ACLU of Ohio

What ACLU of Ohio does

ACLU of Ohio is a nonprofit civil liberties advocacy organization and a state affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union, founded in 1920 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with 37 employees and a statewide operating footprint. The organization defends constitutional rights for Ohio residents across four operational pillars: direct legal representation and class-action litigation (e.g., the Peralta v. DHS warrantless-arrest class action and the Ohio State University free-speech case), legislative advocacy at the Ohio General Assembly and governor's office, grassroots organizing through the Action Team and Campus Action Teams infrastructure, and public education via multilingual Know Your Rights resources and publications such as the ICE in Ohio Report.

The organization's "products" are non-commercial: educational resources (multilingual KYR materials, investigative reports, guidance documents for health centers and private establishments), advocacy campaigns (Free Speech, Free Country), active legal cases, and organizing tools. There is no proprietary technology platform; delivery is via the acluohio.org website, email newsletters, press releases, social media, and volunteer mobilization. Issue areas span immigrants' rights, LGBTQ rights, voting rights, reproductive freedom, criminal justice, free speech, privacy (including opposition to surveillance technologies such as Flock license plate readers and drones), public records, and the death penalty.

ACLU of Ohio is structured as two affiliated nonprofit entities - the Union (American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, Inc.) and the Foundation (American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Foundation, Inc.) - both operating under the ACLU of Ohio brand and affiliated with the national ACLU. Revenue is generated through individual donations, recurring memberships, foundation grants, and merchandise sales via the ACLU store; specific pricing and donation tiers are not publicly disclosed. Legal services are provided through the Foundation arm. The organization coordinates litigation with a network of outside co-counsel firms and partner legal-aid organizations, effectively extending its capacity well beyond its 37-person staff.

Name

ACLU of Ohio

Legal name

American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, Inc.

Website

https://acluohio.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACLU of Ohio is a 37-employee, Columbus-based nonprofit affiliate of the national ACLU that defends constitutional rights for Ohio residents through litigation, legislative advocacy, grassroots organizing, and multilingual Know Your Rights education across immigrants' rights, free speech, privacy, and voting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Liberties Advocacy and Legal Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

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), Legal Literacy & Public Legal Education (Know Your Rights) (EDAAAFAI), Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Civil liberties advocacy
• Legal representation services
• Grassroots community organizing
• Constitutional rights education
• Legislative policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

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. Donations and Membership: The organization generates revenue through voluntary donations from supporters and membership fees, with individuals joining as members of the Union organization.
2. Foundation Legal Services: The Foundation provides legal services including litigation, research on civil liberties violations, and representation of clients in civil liberties cases.
3. Merchandise Sales: ACLU of Ohio provides merchandise to support advocacy and fundraising efforts through the ACLU store.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACLU of Ohio defends civil liberties and constitutional rights in Ohio through three core offerings: free legal representation and litigation on cases such as Peralta v. DHS, public education via multilingual Know Your Rights resources and published reports, and grassroots advocacy mobilization through Action Teams, Campus Action Teams, and issue campaigns. These services are provided at no cost to individuals and are funded primarily through donations and memberships.

