1970 – Wade Rathke begins organizing in Arkansas to unite welfare recipients and working people for shared needs and rights; forms ACORN (Arkansas Community Organizations for Reform Now)
1971 – ACORN leaders organize “Save the City” campaign in Little Rock, establishing ACORN as a force in Arkansas politics. ACORN establishes six regional offices in the state around issues of concern to rural and small town Arkansans, begins to tackle statewide issues
1972 – ACORN’s “Save the City Rally” in Little Rock marks first entrance into electoral politics
1974 – In Pulaski County, 250 ACORN members run for office, 195 win seats
1975 – ACORN expands to Texas and South Dakota; first associate Executive Board and first president (Steve McDonald) elected to handle issues of larger scope
1978 – First national convention, of 1,000 members in Memphis, marks beginning of multi-state campaigns
1978-1980 – Participation in 1980 presidential campaign leads entry into national politics
1980 – ACORN is in 20 states, having added at least 3 states each year since
1982 – ACORN reaches 30,000 member families
1980s – Reagan years very trying for low-income communities and organizing. ACORN launches squatting campaign to get low- and moderate-income people into vacant houses and fix them up, with neighborhood approval. Fifteen thousand ACORN members and allies establish "Reagan Ranches" in over 35 cities, building tent cities to symbolize the homelessness Reagan's policies created. ACORN develops and strengthens ACORN Political Action Committees (APACs) and legislative office.
1985 – ACORN grows to 27 states, including significant chapters in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago
1990 – ACORN has more than 70,000 members in 28 states
1994 – ACORN participation has helped Project Vote register 147,000 voters in Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
2000 – ACORN is 125,000 members strong. ACORN registers 100,000 new voters nationwide.
2004 – Now 720 full-time staff working for ACORN and sister organizations, up from 490 just a year before. ACORN organized in 80 cities (up from 60 at the end of 2003) in 31 states. ACORN also expands internationally, with ACORN Canada opening its first offices in Toronto and Vancouver and ACORN Peru opening an office in Lima.
2005 – ACORN now includes chapters in over 100 U.S. cities in 37 states and in Canada, Peru and Mexico
2006 – More than 350,000 member families organized in over 110 cities in 40 states; added Argentina
2007 – ACORN organizes in India
