ACLU of Washington

What ACLU of Washington does

ACLU of Washington (legal name: American Civil Liberties Union of Washington) is a nonprofit, non-partisan civil rights and civil liberties organization founded in 1935 in Seattle, operating as the Washington state affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. The organization protects and extends constitutional rights for Washington residents through impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and community organizing, prioritizing historically disenfranchised groups including immigrants, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, people seeking reproductive or gender-affirming care, and those impacted by the criminal legal system. It runs a searchable database of 304 court cases and is actively litigating matters including a federal Head Start lawsuit and post-2026 Supreme Court victories on birthright citizenship and Fourth Amendment location-data privacy.

The organization delivers value through free public-facing products rather than a commercial technology platform. Core offerings include the Know Your Rights resource library (multilingual wallet cards and guides), the Information and Referral Program (online and phone-based legal intake), the Firewall for Freedom Dashboard (a federal-action tracker across five issue areas), the 2026 Legislative Hub, and event-driven resource centers such as the World Cup Resource Center and Pride 2026. No proprietary technology stack or AI/ML capabilities are described; the product surface is fundamentally knowledge, legal advocacy, and community organizing rather than software.

ACLU of Washington is a people-powered organization with a headcount in the 11-50 range, funded exclusively by member donations, contributions, bequests, and stock gifts, with no government funding accepted. Revenue is generated through recurring membership and small-dollar donations, with 50% of Washington-raised funds shared with the national ACLU, which redistributes portions to affiliates in states like Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama. Services (legal information, referrals, education) are provided free of charge; the go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on member mobilization, volunteer activism, cooperating attorneys, and content/email/event-driven engagement rather than sales-led acquisition.

Name

ACLU of Washington

Legal name

American Civil Liberties Union of Washington

Website

https://aclu-wa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACLU of Washington is a Seattle-based nonprofit and state affiliate of the national ACLU, founded in 1935 to protect civil rights and civil liberties for Washington residents through impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and community organizing, funded by member donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Rights Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy (BPAGAFAL)

Keywords

• Civil rights advocacy
• Legal aid services
• Public education
• Legislative advocacy
• Constitutional rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Donations and Membership Fees: The ACLU is people-powered and fueled by more than a million members and supporters. The organization takes no government funds. Revenue is generated through membership fees, donations, and contributions from individuals. Funds raised in Washington are shared 50/50 with the national ACLU.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACLU of Washington is a private nonprofit civil rights and civil liberties organization that provides legal information, referrals, and impact litigation representation to Washington residents. It delivers Know Your Rights education, state-level legislative advocacy, court-based litigation, and community organizing through a network of members, volunteers, cooperating attorneys, and staff. Services include free legal intake, downloadable educational guides, and rapid-response advocacy on civil liberties threats.

Product overview

ACLU of Washington is a non-partisan civil liberties organization offering advocacy services, legal resources, and public education programs. The organization operates as a unified advocacy platform with core offerings including a Know Your Rights resource library with downloadable guides and wallet cards, an Information and Referral Program for legal assistance, a searchable court cases database covering 304 cases, and the Firewall for Freedom Dashboard tracking federal advocacy responses. Supporting resources include the 2026 Legislative Hub for state-level advocacy, specialized resource centers (World Cup Resource Center, Pride 2026 Resources), publications and newsletters including the annual reports and Washington in Action newsletter, and Take Action campaign tools for activist engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Information and Referral Program (IRP) Provides free legal information and referrals to attorneys, agencies, and organizations for Washington state residents dealing with civil liberties issues. Accessible via online intake form at intake.aclu-wa.org, mail, or phone during limited hours.
• Know Your Rights Resources Free downloadable guides and wallet cards covering rights in situations including protests, police encounters, immigration enforcement, and travel, available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Marshallese, and Chuukese.
• Court Cases Database Searchable database of 304 court cases covering criminal legal reform, immigration, privacy, free speech, LGBTQIA2S+ justice, racial justice, voting rights, and other civil liberties matters litigated by ACLU of Washington.
• Firewall for Freedom Dashboard Online tracker documenting ACLU-WA's advocacy responses to federal actions across five issue areas: reproductive and gender-affirming care, immigrant rights, data sharing and surveillance, protest and dissent, and civil rights protections.
• Legislative Hub Online portal organizing the organization's 2026 legislative priorities including the Driver Privacy Act, Fair Score Act, Second Look Pathway for Youth, and Shelter Not Penalties Act, with tools for contacting legislators and taking action on each bill.