Product overview

ACLU of Ohio is a civil liberties advocacy organization offering informational resources, legal representation, and grassroots organizing tools rather than a commercial technology product. Its offerings include multilingual Know Your Rights resources, published guidance documents and reports, active litigation through its Legal Cases program, the Free Speech Free Country advocacy campaign, and Action Team organizing infrastructure for grassroots advocacy. These offerings work together to advance the organization's mission of defending constitutional rights in Ohio through education, litigation, and community organizing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Know Your Rights Resources Multilingual informational resources that inform Ohio residents of their civil liberties and legal rights, including Haitian Kreole language materials and guidance for immigrants on encounters with law enforcement and federal agents. Intended for individual community members who need clear, accessible self-help information about their constitutional protections.
• Publications and Reports Published reports, guidance documents, and educational materials covering civil liberties issues including the ICE in Ohio impact report, immigrants' rights guidance for health centers and private establishments, and public records guidance. Intended for Ohio residents, advocates, journalists, and policymakers seeking substantive analysis on civil liberties topics.
• Legal Cases (Litigation Program) Active litigation through which ACLU of Ohio and co-counsel represent individuals and classes in cases involving constitutional rights violations, including the Peralta v. DHS class action challenging warrantless immigration arrests and the OSU federal lawsuit challenging the expulsion of a student for protected political speech. Free legal representation is provided to qualifying plaintiffs.
• Free Speech, Free Country Campaign Organized campaign defending First Amendment rights and free speech in Ohio, with focus on academic freedom restrictions and due process protections for immigrants. Intended for Ohio residents, students, and educators concerned about free expression.
• Action Team Grassroots organizing membership program enabling Ohio residents to take action on civil liberties issues through volunteer mobilization, petitions, legislative outreach, and advocacy campaigns. Intended for community members who want to participate in ACLU of Ohio's advocacy work.
• Campus Action Teams Student-led organizing groups at Ohio colleges and universities that advocate for civil liberties and constitutional rights on campus. Intended for Ohio college students who want to organize around free speech, immigrants' rights, and related issues in their campus communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Peralta v. DHS class action lawsuit challenges warrantless immigration arrests, with a preliminary injunction hearing held in June 2026.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Marshall, Forman and Schlein, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm serving as co-counsel in the Peralta v. DHS class action lawsuit against ICE and Border Patrol. Attorneys Edward Forman, Samuel Schlein, and Louis Jacobs are involved in the litigation. The firm provides legal expertise in immigration law matters.
• ABLE (Advocates for Basic Legal Equality)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner organization involved in the Peralta v. DHS case, with attorneys Kathleen Kersh, Maria Otero, and Gwen Short providing representation. ABLE provides civil rights legal services.
• CRIS (Community Refugee and Immigration Services)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner organization in the Peralta v. DHS case, with attorneys Vincent Wells and Jesse Vogel providing legal support for immigrants' rights litigation.
• The Gittes Law GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm serving as co-counsel in Peralta v. DHS, with attorneys Frederick Gittes and Jeffrey Vardaro involved in the immigration rights litigation.
• Walton + Brown, LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm serving as co-counsel in Peralta v. DHS, with attorney Sean Walton providing legal representation.
• ACLU National and Other AffiliatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACLU of Ohio works closely with the national ACLU organizations (American Civil Liberties Union, Inc. and American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc.) and other state affiliates as part of the ACLU Organizations network. They share resources, coordinate advocacy, and participate in data cooperatives for nonprofit organizations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lambda Legal: Lambda Legal is a nonprofit impact-litigation organization pursuing civil rights cases (with emphasis on LGBTQ rights) through state and federal courts. It uses the same legal-advocacy-plus-grassroots model that ACLU of Ohio employs in its LGBTQ and due process docket.
• National Immigration Law Center: NILC is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization focused on immigrants' rights impact litigation and policy, directly comparable to a major component of ACLU of Ohio's work — its Peralta v. DHS class action and immigrants' rights guidance for Ohio residents and health centers.
• Southern Poverty Law Center: SPLC pursues civil rights impact litigation and advocacy on First Amendment, immigrant rights, and LGBTQ issues, and combines legal services with public education materials very similar to ACLU of Ohio's products. It is a peer in scale and operating model within the civil liberties nonprofit sector.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: NAACP LDF is a civil rights nonprofit that combines impact litigation, public education, and policy advocacy across constitutional and anti-discrimination issues. Its litigation-and-organizing operating model is closely comparable to ACLU of Ohio, although organized around racial justice rather than Ohio-specific civil liberties.
• Brennan Center for Justice: Brennan Center combines legal advocacy, research, and litigation on voting rights, privacy, criminal justice, and First Amendment issues. Its issue mix (voting, surveillance, free speech) closely overlaps ACLU of Ohio's docket and uses a similar research-plus-litigation model.
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF): MALDEF pursues impact litigation and advocacy on Latino civil rights, immigrants' rights, voting, and educational equity, sharing the legal-advocacy-plus-community-organizing model that ACLU of Ohio uses to serve Ohio's immigrant community.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation: EFF is a nonprofit digital civil liberties organization that litigates and publishes on privacy, free speech, and surveillance issues. Its focus on technology-driven civil liberties mirrors ACLU of Ohio's recent privacy work (drones, Flock, license plate readers).

Broad incumbents

• American Civil Liberties Union (National): The national ACLU is the parent affiliate and largest U.S. civil liberties organization; it shares mission, brand, and litigation infrastructure with ACLU of Ohio, but operates across all 50 states and federal policy arenas rather than focusing on Ohio.
• Human Rights Watch: Human Rights Watch is an international civil liberties and human rights organization using investigation, reporting, and litigation. While its scope is global rather than Ohio-focused, its advocacy and litigation operating model is comparable in mission to ACLU of Ohio.

Regional players

• Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE): ABLE is an Ohio-based legal aid nonprofit providing civil legal services to low-income residents, and is a direct co-counsel on the Peralta v. DHS case with ACLU of Ohio. Comparable in geography and legal-aid orientation rather than broad-issue civil liberties advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-civil-liberties-union-of-ohio

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 Ohio