Largest Anonymous ACLU Donor Reveals Identity And Reaffirms Support For Organization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org

NEW YORK – In a statement reaffirming his support for the mission of the American Civil Liberties Union, philanthropist David Gelbaum explained today why his generous financial contributions to the ACLU and two other charities will be greatly reduced this year. Gelbaum’s statement, which comes after years of anonymous financial support to the organization, follows a New York Times article first published online Tuesday night naming him as a major ACLU donor. Other nonprofits significantly affected by Gelbaum’s announcement are the environmental group the Sierra Club Foundation and the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund, a charity that provides services for American military personnel and their families.

“David Gelbaum is one of America’s greatest heroes – an unassuming man with a spectacularly generous spirit. Every American should be grateful for the selfless commitment to improving the lives of others demonstrated by this remarkable man,” said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. “While we’re clearly disappointed that his desire to remain anonymous was breached, we remain eternally grateful for everything he and his family have done to advance the cause of civil liberties for all Americans.”

The following is the text of Mr. Gelbaum’s statement:

STATEMENT BY DAVID GELBAUM
FOR USE BY ORGANIZATIONS
FACING LARGEST REDUCTIONS IN HIS DONATIONS
December 9, 2009

I understand that you have reached a point in your relations with your supporters and the general public where it would be important to reveal my identity as your largest anonymous donor.

The situation is this. For a number of years, your organization has received very substantial charitable contributions from me. I am willing to be publicly named now because my investments in alternative, clean energy companies have placed me in a highly illiquid position as a result of the general credit crisis in the American and world financial systems.

Consequently, and much to my regret, I will not be able to make donations of this size starting in 2010 and continuing indefinitely. Several of the largest organizations I have funded in the last five years have had to make plans to wind down major areas of their work. These are programs I have been proud to support, including the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund that serves the needs of service members and veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, the race and poverty work of the ACLU Foundation, and the Military Families Outdoors program of the Sierra Club Foundation. The future viability of these programs will depend on the generosity of others.

I have consented to disclosure so that my charitable recipients will not be constrained by donor confidentiality, may fully explain how these programs were created and financed, and may ask others to step forward to help sustain them in the future.

The three charities listed below will experience the greatest reductions, compared to what I have given in the past. These are the amounts that I provided to them in the period from 2005 to 2009, through a combination of donor-advised funds, direct giving, and other philanthropic vehicles.

1. Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund at the California Community Foundation
Contact: Amy Fackelmann Gonzalez http://www.calfund.org/learn/iadif.php
$247 million

2. American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
Contact: Anthony Romero https://www.aclu.org/
$ 94 million

3. Sierra Club Foundation
Contact: Peter Martin http://www.sierraclub.org/foundation/
$ 48 million

I request that you make known my support of all three organizations so that everyone understands that the shift in my financial circumstances is the cause of the reduction in giving, and not any disapproval or dissatisfaction with the programs. To the contrary, I hope they will thrive with the generous support of many other donors, large and small.

See attached breakdown of programs.

FUNDING AREAS 2005-2009

Iraq-Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund (IADIF)

IADIF Grants Phase I (2005+)
112,821,643

IADIF Grants Phase II (2007+)
40,784,749

IADIF Grants Phase III (2008+)
92,548,771

IADIF Admin
489,561

____________________

IADIF – TOTAL
$ 246,644,724

2. American Civil Liberties Union Foundation

For Race and Poverty
13,800,000

For Affiliate Growth
12,500,000

For Drug Law Enforcement Reform
10,700,000

For Prisoners’ Rights
7,000,000

For Immigrants’ Rights
6,500,000

For Death Penalty Reform
5,000,000

For Voting Rights and Felon Re-enfranchisement
3,700,000

For Women’s Rights
3,500,000

For Voting Rights
3,400,000

For Scholarships
500,000

For Youth Programs
500,000

General Operating Expenses
26,400,000

____________________

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation – TOTAL
93,500,000

3. Sierra Club Foundation

Military Families Outdoors program
25,562,000

Hunter Angler Outreach programs
5,950,000

Building Bridges to the Outdoors
5,910,402

Environmental Justice and Communities Grassroots Organizing programs
4,299,700

Water Sentinels program
2,500,000

Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb programs
1,103,498

Military Sustainable Housing Fund / Homes For Our Troops
1,000,000

Climate Recovery Project / Protection and Sustainable Biofuels Campaign
658,000

Environmental Career Apprenticeship Program
495,661

National Education project
110,000

LEED Sustainable Housing Fund
100,000

____________________

Sierra Club Foundation – TOTAL
47,689,261