AS NOTED IN ITS ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, THE MISSION OF THE ACLU FOUNDATION IS "TO ENCOURAGE, SPONSOR, AND FACILITATE THE CULTIVATION AND DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE VARIOUS CIVIL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS WHICH ARE PROTECTED BY THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OR OF THE VARIOUS STATES TO PERSONS INVOLVED IN ACTIVITIES WHEREIN THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES ARE THREATENED OR INFRINGED." THE ACLU FOUNDATION TODAY REMAINS FOCUSED ON THE OVERARCHING GOALS SET BY ITS FOUNDERS, SERVING AS THE NATION'S GUARDIAN OF LIBERTY, WORKING DAILY IN COURTS, LEGISLATURES AND COMMUNITIES TO DEFEND AND PRESERVE THE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES THAT THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE US GUARANTEE. THE ACLU ALSO WORKS TO EXTEND RIGHTS TO SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN DENIED THEIR RIGHTS, INCLUDING PEOPLE OF COLOR; WOMEN; LESBIANS, GAY MEN, BISEXUALS AND TRANSGENDER AND GENDER NONBINARY PEOPLE; PRISONERS; AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
Executive compensation, broken down
Form 990 · Schedule J · 15 reported individuals · Filing year 2023
| Base salary | Bonus | Other compensation | Benefits | Executive compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dir Aff Support & Nation. Init key employee $615k $690k | |||||
National Legal Director key employee $517k $581k | |||||
Deputy Legal Director highest compensated employee $433k $486k | |||||
Deputy Legal Director highest compensated employee $405k $454k | |||||
Chief Communications Officer key employee $355k $398k | |||||
Dep Exec Dir. Ops/gen. Counsel officer (unspecified) $67k $75k | |||||
Chief People Officer highest compensated employee $60k $67k | |||||
Executive Director/ceo director (operational) $58k $65k | |||||
National Political Director key employee $34k $38k | |||||
Dep. Exec Dir Strategy&culture officer (unspecified) $31k $35k | |||||
Chf. Eq.,diversty & Incl. Off. highest compensated employee $24k $27k | |||||
Teal figures restate each filed amount in 2026 dollars.
Estimated with New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA metro-area CPI-U, restating filed pay into May 2026 dollars. A restatement of past pay, not current or projected pay.
Plus 17 unpaid individuals.
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