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Plinth

· Public charity

American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California

The AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (aclu nc union) defends and advances the principles of freedom, equality and justice contained in the united states constitution.

$2.6M
Granted FY2025still arriving
4
Grants FY2025still arriving
1
States reached
$2.3M
Largest
01What you fundRead
02The needRead
03Your edgeRead
04Your fieldRead
01What you fund
01

What you funded, over time

By grantee IRS cause code (NTEE).

A cause breakdown isn’t shown here: 43% of AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA’s grantee dollars fall outside its nine largest cause areas, whether because the recipient carries no IRS cause code or because its cause sits in the long tail. A chart would be mostly one residual band and misrepresent the portfolio.

02FY2025 · 4 grants

Where the money goes

Your grants by size, and where they go.

By grant size · FY2025

  • $10k–50k1 grant · $10k
  • $50k–250k2 grants · $235k
  • $250k+1 grant · $2.3M
$135,000
Median grant
1
States reached
$18M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
ACLU CA ACTION$2,348,286
YES FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY$135,000
COMM PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY$100,000
YES ON PROP 6$10,000
02The need
03

Do your dollars go where the need is?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, then read against the area’s typical level.

show:

Your human-services grants (FY18–21, $147k) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 86% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of your grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%AFFECT REAL CHANGE INC: $25k → 24%AFFECT REAL CHANGE INC: $6k → 24%CALIFORNIA CALLS ACTION FUND: $95k → 14%COMMINITIES UNITED FOR RESTOR: $21k → 10%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount

Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty linein the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP; grantee ZIP can differ from where services are delivered.

US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are actually delivered. Need from public data — U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA — shown as context about the area, never attributed to your giving.

03Your edge
repeat funding

Who you back again

Which organizations you funded more than once, and which you funded a single time. Each grantee is matched to its own filings.

87%of every dollar goes to organizations you’ve funded before.
$16M · 8 repeat orgs$2.5M to everyone else

And the relationships you keep tend to grow: grantees you re-up on have seen median revenue of +43% since the first grant, against 0% for the ones you funded once.

8 repeat relationships — 2 still active in FY2025, 6 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

8
21

Total granted

$16M
$2.3M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+43%
0%

Still filing today

88%
67%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 96% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $110k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Civil RightsHuman ServicesCommunity ImprovementPublic BenefitYouth DevelopmentOther

First-time = a grantee’s first year in your filing window; renewed = funded in an earlier year too. As a portfolio matures the renewed share naturally climbs — once funded, an org stays “renewable” — so the signal is the years that buck it (a new-grantee intake wave). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as “new.” Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • AC
    ACLU California Action
    5× · 2021–2025 · $10M · revenue +339% · 77% of their budget
  • AC
    AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION INC
    2× · 2017–2023 · $5.0M · revenue +43%
  • TA
    TIDES ADVOCACY
    3× · 2018–2020 · $120k · revenue +130%

Funded once

  • OF
    OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL COALITION
    one grant, 2021 · $750k
  • YO
    YES ON PROP 1
    one grant, 2023 · $250k
  • FI
    FAITH IN ACTION FUND
    one grant, 2018 · $215k · revenue -99%

Repeat = funded in two or more distinct years; growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Your field

The map has a center of gravity: the average direction from the rest of the sector toward the organizations the foundation funds — the shape of its giving. Scoring every nonprofit along that direction surfaces the ones that look most like the portfolio. These are the closest matchesthat aren’t grantees — a resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Alliance for a Better California Sponsored By Working Families and Labor

To support or oppose state and local ballot measures that affect the security of working californians.

Civil Rights
2
American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California

The american civil liberties union of northern california (aclu nc union) defends and advances the principles of freedom, equality and justice contained in the united states constitution. aclu nc union, a california mutual benefit…

—
3
Californians for Fair Pay and Employer Accountability

To support policies and ballot measures to support employment reform.

—
4
Jobs with Justice San Francisco

A long-term, strategic alliance of labor, community, faith-based, and student organizations working together to build greater economic power for workers and community members through employee rights at work and access to good jobs,…

Employment
5
Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action

The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action is a grassroots, member-led, statewide community organization working with more than 16,000 members in six counties across California, dedicated to raising the voices of…

Human Services
6
Protect Our Right to Hold Politicians Acctble No on C

This issue committee was formed to oppose Measure C in San Francisco. The purpose is to create a committee educate the community and defeat Prop C.

—
7
Repeal Reunite Reinvest California

Repeal Reunite Reinvest CA Re:CA Coalition aims to repeal California's Three Strikes Law through a citizen's initiative placed on the 2024 presidential ballot. The goal in doing this is to reunite currently incarcerated individuals with…

—
8
California Center for Movement Legal Services

The California Center for Movement Legal Services (Movement Legal) provides legal services in the pursuit of improving the lives of California's traditionally underserved residents, carrying out legal work that fosters community led policy…

Crime & Legal
9
American Civil Liberties Union of Washington

To protect and extend civil liberties and civil rights, and to take action to further those liberties and rights within the state of washington.

—
10
California Rcv Coalition Inc

We advocate for legislation and influence the decisions of our elected leaders in California to pass Ranked Choice Voting in the states various cities counties and state elections. Our volunteers and leadership provide domain expertise…

Civil Rights
11
American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware Inc

The organization monitors legislation that could impact civil liberties and takes the necessary action to support or oppose such legislation.

