ACLU Foundation
New York, NY · EIN 136213516 · FY2024 is the latest filing on record · pre-cached
The ACLU Foundation's spending on its people is a sign of strength, not a red flag.
The ACLU Foundation spent more than it brought in this past year, but its long-term average operating margin is positive. It holds a substantial operating reserve, enough to cover expenses for over three years, which is more than most of its peers. The vast majority of its revenue comes from donations.
Myth
A charity that spends a lot on salaries and its team is inefficient and poorly run.
Reality
The ACLU Foundation spends 37% of its budget on compensation, which is higher than 87% of its peers. This suggests a significant investment in its human capital, which is often crucial for effective advocacy and program delivery.
Myth
A charity should have very little money in reserves, as it should be spending everything on its mission.
Reality
The ACLU Foundation has 40.5 months of operating reserves, placing it in the 79th percentile among its peers. This strong reserve position provides financial stability and the capacity to weather economic fluctuations or invest in long-term initiatives.
Worth watching
- • The ACLU Foundation had a deficit this past year, spending 9% more than it earned.
- • Its operating reserve months have decreased by 5.3 since its earliest year on record, indicating a trend of drawing down reserves over time.
Multi-year trend
Operating reserve months
Net assets ÷ monthly expenses — how long the org could run on savings alone.
Operating margin
(Revenue − expenses) ÷ revenue, per fiscal year.
How it compares to peers
Percentile rank among 70 Public, Societal Benefit organizations. Higher is framed as better on every bar here — including reserves and staff investment, which conventional overhead-ratio scoring would penalize.
Dashed line = peer median (50th percentile)
Ask about ACLU Foundation
Answers are grounded only in this org's filed financial data above -- it won't guess at their programs, leadership, or anything not shown on this page.
Source: latest Form 990 PDF via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.