American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc logo

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker San Francisco, CA EIN: 94-0279770 Website

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California (aclu nc foundation) defends and advances the principles of freedom, equality and justice contained in the united states constitution. Aclu nc foundation, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation described in section 501(c)(3), conductslitigation, policy research and advocacy, public education, and community organizingin order to protect and defend civil liberties and civil rights.

Key facts about American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc

In short: American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc gave $725K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $725K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
94-0279770
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$725,000
Grants made (2025)
1
Average grant
$725,000
Median grant
$725,000
Total assets
$49,296,244
Primary geography
California (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$49.3M

+6.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$725K

+17.3% YoY

Grant Count

1

-50.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$725K

+134.6% YoY

How American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc gives

  • Giving fell 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.

About American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc

Based on IRS filings

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc is a public charity, based in San Francisco, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $49.3M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $725K. Net investment income was $606K.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.

Cities

San FranciscoLos AngelesOaklandSacramentoStocktonCoronaRichmondSan BernadinoSan JoseNew YorkEurekaFresnoLoletaSan Diego

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M$4M21 grants2019 16 grants2020 16 grants2021 13 grants2022 2 grants2023 2 grants2024 1 grant2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $618K (2024) to $4.0M (2021). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $725K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top recipient in 2025

ACLU Union of Northern CA: $725KACLU Union of Northern CA$725K

The largest 2025 recipient was ACLU Union of Northern CA ($725K).

Grant Size Distribution

34 grants across all recorded years

26<$50K$50–100K2$100–250K$250–500K5$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 26 grants of 34 (76%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
ACLU Union of Northern CA San Francisco, CALegislative$725,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$10M$20M$30M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$49,296,244$46,431,592$49,414,422
Revenue$21,840,462$12,167,074$16,281,571
Expenses$19,816,451$19,118,675$16,542,137
Net Investment Income$606,040$629,716$444,384

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 5, 2025)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 2, 2026)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 30, 2020)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 29, 2021)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 31, 2022)
  6. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 6, 2023)
  7. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 1, 2024)

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc is led by Abdi Soltani, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 7 of 27 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Abdi Soltani

    Executive Director

    On filings since 2019

    32 hrs/week

    $145K (2019) → $264K (2025)

  • Beverly Tucker

    Personnel Chair

    Director → Personnel Chair, 2022

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ajay Krishnan

    Legal Chair

    Director → Legal Chair, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Adam Bailey

    Chair

    Vice Chair → Chair Elect & Governor, 2022

    Chair Elect & Governor → Chair, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Anthony Wan

    Treasurer, F & I Chair

    Director → Treasurer, F & I Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Beth Von Emster

    Development Chair

    Director → Development Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Daniel Galindo

    Audit Chair

    Director → Audit Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Graham Drake

    Cepac Chair

    Director → Cepac Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Allen Asch

    Gov Chair

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Phyllida Burlingame

    Legal-Policy Director

    On filings since 2022

    36 hrs/week

    $212K (2022) → $339K (2025)

  • Shilpi Agarwal

    Legal-Policy Director

    On filings since 2022

    36 hrs/week

    $189K (2022) → $246K (2025)

  • Betsy Buchalter Adler

    Director

    Director → Audit Chair, 2022

    Audit Chair → Director, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Veronica Diaz

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kasson Stone

    Director

    Development Chair → Director, 2025

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Meg Durbin

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Christopher Argyos

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jalle Dafa

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jim Lawrence

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Katelynn Bishop

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Robert White

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Elise Traynum

    General Counsel

    General Counsel → Secretary & General Counsel, 2022

    Secretary & General Counsel → General Counsel, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    32 hrs/week

    $107K (2020) → $223K (2025)

  • Duc Le

    COO

    Hr Director → CFO & CAO, 2022

    CFO & CAO → COO, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    32 hrs/week

    $125K (2021) → $122K (2025)

  • Elizabeth Gill

    Senior Staff Attny

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $227K (2025)

  • Jacob Snow

    Senior Staff Attny

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $234K (2025)

  • Marina Hsieh

    Natl Delegate

    Director → Natl Delegate, 2025

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nancy Stuart

    Vice Chair

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Zainab Ramahi

    Affil Officer

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (30)
  • Former: Al Hammond (2019–2024) — Director
  • Former: China Brotsky (2019–2024) — Director
  • Former: Dorothy Stell (2019–2024) — Development Director
  • Former: Maria Louisa Hekker (2019–2024) — Director
  • Former: Erica Fernandez Zamora (2021–2024) — Policy Chair
  • Former: Sukaina Hussain (2021–2024) — Director
  • Former: Candice Francis (2023–2024) — Communications Director
  • Former: Dan Geiger (2023–2024) — Treasurer
  • Former: Farah Brelvi (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Justin Brown (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Kassie Stone (2019–2023) — Development Chair
  • Former: Sheila Warren (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Yomi Wrong (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Erin Pulaski (2020–2023) — Director
  • Former: Julie Rabinovitz (2021–2023) — Director
  • Former: Jennifer Tapken (2019–2022) — CFO & CAO
  • Former: Mark Toney (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: Mickey Welsh (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: Shalini Swaroop (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: Tirien Steinbach (2020–2022) — Chief Program Officer
  • Former: Allen Hammond (2022) — Director
  • Former: Magan Ray (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Peter Gelblum (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Kevin Baker (2020–2021) — Legislative Director
  • Former: Natasha Minsker (2019–2020) — Center Director
  • Former: Pedro Ramirez (2019–2020) — Director
  • Former: Bharat Trehan (2019) — Vice Chair
  • Former: Christine Sun (2019) — Legal & Pol Director
  • Former: Julia Mass (2019) — Senior Staff Atty
  • Former: Linda Lye (2019) — Senior Staff Atty

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Phyllida Burlingame — Legal-Policy DIR.: $339KPhyllida BurlingameLegal-Policy DIR.$339KAbdi Soltani — Executive Dir.: $264KAbdi SoltaniExecutive Dir.$264KShilpi Agarwal — Legal-Policy DIR.: $246KShilpi AgarwalLegal-Policy DIR.$246KJacob Snow — Senior Staff Attny: $234KJacob SnowSenior Staff Attny$234KElizabeth Gill — Senior Staff Attny: $227KElizabeth GillSenior Staff Attny$227KElise Traynum — General Counsel: $223KElise TraynumGeneral Counsel$223KDUC Le — COO: $122KDUC LeCOO$122K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $339K, to Phyllida Burlingame (Legal-Policy DIR.). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc

How much does American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc give each year?

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc gave $725K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $618K across 2 grants.

How large is American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc?

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc reported $49.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $21.8M.

Where does American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc operate?

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc has awarded grants in California, New York.

What is American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc's EIN?

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-0279770. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

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