Public records reveal that millions donated to Barack Obama’s foundation were later funneled into a progressive grant-making group that has backed organizations accused of organizing anti-Israel protests and encampments at elite universities.
The New York Post reports that according to federal tax filings, the Obama Foundation—created by the former president to build a 19-acre campus in Chicago featuring a museum, athletic complex, and community gardens—directed $2 million in 2022 and 2023 to the Tides Foundation. The filings state the money was intended to “support local organizations that are working to reduce violence in communities.”
The Tides Foundation, also backed by Democratic donor George Soros, serves as a fiscal sponsor for activist organizations that lack IRS nonprofit status. The group is now under investigation by the House Ways and Means Committee for processing donations to anti-Israel entities such as the Adalah Justice Project, Samidoun, and the People’s Forum. These groups were tied to pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations and encampments following the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel that killed 1,200 people.
Tides has also managed funds for the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, which sued the group in California Superior Court last year over what it called “egregious mismanagement” of more than $33 million. That case remains unresolved.
In addition to its grants to Tides, the Obama Foundation directed more than $3 million to Gofundme.org in 2022 and 2023, describing the funds as support for “grassroots leaders to empower girls through education,” according to filings.
The foundation has acknowledged spending more than $615 million so far on construction of the Obama Presidential Center, slated to open in spring 2026. Despite reporting just $129,320 in contributions in 2022, the nonprofit recorded more than $27 million in staff salaries that year.
Among its highest earners, Valerie Jarrett—a longtime Obama adviser and the foundation’s CEO—was paid over $750,000 in 2023. Robbin Cohen, executive vice president of the Obama Presidential Center and former head of the Pritzker Realty Group, earned nearly $650,000. Board member Penny Pritzker, sister of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, does not receive compensation.
The center, under construction in Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side, spans roughly 20 acres. Work began in 2021, but the project has experienced delays and cost overruns, surpassing its original $500 million budget. The structure, described as a looming concrete tower, continues to rise despite the setbacks.
