A C R L

What A C R L does

The Arab-American Civil Rights League (ACRL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 by attorney Nabih H. Ayad, headquartered in Detroit, Michigan with a secondary office in Dearborn. Its mission is to protect and uphold the civil rights and liberties of Arab Americans through advocacy, education, and direct legal support. The organization operates a portfolio of free services including recurring "Ask the Lawyer" legal consultations, in-person and online discrimination complaint filing, a toll-free No Fly List hotline (1-844-CANT-FLY), a bank-discrimination hotline, and the "Know Your Rights" educational program. ACRL has filed or litigated multiple high-profile cases, including a successful 9th Circuit challenge to the Trump travel ban, a class action against banking institutions for mass account closures, a Walmart discrimination complaint, and a First Amendment lawsuit (with ACLU of Michigan) settled on behalf of a student disciplined for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. In 2023-2024 ACRL launched cross-border crisis programs: the Gaza Family Project, which facilitated evacuation of over 60 U.S. citizens, and the Lebanon Crisis Rescue Project for stranded U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Leadership is currently provided by Executive Director Mariam E. Charara, with founder Nabih Ayad serving as Board Chairman.

ACRL's revenue model is donation-driven: as a 501(c)(3), it accepts tax-deductible individual contributions via PayPal and generates a portion of funding through corporate and community sponsorships of its signature annual Fight For Justice Gala (13th edition in 2025), with named sponsors including Team Wellness and Specialty Medical Center. All client-facing services are free. The organization augments its own staff of 1-10 employees with pro bono legal partners including Jenner & Block (Gaza Family Project) and Ayad Law, PLLC, and institutional allies including Detroit Branch NAACP, Michigan Department of Civil Rights, the EEOC, and ACLU of Michigan. Go-to-market is community-led: intake flows through national hotlines, online complaint forms, in-person office visits, events, media appearances and coalition referrals rather than paid acquisition.

Strategically, ACRL is broadening from in-region discrimination advocacy to overseas emergency response, deepening its cross-community coalition with civil rights peers, and reinforcing its political access through figures such as Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. Board composition spans sitting judges, a Wayne County Commissioner, NAACP leadership, and senior law-firm partners, providing a substantial in-kind capacity multiplier and political reach that small-staff advocacy nonprofits typically cannot match.

Name

A C R L

Legal name

Arab-American Civil Rights League

Website

https://www.acrlmich.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACRL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that provides free legal aid, discrimination complaint support, and crisis rescue services for Arab Americans from offices in Detroit and Dearborn, Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dearborn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, ACRL relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations to fund its advocacy, legal services, and community programs. Donations are accepted through PayPal and other channels.
2. Sponsorships: ACRL generates revenue through corporate and community sponsorships for its annual Fight For Justice Gala and other events. Major sponsors include Team Wellness, Specialty Medical Center, and various corporate sponsors listed on its events page.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ACRL is a nonprofit civil rights organization that provides free legal consultations, discrimination complaint filing assistance, national hotlines for No Fly List and banking issues, and crisis rescue projects for U.S. citizens stranded abroad. It advocates for Arab Americans through landmark litigation, community education, and coalitions with civil rights partners. All services are delivered free of charge and funded by donations and event sponsorships.

Product overview

The Arab-American Civil Rights League (ACRL) offers a unified suite of civil rights advocacy services rather than a technology product. The organization's core offerings include free legal consultation sessions (Ask the Lawyer), discrimination complaint filing assistance, crisis rescue projects for individuals in Gaza and Lebanon, hotlines for No Fly List and banking discrimination issues, Know Your Rights educational resources, an internship program, and an annual gala event. These services work together to protect and advocate for Arab American civil rights through legal support, emergency assistance, education, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gaza Family Project
• Lebanon Crisis Rescue Project
• Banking Discrimination Hotline
• Know Your Rights Resources
• ACRL Internship Program
• Annual Fight For Justice Gala
• Ask the Lawyer Legal Consultation Sessions
• Discrimination Complaint Filing Assistance
• No Fly List Hotline (1-844-CANT-FLY)

