American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois logo

American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois

501(c)(4) organization Chicago, IL EIN: 27-1629328 Website
Public affairs

Defend freedom of speech, press, assembly, and other rights guaranteed by the us constitution and the constitution of the state of Illinois.

Key facts about American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois

EIN
27-1629328
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Total assets
$14,203,921

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

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$14.2M

+30.5% YoY

Revenue

$5.6M

+150.1% YoY

Net Investment Income

$330K

+7.9% YoY

Expenses

$2.0M

-7.4% YoY

About American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois

Based on IRS filings

American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois is a public charity focused on Public affairs, based in Chicago, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $14.2M in total assets. Net investment income was $330K.

Focus Areas

Public affairs
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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

1state

States

Cities

Columbus

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$25K$50K$75K$100K0 grants2019 0 grants2020 0 grants2021 0 grants2022 0 grants2023 1 grant2024 0 grants2025

In 2024 it made 1 grant totaling $100K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

1 grant across all recorded years

<$50K$50–100K1$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 1 grant of 1 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for 2025.

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$2M$4M$6M$8M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$14,203,921$10,885,866$10,263,124
Revenue$5,575,980$2,229,365$3,556,973
Expenses$2,046,480$2,209,068$1,419,660
Net Investment Income$330,362$306,274$170,010

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 18, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 5, 2025)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois is led by Colleen Connell, Executive Director on filings since 2019; 9 of 53 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Colleen Connell

    Executive Director

    On filings since 2019

    24 hrs/week

    $92K (2019) → $132K (2025)

  • Jill M. Metz

    President

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ed Yohnka

    Director of Communications & Public Policy

    On filings since 2019

    24 hrs/week

    $53K (2019) → $72K (2025)

  • Khadine Bennett

    Director of Advocacy & Intergovernmental Affairs

    On filings since 2020

    48 hrs/week

    $23K (2020) → $166K (2025)

  • Benjamin Ruddell

    Director of Criminal Justice Policy

    On filings since 2024

    36 hrs/week

    $69K (2024) → $83K (2025)

  • Emmalee Scott

    Director of Philanthropy & Engagement

    On filings since 2024

    24 hrs/week

    $73K (2024) → $73K (2025)

  • Gabriel Pachter

    Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives & Team Operations

    On filings since 2024

    6 hrs/week

    $11K (2024) → $11K (2025)

  • Nora Collins-Mandeville

    Director of Systems Reform Policy

    On filings since 2024

    36 hrs/week

    $67K (2024) → $81K (2025)

  • Angela Gemini

    Director of Finance

    New on the 2025 filing

    18 hrs/week

    $49K (2025)

  • Kt Sullivan

    Associate Director

    On filings since 2019

    18 hrs/week

    $24K (2019) → $54K (2025)

  • Ada Lopez

    Board of Directors

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Aziz Huq

    Board of Directors

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bernadette Chopra

    Vice President at Large

    Director → Vice President at Large, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Cindy Wilson

    At-Large Members

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    Board of Directors → At-Large Members, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Colby Kingsbury

    Board of Directors

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Darren Hunter

    Board of Directors

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Diane Klotnia

    At-Large Members

    Executive Cmte at Large → At-Large Members, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Genita C. Robinson

    Board of Directors

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Grace Chan McKibben

    At-Large Members

    Director & National Board Representative → National Board Representative, 2020

    National Board Representative → At-Large Members, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Howard Suskin

    At-Large Members

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    Board of Directors → At-Large Members, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • James Holzhauer

    At-Large Members

    Executive Cmte at Large → At-Large Members, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kerry A. Miller

    General Counsel

    Treasurer → General Counsel, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Laura Kofoid

    National Board Representative

    Vice President Development → Vice President & Development, 2020

    Vice President & Development → National Board Representative, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Leah Bruno

    Board of Directors

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Luis Gutierrez

    Board of Directors

    Affiliate Equity Officer & Vice President Diversity → Affiliate Equity Officer, 2020

    Affiliate Equity Officer → Board of Directors, 2022

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Marc Beem

    At-Large Members

    Executive Cmte at Large & Past President → At-Large Members, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mario F. Garcia

    At-Large Members

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    Board of Directors → At-Large Members, 2022

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mary Stowell

    Board of Directors

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mort Rosen

    At-Large Members

    Executive Cmte at Large → At-Large Members, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Richard J. O'Brien

    General Counsel

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Robert Sash

    Treasurer

    Vice President at Large → Treasurer, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Roxana Espoz

    Board of Directors

    Director → Board of Directors, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ruth Krugly

    Vice President at Large

    Vice President at Large → General Counsel, 2020

    General Counsel → Vice President at Large, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Scott Lassar

    Vice President & Policy

    Vice President Policy → Vice President & Policy, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Shyni R. Varghese

