Since 1951, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) has been New York State's preeminent organization devoted to protecting civil liberties and civil rights. You can help counter threats to fundamental freedoms – including personal privacy, the freedoms of speech, association and religion, and the right to due process before the law – and by supporting the NYCLU's work. Our legal, legislative, educational and community organizing efforts depend on donations from engaged supporters. Join us in defending liberty and justice.

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Gifts of Stock to the NYCLU

Why make a gift of stock? If you itemize your tax returns, gifts of securities entitle you to a federal income tax charitable deduction. In the case of appreciated securities, you may deduct the full fair market value of your gift once you have held onto the securities for at least one year. You are permitted to carry any unused deduction forward for up to five additional years. In addition, you will avoid paying capital gains tax on the stock you donated to the NYCLU Foundation. Download the form.

DeSilver Society: Leave a Legacy of Giving

One of the most important ways you can express your personal commitment to the mission and work of the NYCLU is to join the DeSilver Society, named for ACLU co-founder and early benefactor, Albert DeSilver. By giving financial support that continues after your lifetime, you ensure that the NYCLU continues its critical work for years to come. Please see DeSilver Legacy Society for more information.
 

Gifts in Memory or Tribute

Make a gift to the NYCLU in honor or in memory of a loved one. Not only is this a wonderful way to celebrate someone special, but your gift will also support the critical work of the NYCLU. For more information, contact Caroline Cotter at 212-607-3365 or ccotter@nyclu.org.
 

Monthly Membership Program: Guardians of Liberty

Guardians of Liberty members make monthly donations to provide the ACLU with consistent support that allows us to defend freedom at every turn. Reliable, consistent monthly support allows us to take on new projects, with the knowledge that we will have the funding to see them through, and allows us to respond to urgent needs whenever our rights are threatened.
 
As a Guardian of Liberty, your monthly contributions will be put to immediate use, making sure that no challenge to any of our rights goes unanswered. An automatic monthly pledge — made in affordable installments — is one of the most efficient ways that you can support the NYCLU. That means more of your donation will go directly toward critically important work. Please see Guardians of Liberty to sign up.
 

Employer Matching Gifts

Want to make your gift dollars go further? You may be able to do just that through your company's matching gift program. Thousands of companies, small and large, have Matching Gift programs that will match one-for-one, or even double, tax-deductible contributions made by their employees. Your employer may be one of them! If your company has a Matching Gift program, all you to have to do is obtain a matching gift form from your H.R. department or matching gift coordinator, fill it out completely and send it along with your contribution to: New York Civil Liberties Union, Development Department, 55 Broadway, New York, NY 10006.
 
So check today to see if your company has a matching gift program and maximize your support for the NYCLU's work to protect and defend liberty. For more information, please contact Caroline Cotter at 212-607-3365 or ccotter@nyclu.org.
 

Appreciated Securities/Stock Gifts

Making a gift of appreciated securities to the NYCLU such as stocks or other appreciated assets can be a great tax-efficient method for making a gift. In most instances, you can take a tax deduction for the full market value of the gift and avoid any capital gains tax.
 
Please see our quick guide Donating Stock to ensure the successful transfer of your unrestricted, publicly traded securities.
 

Fundraiser Toolkit

The NYCLU has developed a fundraising toolkit to make it as easy as possible for you to be an NYCLU fundraising ambassador. No fundraiser is too small (or too large), and we do our best to provide support to all fundraisers in any way we can. Learn more and see our step-by-step toolkit here.

Sponsorship Opportunities

To sponsor NYCLU events, please contact contributions@nyclu.org.
 

Michael Friedman Fund for Voting Rights

Michael Friedman was a brilliant theater composer who was deeply committed to civil liberties and civil rights. Known for his work on Gone Missing, which he created with the theater company, The Civilians and Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, he also wrote music and lyrics for Fortress of Solitude and Love’s Labour’s Lost for Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater among many others. After the 2016 election, Michael created The State of the Union Songbook, a body of songs based on interviews with voters. Michael frequently donated his music to the NYCLU’s annual Broadway Stands Up for Freedom Concert.

To honor his memory, his parents, John and Carolyn Friedman, and his sister, Marion Friedman Young, created the Michael Friedman Fund for Voting Rights to support the ACLU’s and NYCLU’s voting rights work.