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully evacuated over 60 U.S. citizens from Gaza
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Detroit Branch NAACPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRL collaborates closely with the NAACP Detroit Branch to host events and forums. Together they co-hosted the 6th Annual Justice Tribute Ceremony, symbolizing joint commitment to recognizing individuals dedicated to equality and justice. The collaboration extends to confronting bigotry and racism in the community.
• Michigan Department of Civil RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRL continues its partnership with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, providing office hours for filing and investigating discrimination complaints. This collaboration enables Arab Americans to access civil rights complaint mechanisms.
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRL partners with EEOC to provide office hours for filing and investigating employment discrimination complaints, extending access to federal employment rights enforcement for Arab Americans.
• Jenner & BlockmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJenner & Block has a formal relationship with ACRL's Gaza Family Project, providing pro bono legal support to help participants file I-131 parole applications for evacuating loved ones from Gaza.
• Congresswoman Rashida TlaibmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerACRL works closely with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib on rescue efforts for U.S. citizens trapped in Gaza, including the successful evacuation of Zakaria and Laila Alarayshi and Zahraa Sckak.
• Ayad Law, PLLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder Nabih Ayad maintains his private practice at Ayad Law, PLLC, where he has worked for over 22 years. The firm handles civil rights cases and serves as a pipeline for ACRL's legal advocacy work.
• ACLU of MichiganmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRL collaborated with ACLU of Michigan to bring a First Amendment lawsuit on behalf of Arab-American student Danielle Khalaf against Plymouth-Canton Community Schools for being admonished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC): ADC is the largest and oldest Arab American civil rights organization in the U.S., providing discrimination complaint services, advocacy, and legal support. It directly overlaps ACRL's mandate and serves the same Arab American community.
• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR): CAIR is a major Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization offering legal services, anti-discrimination support, and policy advocacy. It serves an overlapping (though broader) minority community with similar civil rights and immigration challenges.
• Muslim Advocates: Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization focused on legal advocacy and policy work for American Muslims, including litigation, anti-discrimination work, and legislative engagement — closely comparable to ACRL's litigation and advocacy model.
• Arab American Institute Foundation (AAI): AAI is a leading Arab American advocacy organization focused on civic participation, policy research, and community empowerment. It overlaps ACRL's mission of advancing Arab American interests through advocacy and education.

Broad incumbents

• ACLU of Michigan: ACLU of Michigan is a state affiliate of the ACLU providing civil liberties litigation and advocacy. It has directly co-litigated cases with ACRL (e.g., the Khalaf First Amendment lawsuit) and operates in the same civil rights legal space.
• NAACP Detroit Branch: NAACP Detroit Branch is a regional civil rights organization that has co-hosted events and forums with ACRL, including the Justice Tribute Ceremony. It shares ACRL's civil rights mandate and operates as a peer in coalition-based advocacy.
• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): NILC is a national advocacy organization defending immigrant rights through litigation, policy, and communications. Its immigration and discrimination work directly overlaps ACRL's immigration advocacy for Arab Americans.
• Lambda Legal: Lambda Legal is a major civil rights legal organization that pursues impact litigation on behalf of marginalized communities. ACRL's travel ban and discrimination litigation follows a similar impact-litigation model, though in a different community.

Regional players

• Dr. Hatem Bazian / SFSU ASAMRA-related Arab Resource & Organizing Center: Arab Resource and Organizing Center is a community-based Arab American organizing and advocacy group primarily serving the Bay Area. It shares ACRL's grassroots civil rights advocacy model for Arab Americans but operates in a different geography.

Emerging players

• Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC): MIRC provides legal services and advocacy for immigrants in Michigan, including immigrant detention defense and language access. It shares ACRL's immigration and civil rights focus but does not specialize in Arab American community outreach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/acrl_michigan
• Xx.com/ACRLMICH
• Facebookfacebook.com/acrlmi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-arab-civil-rights-league

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 A C R L