American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc

I’ve been thinking a lot about writing this, to my law school, to colleagues, to anyone who would listen, but I feel like the message always gets lost. So here it is.

I don’t come from a wealthy background. I applied to one law school, got in, and worked my ass off because I wanted to do human rights work. Passed the bar. My friends and I had our eyes on organizations like the ACLU and Human Rights Watch because we wanted to change the system. But what we quickly realized is that the system doesn’t really let you in, not unless you come from the right background.

We started looking into the numbers. Take Harvard, for example. 43% of students admitted to Harvard College are either legacies, children of donors, or connected to university employees. The reality is, these numbers don’t just stop at undergrad. They follow you into law school, into hiring, into promotions, and ultimately into leadership at these very organizations that are supposed to be fighting for justice.

I’ve spoken with so many people who wanted to work in this space, smart, driven people who actually understand what it means to be on the other side of injustice. People who thought these organizations would be different. But time and time again, they find themselves shut out. It’s not about talent or dedication; it’s about access. And unless you come from an Ivy League (or its equivalent in another country), breaking into leadership at these institutions is almost impossible.

Sure, these organizations do important work. But how much greater could that work be if they actually opened doors for people outside their bubble? If they actively developed and promoted professionals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, not just in DEI positions (which, let’s be real, are few and far between), but across the board?

I’m not writing this because I think these organizations are failing. I’m writing this because they could be doing so much more. If they truly want to uplift people, they need to start by looking at the way they hire, promote, and shape the future of human rights work. Otherwise, they’re just reinforcing the very systems they claim to be fighting against.

I was a new donor to ACLU's Drag Defense Fund and gave around $1500 in the course of two months. With every gift I sent, the funds were put in the wrong place and I called and emailed repeatedly for this to be corrected and it never was. They pay a third party firm to handle their donations, and the staff who manages phones and emails for donors have no idea what they are doing and can't answer simple questions about the work or about why my donation was never used for the very clearly stated purpose we gave it for. They kept telling me an actual staff person of ACLU would contact me, but no one ever did. I work in corporate philanthropy for a company that was considering a larger gift, but I have put a stop to it. I am sure they are doing good work, but they are not using or allocating funds properly and this is very concerning to me.

I work with cop watchers, first amendment auditors, abolish qualified immunity, and end police violence accountability for all, and the police accountability report. We have reached out to help the most explosives cases such as the murder of one of their own Shali Tilson, by the police in GA. and the unlawful acts committed against a blind veteran in N.C. that's been going on for years now. those are just two. these people are just there the tax wash for the rich. the don't help real people unless there money to be made odf of it. dirty coming for you next

They never helped me when I needed it badly.they are for every race but whites..sick!!

We need these guys now more than ever! They have proven themselves champions of human rights since 1920 and here we are in 2020 and EVERYTHING we have fought for is under attack! The current occupant of the White House is threatening to throw out our ballots! He's threatening Women's rights, LGBT rights, the rights of black people to live free from police brutality and racial injustice, the rights of immigrants to immigrate without being stripped of their kids and uteruses! Our right to healthcare and being treated the same when it comes to laws broken! Its not fair rich white guys, like Trump can get away with pretty much anything and never get arrested. He's in his 70s! Its time to assemble our defenses and fight back or America is gone!

I can't be certain because I haven't done a ton of research into this place yet, but so far, I like what I see. I wish there was a commenting feature or a way to remove the "helpful" indication, because I actually wanted to reply to a previously posted review. Again, disclaimer: I am not a professional, just some kid who got curious and tried to do some research. But what I have read sounds pretty good.
Contrary to what some reviews here have stated, ACLU appears to be one of the few organizations of its kind to understand the purpose and place of religion in the United States. I am a Christian, have been since birth and will be until I die. I firmly believe that God desires for all to have the right to believe as they will. Does He desire for all to believe in Him? Of course He does -- but does that offer us the prerogative to force Christianity down peoples' throats? Absolutely not. Christ invited, taught, condemned the hypocrites, healed, spent time with sinners and apostates, was a friend to the friendless and a champion of those who were utterly alone.
ACLU's practices, as explained on their website, are remarkably pro-religion. One of the first things they say is that they are fundamentally opposed to the decision made in "Employment Division v. Smith", a decision which I actually couldn't help but somewhat agree with. To oversimplify, the decision made in this case was to deny members of a church following rituals and beliefs descendant from Native American culture the right to obtain and ingest a psychedelic and illegal drug used as sacrament without consequence. Do yourself the favor of slogging through the text yourself on Wikipedia or elsewhere, because I'm sure I missed or misunderstood something, but that's the gist. Now, I can't help but somewhat agree with the Supreme Court's decision there -- in my opinion, if one's religion requires them to do something that could impede their regular conduct as a working citizen, that person should expect consequences of some kind or another if they don't fulfill their religious obligations in such manner as to avoid it conflicting with their work responsibilities. Obviously this can be taken too far, but this general principle combined with a bit of common sense works fairly well.
But ACLU unequivocally opposes such a decision, insisting that the First Amendment right to religious freedom should be untouchable. The rest of the article I read (https://www.aclu.org/other/aclu-and-freedom-religion-and-belief) continues in like manner, with a surprisingly pro-religious, but still very reserved and moderate, stance. These people clearly thought through their stance before posting it, that's for sure. As a logically-minded Christian who generally wishes people would stop fighting about religion because we believe in similar enough things anyway so why does it matter the little differences, it was refreshing to see a big organization like this at least professing to hold a similar ideology. Again, I could be totally wrong. They could easily say one thing and do another. But they seem pretty alright to me from where I sit.

