ACLU FOUNDATION is "TO ENCOURAGE, SPONSOR, and FACILITATE THE CULTIVATION and DIFFUSION of KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING of THE VARIOUS CIVIL LIBERTIES and CIVIL RIGHTS WHICH ARE PROTECTED BY THE CONSTITUTION and LAWS of THE UNITED STATES or of THE VARIOUS STATES to PERSONS INVOLVED IN ACTIVITIES WHEREIN THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS and LIBERTIES ARE THREATENED or INFRINGED." THE ACLU FOUNDATION TODAY REMAINS FOCUSED ON THE OVERARCHING GOALS SET BY ITS FOUNDERS, SERVING AS THE NATIONS GUARDIAN of LIBERTY, WORKING DAILY IN COURTS, LEGISLATURES and COMMUNITIES to DEFEND and PRESERVE THE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS and LIBERTIES THAT THE CONSTITUTION and LAWS of THE US GUARANTEE. THE ACLU ALSO WORKS to EXTEND RIGHTS to SEGMENTS of THE POPULATION THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN DENIED THEIR RIGHTS, INCLUDING PEOPLE of COLOR; WOMEN; LESBIANS, GAY MEN, BISEXUALS and TRANSGENDER and GENDER NONBINARY PEOPLE; PRISONERS; and PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $83.50 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders32 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

66.87%of revenue went to mission work83.5% of expenses · Program services

6.79%of revenue went to fundraising8.5% of expenses

$80.05spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

6.39%of revenue went to management and office costs8.0% of expenses

$3.92in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

93.9%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $646,994 for KARY MOSS (NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF AFFILIATES SUPPORT & NATIONWI). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$306,750,536

Mission workProgram services$205,120,82366.87% of revenue83.5% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$19,597,5736.39% of revenue8.0% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$20,823,9666.79% of revenue8.5% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$61,208,17419.95% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$245,542,36280.05% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 83.5% mission · 8.0% management · 8.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 80.05% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 81.5% mission · 9.4% management · 9.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 108.93% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 82.6% mission · 8.0% management · 9.3% fundraisingTotal expenses: 92.62% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 83.4% mission · 7.4% management · 9.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 71.36% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 83.8% mission · 5.7% management · 10.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 71.57% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 81.5% mission · 7.3% management · 11.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 76.21% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 85.1% mission · 4.6% management · 10.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 68.49% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 87.6% mission · 3.3% management · 9.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 78.95% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$306,750,536

Expenses$245,542,362

Annual surplus $61,208,174 Revenue was higher than expenses for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$205,120,823 · 83.5% of expenses

Management and office costs$19,597,573 · 8.0% of expenses

Fundraising$20,823,966 · 8.5% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$306,750,536

Expenses$245,542,362

Assets$961,853,261

Income$461,379,142

Contributions$287,910,982

Mission work (program services)$205,120,823

Fundraising$20,823,966

Grants given$126,278,821

Average grant$266,974

Management and general$19,597,573

Executive compensation (total)$3,690,417

Stocks and bonds$300,260,356

Accounting fees$252,034

Investing fees$2,575,639

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

KARY MOSSNATIONAL DIRECTOR OF AFFILIATES SUPPORT & NATIONWI · 34 hrs/week $646,994Base $498,809 · Other $148,185

MARK V WIERCHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER · 34 hrs/week $589,082Base $520,123 · Other $68,959

DAVID D COLENATIONAL LEGAL DIRECTOR (THRU 10/15/2024) · 34 hrs/week $531,116Base $494,121 · Other $36,995

CECILLIA WANGNATIONAL LEGAL DIRECTOR (AS OF 10/16/2024) · 34 hrs/week $460,989Base $398,925 · Other $62,064

KRISTON MCINTOSHCHIEF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING OFFICER · 26 hrs/week $459,450Base $435,187 · Other $24,263

LOUISE MELLINGDEPUTY LEGAL DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR LIBERTY · 40 hrs/week $454,926Base $363,528 · Other $91,398

ELIZABETH FITZGERALDDIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT · 40 hrs/week $453,098Base $353,947 · Other $99,151

MIRIAM CADERDEPUTY LEGAL DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $401,685Base $329,085 · Other $72,600

MOHAMMAD ZAIDISENIOR DIRECTOR OF NATIONWIDE LEADERSHIP AND PLANN · 40 hrs/week $374,198Base $286,006 · Other $88,192

ANTHONY D ROMEROEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO · 14 hrs/week $368,410Base · Other $368,410

TERENCE R DOUGHERTYDEP. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/GENERAL COUNSEL · 14 hrs/week $90,020Base · Other $90,020

AMARDEEP SINGHCHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (THRU 11/30/2024) · 14 hrs/week $71,778Base · Other $71,778

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (32)

KARY MOSSNATIONAL DIRECTOR OF AFFILIATES SUPPORT & NATIONWI

MARK V WIERCHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

DAVID D COLENATIONAL LEGAL DIRECTOR (THRU 10/15/2024)

CECILLIA WANGNATIONAL LEGAL DIRECTOR (AS OF 10/16/2024)

KRISTON MCINTOSHCHIEF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING OFFICER

LOUISE MELLINGDEPUTY LEGAL DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR LIBERTY

ELIZABETH FITZGERALDDIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

MIRIAM CADERDEPUTY LEGAL DIRECTOR

MOHAMMAD ZAIDISENIOR DIRECTOR OF NATIONWIDE LEADERSHIP AND PLANN

ANTHONY D ROMEROEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO

TERENCE R DOUGHERTYDEP. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/GENERAL COUNSEL

AMARDEEP SINGHCHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (THRU 11/30/2024)

AJ HIKESDEP. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY & CULTURE

CHARIZMA T WILLIAMSCOO

DEIRDRE SCHIFELINGCHIEF POLITICAL & ADVOCACY OFFICER

LARISA MUELLERCFO

CHARU VERMADIRECTOR/VICE PRESIDENT

YOMI YOUNGDIRECTOR

SHAAKIRRAH SANDERSDIRECTOR/GENERAL COUNSEL

RUTH COLKERDIRECTOR

RONALD TYLERGENERAL COUNSEL (THRU 02/01/2025)

ROBERT REMARDIRECTOR/VP, TREASURER (THRU 02/01/2025)

ANIL MUJUMDARDIRECTOR (THRU 02/02/2025)

MICHELLE ESPINODIRECTOR

DAX GOLDSTEINDIRECTOR/SECRETARY

CHERIE DAWSON EDWARDSDIRECTOR (THRU 02/01/2025)

COLEMAN BAZELONDIRECTOR (AS OF 10/05/2024)

CONNIE TCHENGDIRECTOR/TREASURER(AS OF 02/01/2025)

GABRIELLE UBALLEZDIRECTOR (AS OF 10/05/2024)

DARLENE ENGLISHDIRECTOR (AS OF 10/05/2024)

DONITA JUDGEDIRECTOR

DEBORAH ARCHERDIRECTOR/PRESIDENT

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1967
Location: 125 BROAD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10004-2400
County: New York
In care of: % CHARIZMA WILLIAMS COO
Primary officer: CHARIZMA T WILLIAMS, COO

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Phone(212) 549-2500

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: April 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: BDO USA
NTEE classification: Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy (R600)
IRS tax category: Human Rights Organizations
Grant-giving organization: Yes