ACLU
The ACLU is a non-profit civil liberties organization with 1,800+ staff and 50+ affiliates that provides pro bono impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and Know Your Rights education across free speech, voting, LGBTQ+ equality, immigration, criminal justice, and privacy issues for individuals, coalitions, and the broader U.S. public.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ACLU does
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit civil liberties organization headquartered at 125 Broad Street, New York, with a national footprint of 1,800+ staff and 50+ independent state and territorial affiliates, including ACLU of Tennessee (incorporated 1970, Nashville). Its core function is constitutional rights defense delivered through three integrated motions: (i) impact litigation in federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court, (ii) legislative advocacy and lobbying across issue verticals, and (iii) grassroots mobilization via petition drives, email campaigns, rallies (e.g., the 'No Kings' protests), and celebrity-amplified campaigns. Issue verticals span Free Speech, Immigrants' Rights, Criminal Legal Reform, Democracy & Voting, LGBTQ+ Equality, Gender Equality, Privacy/Surveillance/Technology, Religious Freedom, and Police Accountability.
Core service products are non-transactional and provided pro bono: Know Your Rights educational resources, a Legal Assistance Request System, an Advocacy Tools Platform for constituent action, a Court Cases Database (82+ cases for ACLU-TN alone), Legislative Advocacy Resources tracking state bills, and the 'More Than A Game' campaign. Underlying technology consists of digital organizing platforms, case management systems, secure donation processing, encrypted supporter communications, and a published Data Governance Framework with eight privacy principles. ACLU-TN does not build AI systems; instead it litigates and advocates against facial recognition and surveillance AI, with documented casework on at least 15 wrongful arrests tied to facial recognition.
The business model is donation-funded: individual contributions, recurring memberships, major gifts, direct mail, digital fundraising, merchandise sales through the ACLU store, and ticketed events (galas, educational programs). Pricing is non-applicable — legal representation through the ACLU Foundation is provided at no cost. The customer base is not a paying one in the traditional sense; instead, ACLU serves individual litigants, member-donors, coalition partners, and the broader public as beneficiaries of precedent-setting litigation and Know Your Rights education.
ACLU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ACLU
- Legal name
- American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, Inc.
- Website
- https://aclu-tn.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The ACLU is a non-profit civil liberties organization with 1,800+ staff and 50+ affiliates that provides pro bono impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and Know Your Rights education across free speech, voting, LGBTQ+ equality, immigration, criminal justice, and privacy issues for individuals, coalitions, and the broader U.S. public.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ACLU industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civil Rights Legal Advocacy
- NAICS
- Human Rights Organizations (813311), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Other Legal Services (54119), Professional Organizations (81392)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK), Legal Literacy & Public Legal Education (Know Your Rights) (EDAAAFAI)
Keywords
Where ACLU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
ACLU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Membership: Individual donations, membership fees, and major gifts from supporters. The ACLU generates revenue through direct mail, digital fundraising campaigns, online donations, and membership drives. The organization is a nonprofit that depends on public support.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of ACLU-branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and promotional items through the ACLU store.
- Events: Revenue from ticketed events, including fundraiser events, galas, and educational programs.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
ACLU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The ACLU provides free legal representation in constitutional rights cases through its Foundation entity, conducts legislative advocacy and lobbying for civil liberties protections, delivers public education through Know Your Rights guides, and operates grassroots organizing campaigns. The organization litigates cases in federal and state courts including the U.S. Supreme Court on issues spanning free speech, immigrants' rights, criminal legal reform, LGBTQ+ equality, voting rights, and privacy. Services are provided at no cost to clients and are funded through donations, membership fees, and fundraising events.
Product overview
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and its Tennessee affiliate operate as civil rights advocacy organizations offering legal services, educational resources, and advocacy platforms rather than traditional technology products. The core offerings include: Know Your Rights educational resources helping individuals understand constitutional protections; a Legal Assistance Request System for seeking representation in civil liberties cases; an Advocacy Tools Platform enabling supporter engagement through petitions and legislative contact; a searchable Court Cases Database documenting legal challenges across issues including Criminal Legal Reform, Democracy & Voting, LGBTQ+ Equality, Privacy, and Religious Freedom; and the More Than A Game Campaign supporting transgender rights. These services function as interconnected components of ACLU's civil liberties defense mission, combining legal advocacy, public education, and grassroots organizing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Know Your Rights Resources Educational resources provided by ACLU-TN to help individuals understand their constitutional rights in various situations including interactions with law enforcement, voting, and other civil liberties contexts.