I love the ACLU local attorney volunteers in North San Diego County, CA. I can only speak from what I have observed in my own community, so please do not bombard me with any comments saying I am supporting a terrorist enemy because that is not true where I live. They really do stand up for the underdog. I would be in the underdog category, so I can appreciate the issues taken up by the ACLU. They fight injustice locally by taking up causes I care deeply about, such as ending mass incarceration, reigning in the surveillance state that we have become, challenging racist acts committed by an ignorant but powerful minority of law enforcers that do not follow the rules, challenging statutes that criminalize homelessness and poverty, and enacting change using the methods our Founding Fathers had envisioned when they gave us our Constitution. They do not use intimidation or fear to mobilize their followers. They follow the Bill of Rights.
There are so many important little things that many people would not know about that the ACLU gets involved with. In Escondido, California, my neighboring city, police were routinely holding daytime checkpoints unrelated to public safety. These checkpoints , held weekday mornings along popular workforce commuter routes, deliberately targeted the working poor over petty DMV issues like expired tags or not having insurance. What people might not realize is that having liability car insurance is not going to keep drivers any safer. When accidents happen, only a small fraction of these policies are worth the paper they're printed on. The only motivation for holding these so called " public safety checks" was to take people's private property and give it away to the shady impound yards in order to legalize the paperwork of their vehicle thefts , make an ill gotten profit by reselling them,then , eventually towing them them away again.
Excessive fines were imposed upon hard working families, leaving vulnerable people worse off than they would have been had they opted NOT to work, and stayed home on welfare.
Because of ACLU intervention, they do not tow cars over petty non safety issues in Escondido, CA anymore. They let you park it and have someone pick it up for you if you are unlicensed. Daytime checkpoints are no longer happening anywhere around San Diego County that I am aware of.
This might seem like nothing to some people, but for some guy who just reentered society and is trying to get his life on track, losing your only transportation means losing your way to make money legally. The buses and trolleys are no longer a feasible way to get around in my county. Public transportation has become too cost prohibitive and really does not get you where you need to be. These are the pesky details which cause people to revert back to crime. The ACLU is doing a great service to taxpayers by keeping the justice system just. They make a big difference by making bad laws different, one case at a time.
Thank you for reading my review.
Please see my fundraiser that I just started on my public Facebook page to support this great organization. I understand that many people can't afford to make a donation, so if you are like me in that respect, just share my post in as many groups as you can and we can show our appreciation by spreading the word. If you have money to donate, I can think of nothing more important than the selfless work these fine attorneys are doing to keep our country on the right track. Freedom isn't free, unless people like you support the ACLU. This allows attorneys to represent people for free in order to uphold our values as a free society.


Respectfully Submitted,

Laurel Kaskurs
Oceanside, CA USA

There are uncountable environmental organizations to compare among and choose to support; however, for safeguarding U.S. Constitutional rights, I know of no other even handed non-profits doing the work; therefore this is the very best. And absolutely needed!

I would like civil liberties to be expanded to prohibit all forms of governmental coercion of individuals who's private actions are not infringing on others rights. But this task is best done by other groups, so the ACLU remains pure, protecting the foundation of the country.

I am a PhD researcher, By a thesis on the role of civil society organizations in the protection of individual rights and freedoms , A comparative study between United States and Egypt.
I studied ACLU as a case study and i found it one of the best organizations around the world.
Best regards to them

This is not only one of the stellar non-profits in the country, but it is also the best place I have ever worked. The administration and management care don't just care about the issues, they care about the staff. I have a disability, and I have never encountered an employer - private, public, or non-profit - who was more willing to work with the accommodations I needed, while still appreciating my contributions to the organization.

I have never called on the services of the ACLU, but always have cherished it as an organization with the highest standards doing one of the nation's most urgent jobs!

Your name has NEVER been besmirched and I trust implicitly the stands that you take and your methods for achieving and protecting civil liberties for ALL.

I try never to break the law, but it's reassuring to know that YOU are out there if my civil liberties are abridged. Thank you for your many works of good service.

One of the greatest Charities to support American civil liberties you will find. There are many people who find it fashionable to gripe about them and complain, however these people do not know civil law or their own Constitution. If these people knew anything about the Constitution, they would know what an outstanding charity the ACLU is. The ACLU will (and have) help ANYONE whose civil liberties are infringed upon. I applaud the work the ACLU does and am a proud supporter. I am honored to donate a portion of my paycheck every week to this great charity.