Quantifiable outcome

• 304 court cases handled
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National ACLUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACLU of Washington is the state affiliate of the national ACLU. Funds raised in Washington are shared 50/50 with the national ACLU, which distributes much of it to ACLUs in states like Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama. The organization works in coordination with national ACLU on large-scale impact affecting real people's lives.
• LGBTQ+ Organizations (QLaw Foundation, Lavender Rights Project, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with LGBTQ+ legal and advocacy organizations including QLaw Foundation, Lavender Rights Project, Ingersoll Gender Center, Gender Justice League, and others for transgender justice advocacy.
• Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for immigration-related legal matters. NWIRP is a statewide agency that advises low-income clients on immigration matters and provides some pro bono assistance.
• King County Bar AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKCBA Neighborhood Legal Clinics offer free, limited legal advice and referrals to King County residents through attorney consultations at 34 locations across King County.
• Community Organizations (Jewels Helping Hands, Lived Experience Coalition, NAACP, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partnerships with community organizations including Jewels Helping Hands, Lived Experience Coalition, NAACP Alaska-Oregon-Washington State Conference, WA Low Income Housing Alliance, and others for advocacy and events.
• Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-panelist and partner in webinars on Automated License Plate Reader regulations and civil rights issues.
• Planned Parenthood Alliance AdvocatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in advocacy for reproductive freedom and healthcare access.
• Impact FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in Head Start litigation representing coalition of parents and Head Start providers challenging Trump administration efforts to dismantle the Head Start program.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• National Women's Law Center: National nonprofit focused on gender justice including reproductive rights and gender-affirming care — directly overlaps ACLU of Washington's reproductive and gender-affirming care advocacy.
• American Immigration Council: National nonprofit advancing immigration policy and immigrant rights through research, litigation support, and advocacy — closely aligned with ACLU of Washington's immigration rights issue area.
• Northwest Immigrant Rights Project: Washington-state-wide immigration legal services nonprofit that ACLU of Washington formally refers immigration matters to; comparable mission scope and a coalition/referral partner.

Broad incumbents

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): National parent/umbrella organization with which ACLU of Washington shares a 50/50 funding split. Operates the same civil liberties mission across all 50 states; direct structural and operational counterpart at the national level.

Direct peers

• Electronic Frontier Foundation: Nonprofit focused on digital privacy, surveillance (including ALPRs), and free expression — directly overlaps ACLU of Washington's Driver Privacy Act and Fourth Amendment location data work.
• Southern Poverty Law Center: Nonprofit civil rights organization conducting impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education on civil liberties and justice issues; comparable scale and organizational model.
• NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: National civil rights legal organization pursuing impact litigation and policy advocacy on racial justice, voting rights, and equal protection — a directly comparable mission to ACLU of Washington's civil liberties mandate.
• Brennan Center for Justice: Nonpartisan law and policy institute focused on democracy, criminal justice, voting rights, and privacy — overlapping ACLU of Washington's criminal legal reform, voting rights, and surveillance portfolios.
• Lambda Legal: National legal organization focused on LGBTQIA2S+ civil rights, including the trans athletes cases that ACLU of Washington is currently active in. Highly comparable litigation and advocacy model.

Regional players

• King County Bar Association: Regional legal services and referral organization operating KCBA Neighborhood Legal Clinics across 34 King County locations; a direct referral partner for ACLU of Washington's Information and Referral Program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ACLU_WA
• Facebookfacebook.com/acluwa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aclu-wa
• Instagraminstagram.com/acluwa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ACLU of Washington