- Legal Assistance Request System
- Advocacy Tools Platform
- Court Cases Database
- Legislative Advocacy Resources
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 years of civil liberties advocacy and litigation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ACLU
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ACLU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
ACLU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.
- Lambda LegalcoreCo-counsel in LGBTQ+ rights litigation including challenges to gender-affirming care bans and anti-drag laws. Lambda Legal and ACLU collaborate on Supreme Court cases affecting transgender rights.
- Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)coreDigital rights advocacy partnership on surveillance, privacy, and technology civil liberties issues. Joint litigation and advocacy on facial recognition, government data collection, and encryption.
- National ACLU Affiliates Networkcore50+ state and territorial affiliates sharing resources, coordinated campaigns, and state-level advocacy. National ACLU coordinates with affiliates on litigation strategy and messaging.
- Amnesty InternationalflagshipJoint human rights campaigns including the 2026 World Cup travel advisory warning international visitors about U.S. immigration enforcement. Led coalition of 120 rights organizations.
- NAACPflagshipCivil rights coalition partner on racial justice issues, voting rights, and criminal justice reform. Joint advocacy against discriminatory policies.
- Ballard SpahrcoreLaw firm co-counsel in LGBTQ+ litigation including challenges to anti-LGBTQ+ ordinances in Murfreesboro and other Tennessee cases.
- Horwitz Law PLLCcoreNashville-based litigation firm specializing in First Amendment law and civil rights, serving as co-counsel in drag performer free speech cases.
- Southern Poverty Law CentercoreCo-plaintiff in litigation challenging Tennessee's Universal Voucher Program in Young v. Lee, arguing the law unconstitutionally diverts public funds to private schools.
- Education Law CentercoreCo-plaintiff in Young v. Lee challenging Tennessee's voucher program on education equity grounds.
- League of Women VoterscoreCo-plaintiff in lawsuit blocking Trump administration database combining Social Security numbers and citizenship status, protecting voting rights.
- Fight for the FuturemajorCoalition partner in opposition to Meta's facial recognition features for smart glasses. Joint letter with 70+ organizations demanding abandonment of the technology.
- Center for Democracy & TechnologymajorPrivacy advocacy partner opposing FCC burner phone regulations and government surveillance programs. Joint advocacy on digital rights.
- National Center for Youth LawmajorCo-filer of FOIA lawsuit demanding transparency on treatment of pregnant unaccompanied immigrant youth in federal immigration custody.
- Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLPcoreMajor law firm co-counsel in L.W. v. Skrmetti challenging Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
- Bruce SpringsteenflagshipMusic artist who partnered with ACLU and immigration rights organizations at every tour stop, highlighting detention conditions and advocating for policy changes.
- Elliot PageflagshipActor starring in 'More Than A Game' national public awareness campaign supporting transgender youth ahead of Supreme Court sports participation cases.
- Megan RapinoeflagshipSoccer star featured in 'More Than A Game' campaign supporting transgender youth participation in sports.
- Sue BirdflagshipBasketball legend featured in 'More Than A Game' campaign defending transgender people's civil rights and freedoms.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ACLU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Customer concentration
ACLU social profiles
Digital presenceACLU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ACLU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ACLU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ACLU M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ACLU
What does ACLU do?
The ACLU provides free legal representation in constitutional rights cases through its Foundation entity, conducts legislative advocacy and lobbying for civil liberties protections, delivers public education through Know Your Rights guides, and operates grassroots organizing campaigns. The organization litigates cases in federal and state courts including the U.S. Supreme Court on issues spanning free speech, immigrants' rights, criminal legal reform, LGBTQ+ equality, voting rights, and privacy. Services are provided at no cost to clients and are funded through donations, membership fees, and fundraising events.
Is ACLU a public or private company?
ACLU is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ACLU founded?
ACLU was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ACLU based?
ACLU is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does ACLU make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Membership is the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and events.
Does ACLU have an API?
No public API is recorded for ACLU.
What industry is ACLU in?
ACLU's product category is Civil Rights Legal Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAB, Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAM, Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services. Its NAICS code is 813311 and its SIC code is 8111.