American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California
501(c)(3) Donations tax-deductible
Only null% goes to programs Strong reserves
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California is a 501(c)(3) organization based in San Francisco, California, registered in 1962, with $21,840,462 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B.
39 Drumm St, San Francisco, CA, 94111 EIN 94-0279770 Since 1962
Revenue (FY2024)
$21.8M
▲ 79.5% vs prior year
Expenses (FY2024)
$19.8M
Net assets
$45.8M
Employees
—
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B
★★★★
Rated on 2 of 4 criteria — the rest aren't reported in this filing type.
Held down by its weakest criterion — a strong score on one criterion can't hide a weak one.
How the rating works →—Program efficiency40% of the ratingNo expense breakdown in filings
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. Not scored for American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California— this filing type doesn't report it, and the rating simply skips it (never counts it against the organization). See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating28 mo reserves · +9% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California: 28 mo reserves · +9% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
—Governance25% of the ratingNot reported in this filing type
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. Not scored for American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California— this filing type doesn't report it, and the rating simply skips it (never counts it against the organization). See the exact thresholds →
CTransparency10% of the rating2 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California: 2 of 5 disclosure signals earns a C on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Contact & location
- Address
- 39 Drumm St, San Francisco, CA, 94111
- City
- San Francisco
- State
- California
- Category
- —
- Subcategory
- —
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $5.6M (FY2013) to $21.8M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $3.5MNet assets $45.8M
Operating margin
9.3%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$49.3M
Total liabilities
$3.5M
Net assets
$45.8M
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $21,840,462▲79.5% | $19,816,451▲3.6% | $45,800,804▲6.6% | $49,296,244▲6.2% | 990 |
| 2023 | $12,167,074▼25.3% | $19,118,675▲15.6% | $42,979,036▼7.5% | $46,431,592▼6.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $16,281,571▼19.4% | $16,542,137▲8.6% | $46,488,783▼3.8% | $49,414,422▼1.7% | 990 |
| 2021 | $20,203,197▲22.1% | $15,233,319▼20.7% | $48,301,305▲12.1% | $50,273,493▲10.8% | 990 |
| 2020 | $16,549,414▲15.3% | $19,214,779▲32.3% | $43,069,120▲6.1% | $45,375,573▲3.7% | 990 |
| 2019 | $14,347,707▲4.3% | $14,526,579▲14.6% | $40,605,007▼1.8% | $43,746,498▲0.4% | 990 |
| 2018 | $13,757,331▼8.1% | $12,674,998▲11.1% | $41,365,543▲4.5% | $43,562,211▲1.7% | 990 |
| 2017 | $14,972,787▼19.1% | $11,408,094▲2.7% | $39,578,665▲12.7% | $42,853,409▲7.3% | 990 |
| 2016 | $18,507,719▲41.8% | $11,104,423▲32.8% | $35,111,444▲23.3% | $39,922,680▲37.6% | 990 |
| 2015 | $13,047,993▲28.4% | $8,362,309▲16.4% | $28,483,215▲17.5% | $29,014,734▲10.0% | 990 |
| 2014 | $10,158,305▲82.9% | $7,185,906▲2.9% | $24,249,099▲14.9% | $26,384,974▲7.8% | 990 |
| 2013 | $5,553,005 | $6,985,692▼5.5% | $21,104,923▼10.8% | $24,466,403▼6.3% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $7,390,865▲2.0% | $23,666,773▲17.4% | $26,108,160▲10.7% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $7,243,281▲24.2% | $20,165,365▼0.7% | $23,592,514▼11.6% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $5,833,576 | $20,311,914 | $26,694,694 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Grants received · $23.8M total
165 grants to American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California totaling $23.8M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $319,300 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc | Affiliate program | 2024 | $125,000 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Civic participation | 2024 | $54,750 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Civil rights | 2024 | $36,407 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $25,000 |
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc | General operating support | 2024 | $20,500 |
| T Rowe Price Program For Charitable Giving Inc | Multiple | 2024 | $17,000 |
| National Charitable Endowment Inc | General charitable use | 2024 | $10,000 |
| Daffy Charitable Fund | General support of mission | 2024 | $7,000 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Community & human services | 2024 | $7,000 |
| Tides Foundation | Equity, human rights, and economic empowerment | 2024 | $6,200 |
| Paypal Charitable Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $6,049 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Public, societal benefit | 2023 | $556,857 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $307,485 |
| San Francisco Foundation | For immigrants rights. for general support. | 2023 | $270,500 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 94-0279770, based in San Francisco, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California's EIN?
- American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 94-0279770.
- How much revenue does American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California report?
- American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California reported $21,840,462 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- What financial grade does American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California have?
- CharityIndex grades American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California B, based on financial health (reserves and operating margin).
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Data for American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California (EIN 94-0279770) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.