The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation of Northern California is the arm of the ACLU-NC that conducts litigation, policy research and education efforts in support of civil liberties. Founded in 1934, the ACLU-NC works to preserve and guarantee the protections of the Constitution's Bill of Rights. We aim to extend these freedoms to segments of our population who have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered people; women; mental-health patients; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor. In addition to the litigation for which the ACLU-NC has been known over the past seven decades, we also educate the public, inform the media, lobby legislators, organize grassroots activists, and disseminate information about our constitutional freedoms through our membership and volunteer chapters.