Historial Background
Posted by Still_Learning  |  November 17, 2009 9:26:25 AM

As strange as this sounds I found this webstie while searching for "historical data" on the ACLU. (No, not for donations!) Doing a report on the First Amendment & thought: footer w/ background info would help. So, can anyone help? I don't want to use ACLU's website b/c it could be construed as propoganda.

great organization but...
Posted by nonprofitworker  |  October 26, 2009 5:51:45 AM

First, the staff genuinely cares and makes the most of the donations. I used to work for them - in the fundraising dept, no less. They invested a lot into identifying top donors and maximizing fundraising, using technology, which is fine. However, as others have commented, it hasn't stopped them from continually soliciting even the one-time donors like myself (and paying for the mail)

Why is ACLU's Organizational Efficiency 4 stars?
Posted by solmaker  |  October 8, 2009 6:04:13 AM

I like the ACLU too, but I don't understand how its Efficiency is rated 4 stars based on only 80% to Program Expenses and 9% to Fundraising Expenses. By comparison, IOCC has a similar Efficiency rating, but devotes 93% to Program Expenses and only 2% to Fundraising Expenses.

Program Efficiency
Posted by Enkido  |  March 16, 2009 7:10:37 AM

I like the ACLU, but a paragon of efficiency they obviously are not. Having said that, they are pretty much alone in their business. The system of checks and balances in the US Constitution can only work if there is an organized defense of the individual liberties in the Bill of Rights. The founding fathers did not setup a special branch of government dedicated to that mission. Rather, they left it for the public to find our own way to the courts to press challenges to certain types of abuses. In variably, such a defense is about going to court to defend an unpopular minority from the excesses of the government, the majority or both. The ACLU's internal politics are generate a lot of waste and they should work on that, but I do think that it is important to support the work that they do.

Yes, donate once, spammed forever
Posted by nyarlathotep  |  December 31, 2008 11:21:01 AM

The ACLU has action alert lists for people who like being involved by calling their congressmen. Such lists are an important part of the democratic process.

But the ACLU also spams just any poor guy who ever gives them any money. I mean, I love the ACLUs mission but I'll never give again, but dear god the spam, just mail, and telemarketing!!

I'll suggest giving money to the EFF instead, they won't call your home phone.

Donate once, spammed forever
Posted by ZorbaTHut  |  December 22, 2008 6:45:13 AM

I donated about $100 to the ACLU once. In retrospect, that was a mistake. They sent me giant full-glossy pamphlets, despite me asking them not to. They emailed me constantly, demanding more money.

And then they started calling me. Once or twice, maybe. Three, four, five times, even after I asked - several times - to be put on their do-not-call list?

Eventually I threatened to report them to the FCC for spam calling, and magically, the calls stopped!

I don't plan to donate to them again. I can only wonder how much of my original donation was spent to annoy me.

Junk mail galore
Posted by Aleman  |  May 8, 2008 5:59:02 AM

Over the past 10 years, I've received junk mail from ACLU. On at least 12 occasions, I've requested in writing that it stops sending me its junk mail.

The junk mail continues. ACLU, I assume, is asserting its right to free speech at the expense of mailboxes and the environment!