About the ACLU of Indiana

Learn more about the ACLU of Indiana's decades-long history of protecting and expanding Hoosiers' civil rights and civil liberties.

Our work is not about one person, one party, or one issue. It’s about all of us — we the people — coming together and daring to create a more perfect Indiana.

Who We Are

The ACLU of Indiana is an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. We are nonprofit, nonpartisan, and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and powered by more than 30,000 supporters across the state. We do not receive government funding. Our strength comes from members, donors, volunteers, and community partners.

What We Do

We use integrated advocacy — litigation, policy advocacy and lobbying, community organizing, and public education — to defend the rights and liberties guaranteed by the U.S. and Indiana Constitutions and civil rights laws. Our work includes protecting:

  • Freedom of speech, association, assembly, and the press
  • Freedom of religion and the separation of church and state
  • Due process and fair treatment by government
  • Privacy and freedom from unwarranted intrusion
  • Equal protection under the law, including racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom, disability rights, immigrants’ rights, and the rights of people who are incarcerated

We hold the government accountable in the courts and the Statehouse, and we partner with Hoosiers in communities across Indiana to safeguard individual freedom.

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Our History

Nationally, the ACLU was founded in 1920. In Indiana, our affiliate began in 1953 as the Indiana Civil Liberties Union and adopted the name ACLU of Indiana in 2006.

For more than a century, the ACLU has taken on defining civil liberties fights:

  • 1920s: Acted on behalf of newly arrived immigrants victimized by the Palmer Raids
  • 1930s: Advocated for workers protesting deplorable labor conditions
  • 1940s: Protested the forcing of Japanese Americans into internment camps
  • 1950s: Supported those who fought the witch hunts of the McCarthy era
  • 1960s & 1970s: Defended those who spoke out for equality and civil rights

Today, we confront both recurring and emerging threats, from racial and gender discrimination to the growing tensions between privacy and technology.

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Our History

Our Organization and Funding

There are two separate ACLU entities in Indiana, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity.

There are two separate ACLU entities in Indiana:

  • American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, Inc. (ACLU of Indiana): A 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization. Membership dues and other contributions to the ACLU of Indiana (or the national ACLU) support advocacy, organizing, and lobbying. These contributions are not tax-deductible.
  • ACLU of Indiana Foundation: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that funds litigation and education. Donations to the ACLU of Indiana Foundation (or the national ACLU Foundation) are tax-deductible.
History

Our Values

The ACLU of Indiana has clear values that stem from the protection of civil liberties and rights of all Hoosiers.

We are strictly nonpartisan. We defend civil liberties for all people, including those whose views may be unpopular. History shows that when a government can violate one person’s rights, it can use that power against everyone. We are committed to racial equity and to advancing freedom and fairness for every Hoosier.

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