American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa
Contact: iowaclu@aclu-ia.org
505 Fifth Avenue Suite 901
Des Moines, IA 50309
Founded in 1935, the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa [until 2005, known as the Iowa Civil Liberties Union] is the nation's fifth-oldest state affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU of Iowa is a non-profit membership organization that promotes and defends the values reflected in the Bill of Rights through public advocacy and outreach, lobbying, and litigation.The ACLU of Iowa is a non-partisan organization that does not endorse or oppose candidates and does not contribute money to political campaigns. Rather, it relies solely upon the force of its moral arguments and the voices of its members to promote civil liberties in the state and federal legislatures.As a private organization, the ACLU of Iowa is funded entirely with membership dues and donations - it receives no government funding. Membership dues to the ACLU of Iowa are not tax-deductible; however, donations to the ACLU Foundation of Iowa are.The ACLU of Iowa is dedicated to upholding the United States Constitution -- particularly the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments. It also supports and works for the improvement civil rights statues, open records/meetings laws, and statutory privacy protections. The ACLU of Iowa's work is focused on defending the rights to freedom of speech and association and freedom of religion; and the rights of due process, privacy, and equal protection under the law. These rights are also protected by Article I of the Iowa Constitution.