The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has launched a three-year drive to raise funds for educating Indiana residents about human and constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms and to lead the fight against violations of those rights.

“More and more actions by local and state lawmakers, government agencies, school systems and others are revealing a climate in Indiana that is ignorant at best and hostile at worst to our guaranteed rights,” ACLU of Indiana Executive Director Gilbert Holmes said. “Hundreds of times a month, the ACLU is asked by Indiana residents to stand with them to defend their rights, liberties and freedoms.”

The cornerstone of the fundraising drive, called “Raising the Bar for Civil Liberties,” is a $500,000 gift from the Sara Reuben Revocable Trust. The gift created the Albert G. and Sara I. Reuben Memorial Fund for Civil Liberties and Justice. Albert and Sara Reuben were active in community and philanthropic work in Central Indiana. The gift to ACLU of Indiana was among a number of grants announced by the Sara Reuben Revocable Trust this year.

ACLU of Indiana has added a full-time development director, Ron Newlin, to its staff to coordinate the fund drive. A communications/education director position will be filled shortly. Funds contributed to the campaign, which was announced Oct. 3, will be used to support expanded operations, build an endowment and support capital improvements.

In recent months, ACLU of Indiana has signed on to two complaints seeking to halt the enforcement of laws – one that would disallow Medicaid to pay for Planned Parenthood patient costs, and another that would create stricter immigration enforcement policies.