—
12
Supporters of Recall Pamela Price

Supporters of Recall Pamela Price wants to bring safety back to Alameda County by recalling soft-on-crime District Attorney Pamela Price in the November 5, 2024 election.

—

For reference, the grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Aclu Foundation of Southern California and the most unlike its peers is Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.

04the grantee network

26 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each one resolved to its own IRS returns and tracked year by year — your grant beside their revenue from every source. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

Counted here: distinct organizations you funded across 2017–2025, not grant rows in a single year — so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 26 of the 32 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile; the rest are funded organizations whose filings we could not track year by year.

4
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
7
Early backer (in before they grew)
22/26
Grantees still filing
14/26
Grew since you first funded

Where your money sits — by cause, then by grantee

ACLU California Action — $10,152,757 · Civil RightsACLU California Action+5 more — $178,249 · Civil RightsAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION INC — $5,000,000 · OtherAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION INCOPPORTUNITY FOR ALL COALITION — $750,000 · OtherOPPORTUNITY FOR ALL COALITIONAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — $442,262 · OtherAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF SOUTHERN CALIF…+15 more — $1,736,956 · Other+15 moreCALIFORNIA CALLS ACTION FUND — $95,000 · Human ServicesAffect Real Change Inc — $31,400 · Human ServicesCOMMUNITIES UNITED FOR RESTORATIVE YOUTH JUSTICE DBA CURYJ — $21,000 · Human ServicesFAITH IN ACTION NETWORK — $60,000 · Community ImprovementMOVEMENT STRATEGY CENTER — $10,000 · Community ImprovementYOUTH JUSTICE COALITION INC — $54,800 · Youth DevelopmentMapLight — $10,000 · Public BenefitSOCIAL GOOD FUND INC — $6,400 · Education
Civil Rights$10,331,006Other$7,929,218Human Services$147,400Community Improvement$70,000Youth Development$54,800Public Benefit$10,000Education$6,400

Each org by its size and your share of it — top-left is where you’re load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ your share of their budgetACLU California Action — $10,152,757 over 5y, 77% of budgetAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION INC — $5,000,000 over 2y, 2.0% of budgetAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — $442,262 over 3y, 6.8% of budgetEquality California Issues PAC — $235,000 over 2y, 3.9% of budgetAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF SAN DIEGO & IMPERIAL COUNTIES INC — $150,000 over 1y, 9.4% of budgetTIDES ADVOCACY — $119,900 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetMOVEMENT STRATEGY CENTER ACTION FUND — $105,000 over 1y, 46% of budgetOakland Fair Elections — $100,000 over 1y, 27% of budgetCALIFORNIA CALLS ACTION FUND — $95,000 over 1y, 5.6% of budgetYOUTH JUSTICE COALITION INC — $54,800 over 2y, 1.7% of budgetAffect Real Change Inc — $31,400 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetSCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES FIRST — $25,000 over 1y, 35% of budgetLOVE NOT BLOOD CAMPAIGN — $21,000 over 1y, 2.4% of budgetCOMMUNITIES UNITED FOR RESTORATIVE YOUTH JUSTICE DBA CURYJ — $21,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetACLU FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — $17,249 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMapLight — $10,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetMOVEMENT STRATEGY CENTER — $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUNITED WE DREAM NETWORK INC — $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetSOCIAL GOOD FUND INC — $6,400 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Go grantee by grantee — a decade per org, and how each moved after you funded them

A decade per grantee — revenue shaded, your grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

The grantmakers whose grantees overlap with yours far more than size alone predicts. Each orbits closer the stronger the alignment; the arcs between them show where they also fund each other. Here it reads as a tightly interlocked camp — most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The San Francisco Fou…Open Society Action F…East Bay Community Fo…Silicon Valley Commun…Tides FoundationLiberty Hill Foundati…Sixteen Thirty FundNEO Philanthropy IncCalifornia Community …National Philanthropi…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …
The San Francisco FoundationCA19.5× affinity8 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The San Francisco Foundation · Open Society Action Fund Inc · East Bay Community Foundation · Silicon Valley Community Foundation · Tides Foundation · Liberty Hill Foundation · Sixteen Thirty Fund · NEO Philanthropy Inc · California Community Foundation · National Philanthropic Trust · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund

Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. A research starting point: overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Government reliance of your grantees

Every dot is one organization American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California funds. Left–right is the share of its income from government; up–down is the share from you. Bigger dots raise more. Filter to federal or a single department — and drag the year to watch it move.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%6%25%56%100%your share of their income ↑0%13%25%38%50%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    5report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–50%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25

    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending — grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that your grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first — a floor, not a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12–24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read directly from IRS e-file XML — your own 990/990-PF and the multi-year returns of the 32 grantees we resolved across every year we hold, several hundred filings in all (a different count from the grant rows on the cover, which are one fiscal year)— each linked to its source. Grantee achievements and outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III); we read these as association with sustained funding — the foundation is one of several forces — suppress low-confidence name matches rather than guess, and say so where a figure rests on a single grant or filing. Not everything on this page is a filed figure, and the difference matters. Filed is what you reported on your return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears. How we build these →

    Generated from your IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home
    State money flows
    the interactive map of money crossing state lines