Our Vision
We envision a more just, equitable, and caring democracy in Oregon.
Together, we can create a democracy where all people and communities have:
- Fundamental freedoms and rights;
- Access and power to engage fully in our democratic processes;
- Inherent dignity, autonomy, and are valued.
Together, we can foster a democracy that:
- Centers voices that have been historically silenced, excluded, and oppressed;
- Provides opportunities and resources for all of its people to thrive; and
- Fulfills its promises to be a democracy that is of, by, and for all the people.
Our Mission
Take action together to protect and advance our civil liberties and civil rights for a more just, equitable, and caring democracy in Oregon.
Achieving Our Mission:
The ACLU of Oregon builds political power in meaningful partnership with impacted individuals and communities to disrupt and defend against oppressive systems. Together, we educate and dispel misinformation, advocate at all levels of government, and fight in courts to protect and advance our democracy, civil liberties and civil rights
What We Do
Do the ACLU - Act, Challenge, Love, Unite
We build community by engaging and activating the public in issues affecting them at the state and local levels.
We advocate for legislation at the state and local levels that furthers our mission for a more just, equitable, and caring Oregon.
We fight in the courts alongside people in our community whose civil rights and civil liberties are denied or violated, seeking systemic changes that build a more just and free community for all.
We inform the people of their rights, and empower the public to use their rights to create a better, stronger democracy.
We educate the public on the complex web of systems and actors that can act as barriers to transformative justice work.
How We Do Our Work
We work in partnership and collaboration with communities and organizations across the state to respond to civil liberties and civil rights issues. Justice work should aim to honor the whole humanity of a person which includes a person’s race, ethnicity, class, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and other social categorizations. These facets of a person are interconnected, as are the many systems we live within: criminal, legal, health, education, labor and so many others. We work for human-centered solutions rooted in justice, equity and care.
Our integrated advocacy approach aims to find solutions as multifaceted as the issues themselves. We coordinate our tools of legal expertise, legislative advocacy, public education and storytelling campaigns, and the people power of our community to impact statewide policies and movements. Our program teams work in alignment with each other and our values so we are practicing internally what we strive for externally.
Based on these shared organizational values, the ACLU of Oregon is embracing the principles of Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF). The collective power of our community — through contributions of active engagement, money and time with our issue areas — fuels our movement to advance civil rights and civil liberties for all.
Our Values
We are centering our work on individuals and communities in Oregon who are historically-disenfranchised and most impacted by the systemic inequities of racism, xenophobia, misogyny, ableism, transphobia, homophobia, socioeconomic injustice and other oppressions. These communities intersect and include Oregon’s BIPOC communities, immigrants, refugees, people with varying abilities and disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities and people experiencing poverty.
We believe every person has inherent dignity and value.
We recognize that people can be disadvantaged by multiple sources of oppression and intersecting identities which do not exist independently of each other. Each informs the other, often creating a complex convergence of oppression. We seek to create real, not performative, strides towards public and community safety, holistic wellness and care through our shared values and democratic processes. These processes must recognize, value, and be rooted in our fundamental civil liberties and civil rights.
American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon vs. ACLU Foundation of Oregon
Am I a member? What work am I supporting? What's tax-deductible? Understanding the difference!
Newsletters & Annual Reports
Library of ACLU of Oregon publications