ACLU of Illinois

What ACLU of Illinois does

ACLU of Illinois is the Illinois state affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to defending and advancing constitutional and civil rights. Headquartered at 150 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago, the organization operates through three complementary legal entities: the ACLU of Illinois Union (a 501(c)(4) lobbying arm), the Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU, Inc. (a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation), and the ACLU Voter Education Fund. Its core work consists of impact litigation, policy advocacy, legislative lobbying, and public education across issue areas including immigration enforcement, voting rights, criminal justice, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ rights.

The organization runs an active docket of 91 court cases and has secured recent high-profile victories, including a November 2025 temporary restraining order in Moreno Gonzalez v. Noem against federal immigration practices. It augments in-house litigation capacity through co-counsel and coalition partnerships with established legal organizations such as the MacArthur Justice Center, Eimer Stahl, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Its current public-facing campaign, "Fighting Back Against Federal Abuses of Power," signals a deliberate strategic emphasis on rapid-response federal policy litigation.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit funding model combining individual memberships and donations, foundation and institutional grants, and restricted programmatic contributions across its three legal entities. As a 501(c)(4) / 501(c)(3) affiliate, it does not produce commercial technology products; its "product" is legal representation, policy influence, and public mobilization. No AI/ML, proprietary software, or technology platform is disclosed in its operations.

Name

ACLU of Illinois

Legal name

The Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU, Inc.

Website

https://aclu-il.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACLU of Illinois is the Illinois affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education on constitutional and civil rights issues across immigration, voting, criminal justice, and LGBTQ and reproductive rights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Rights Legal Advocacy

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)

Keywords

• Civil rights advocacy
• Legal aid services
• Constitutional litigation
• Civil liberties education
• Nonprofit legal organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago Park

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 relies primarily on individual donations and membership dues. The Roger Baldwin Foundation serves as the fundraising arm, accepting tax-deductible contributions. Supporters can become members, make one-time or recurring donations, and give gifts in honor or memory of others.
2. Foundation and Institutional Grants: The organization receives grants from foundations and institutional donors to support advocacy and legal work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACLU of Illinois is a civil liberties nonprofit organization that provides free legal representation, litigation, advocacy, and public education to defend the constitutional rights of Illinois residents. Its core offerings include court-based litigation, Know Your Rights educational resources, legislative advocacy, and community organizing across issues such as voting rights, immigration, LGBTQ rights, criminal justice reform, and reproductive rights. Services are funded by donations, membership dues, and grants.

Product overview

ACLU of Illinois is a civil rights nonprofit organization (not a technology company) offering a unified website platform with integrated services including Know Your Rights educational resources, court case tracking and litigation services, legal assistance intake, Spanish-language localization, advocacy action tools, and event management. The organization's digital presence serves as an informational and engagement hub for defending civil rights and liberties in Illinois, rather than a traditional software product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Assistance Request Services
• Know Your Rights Educational Resources
• Spanish-language Know Your Rights (Conozca sus Derechos)

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• MacArthur Justice CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025Co-counsel in Moreno Gonzalez v. Noem litigation challenging conditions at Broadview ICE Facility. The MacArthur Justice Center is a prominent civil rights litigation organization that partners with ACLU of Illinois on significant constitutional cases.
• Eimer StahlcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025Co-counsel law firm in Moreno Gonzalez v. Noem litigation. Eimer Stahl is a Chicago-based law firm providing legal expertise in the class action lawsuit against ICE detention conditions.
• Freedom From Religion FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2025Co-litigant in Neal v. Jefferson County Board of Commissioners case challenging Ten Commandments monument. Both organizations work together to defend separation of church and state.
• National ACLUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2025National affiliate organization. The ACLU of Illinois is one of over 50 state and local affiliates. They share resources, litigation support, and coordinate on national civil liberties campaigns.
• Amplify LegalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLitigation arm of Abortion in America, co-counsel in Perrone v. Coll case challenging denial of ectopic pregnancy treatment.
• Kaveny Sarmas Injury LawyerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in Perrone v. Coll case challenging denial of medical care by Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Southern Poverty Law Center: National civil rights organization pursuing litigation, education, and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations. Comparable litigation-and-advocacy nonprofit model with a similarly broad multi-issue portfolio.
• Human Rights Watch: International human rights organization conducting investigation, advocacy, and litigation to defend human rights globally. Adjacent peer given overlapping civil liberties mission and donor-supported advocacy model.
• American Civil Liberties Union (National): National parent organization of which ACLU of Illinois is one of over 50 state affiliates. Operates the same civil liberties mission at national scope, coordinates shared fundraising, litigation support, and advocacy infrastructure with the Illinois affiliate.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: National civil rights law firm pursuing racial justice through litigation, advocacy, and public education. Comparable in combining impact litigation with policy work, though operates nationally and is structurally separate from NAACP.

Others

• Public Citizen: National nonprofit consumer and citizen advocacy organization using litigation, lobbying, and public education to advance public interest goals. Comparable advocacy-and-litigation nonprofit structure though with a different issue focus.

Direct peers

• Brennan Center for Justice: Nonpartisan law and policy institute combining litigation, research, and advocacy on democracy, criminal justice, and constitutional issues. Comparable model pairing impact litigation with policy reform and public education.
• Lambda Legal: National civil rights organization focused on LGBTQ rights and people living with HIV through impact litigation, policy advocacy, and education. Comparable litigation-driven legal advocacy model with similar donor-funded structure.
• National Immigration Law Center: National advocacy organization dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of low-income immigrants through litigation, policy analysis, and advocacy. Directly comparable on immigration-focused litigation work like Moreno Gonzalez v. Noem.
• Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF): National civil rights organization defending the rights of Latino communities through litigation, advocacy, and education. Comparable legal advocacy model serving minority constituencies facing civil rights violations.
• NYCLU (New York Civil Liberties Union): Another large ACLU state affiliate operating with a similar litigation, advocacy, and legislative model at the state level. Most directly comparable peer given parallel structure, multi-issue portfolio, and donor-funded nonprofit model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ACLUofIL
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/acluvideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACLUofIllinois
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aclu-of-illinois

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ACLU of Illinois