    Vice President & Directors

    Vice President & Directors → Vice President & Director, 2024

    Vice President & Director → Vice President & Directors, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Simon E. Weffer

    At-Large Members

    Director → At-Large Members, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Stelios Valavanis

    Board of Directors

    Director → Board of Directors, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Amrith Kaur Aakre

    Secretary

    Board of Directors → At-Large Members, 2022

    At-Large Members → Secretary, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Everett Cygal

    General Counsel

    Board of Directors → General Counsel, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Peter H. Hanna

    Board of Directors

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sufyan Sohel

    Affiliate Equity Officer

    Board of Directors → Affiliate Equity Officer, 2022

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Wendy Walker Williams

    Vice President & Development

    Board of Directors → Vice President & Development, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Akif Rahman

    Board of Directors

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Louis A. Klapp

    Board of Directors

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Noel Elfant

    Board of Directors

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Susan Frances

    Board of Directors

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Darlene Oliver Hightower

    Board of Directors

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Daryl Woods

    Board of Directors

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kathleen Gillespie

    Board of Directors

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nida Shakir Ghaffar

    Board of Directors

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Robert Murphymd

    Board of Directors

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Andrew Johnson

    Board of Directors

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Eric Mattson

    Board of Directors

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (34)
  • Former: Althea Walton (2019–2024) — Director of Finance
  • Former: Elizabeth Roberson-Young (2024) — Senior Supervising Policy Counsel
  • Former: Meaghan McElroy (2024) — Senior Program Director
  • Former: Carrie Newton (2019–2023) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Harriet Hausman (2019–2023) — At-Large Members
  • Former: Nadim Kazi (2019–2023) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Robert Murphy (2019–2023) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Thurston Bailey (2019–2023) — Secretary
  • Former: Scott Emmalee (2021–2023) — Director of Philanthropy & Engagement
  • Former: Ahmad Sadri (2022–2023) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Bennett Khadine (2022–2023) — Director of Advocacy & Intergovernmental Affairs
  • Former: Connell Colleen (2022–2023) — Executive Director
  • Former: Laura Friedel (2022–2023) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Sullivan KT (2022–2023) — Associate Director
  • Former: Yohnka Ed (2022–2023) — Director of Communications & Public Policy
  • Former: Collins-Mandeville Nora (2023) — Director of Systems Reform Policy
  • Former: Ruddell Ben (2023) — Director of Criminal Justice Policy
  • Former: Walton Althea (2023) — Director of Finance
  • Former: Sarah Garza Resnick (2019–2022) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Stel Valavanis (2020–2022) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Ami Gandhi (2019–2021) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Barbara Flynn Currie (2019–2021) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Charles Watkins (2019–2021) — Board of Directors · Filing note: Resigned in decembe
  • Former: Elaine Nekritz (2019–2021) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Shermin Kruse (2019–2021) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Ben Ruddell (2020–2021) — Director of Criminal Justice Policy
  • Former: Ahmad Sadri Joined in January (2021) — Board of Directors
  • Former: Monique Hanson (2019–2020) — Director of Development
  • Former: Anne Shaw (2019) — Director
  • Former: Betsy Lehman (2019) — Director
  • Former: Brian Richardson-Varona (2019) — Director
  • Former: Heidi Dalenberg (2019) — General Counsel
  • Former: Lya Rosenblum (2019) — Director
  • Former: Rebecca Gilman (2019) — Director

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

Khadine Bennett — Director of Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs: $166KKhadine BennettDirector of Advocacy and…$166KColleen Connell — Executive Director: $132KColleen ConnellExecutive Director$132KBenjamin Ruddell — Director of Criminal Justice Policy: $83KBenjamin RuddellDirector of Criminal Justice…$83KNora Collins-Mandeville — Director of Systems Reform Policy: $81KNora Collins-MandevilleDirector of Systems Reform…$81KEmmalee Scott — Director of Philanthropy and Engagement: $73KEmmalee ScottDirector of Philanthropy and…$73KEd Yohnka — Director of Communications and Public Policy: $72KEd YohnkaDirector of Communications and…$72KKT Sullivan — Associate Director: $54KKT SullivanAssociate Director$54KAngela Gemini — Director of Finance: $49KAngela GeminiDirector of Finance$49KGabriel Pachter — Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Team Operations: $11KGabriel PachterSenior Director of Strategic…$11K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $166K, to Khadine Bennett (Director of Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois

How large is American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois?

American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois reported $14.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.6M.

What is American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois?

American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois is a public charity focused on Public affairs, based in Chicago, IL. It holds $14.2M in total assets as of 2025.

Where does American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois operate?

American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois has awarded grants in Ohio.

What is American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois's EIN?

American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-1629328. 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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