Significant financial contributions to Barack Obama’s foundation have reportedly been channeled to a progressive fund that has supported organizations accused of anti-Israel activities, including the establishment of camps at Ivy League schools, as indicated by public records.
Initially intended for the Obama Foundation, which was established by the former president to develop a 19-acre site featuring a museum, sports complex, and community gardens in Chicago, around $2 million was instead redirected to the Tides Foundation in the years 2022 and 2023, according to the most recent federal tax documents available.
The funds were designated to “assist local organizations in their efforts to mitigate violence within communities,” per the foundation’s records.
The Tides Foundation, which also receives backing from billionaire donor George Soros, acts as a fiscal sponsor for various groups that haven’t registered as charities with the IRS.
This grant-making entity is currently under investigation by the House Ways and Means Committee for its financial support of anti-Israel organizations such as Adalah Justice Project, Samidoun, and the People’s Forum. These groups were instrumental in facilitating pro-Palestinian demonstrations and campus encampments following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel that resulted in 1,200 Israeli fatalities.
After the article was published on Friday, a spokesperson for the Obama Foundation remarked to The Post that the $2 million had been distributed to over 50 organizations nationwide to address “rising summer violence” and to create “safe environments” for youth.
“The Tides Center functioned in an administrative capacity for this initiative by managing grants, while Cities United [a nonprofit] oversaw the application process,” the spokesperson explained in an email. The grants covered amounts ranging from $15,000 to $30,000 each during the two summer periods.
The Tides Foundation has also managed contributions for the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, which filed a lawsuit against the organization last year in California, claiming “severe mismanagement” of more than $33 million from its funds, as noted in court filings. This lawsuit remains active.
In addition to funding Tides, the Obama Foundation allocated over $3 million between 2022 and 2023 as grants to Gofundme.org for unspecified “grassroots leaders tasked with empowering girls through education,” according to the foundation’s financial records.
So far, the foundation has reported expenditures exceeding $615 million towards the construction of the Obama Presidential Center, which is set to open in the spring of 2026, according to their official website.
In 2022, the organization received just $129,320 in donations, while spending over $27 million on salaries.
Among the highest compensated members of the board are Valerie Jarrett, the former senior advisor to Obama and current CEO of the foundation, who earned over $750,000 in 2023.
Robbin Cohen, executive vice president of the Obama Presidential Center, received nearly $650,000 during the same year, as per tax records. Cohen previously served as president of the Pritzker Realty Group, founded by Penny Pritzker, a philanthropist and board member of the Obama Foundation. Pritzker’s brother, JB Pritzker, is the governor of Illinois, and he does not receive a salary from the foundation.
The center is situated in Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side, occupying 20 acres, and is currently under construction, resembling a monumental concrete structure. This privately financed project commenced in 2021 but has encountered several challenges, including exceeding its initial budget of $500 million.
“It’s a monstrosity… it’s taking way too long to complete, and it’s going to elevate living costs and create hardships for everyone in the area. It feels like erasing the neighborhood and culture that once thrived here,” commented Ken Woodward, a lawyer and lifelong resident of the area, earlier this year.
As of Thursday, neither the Obama Foundation nor the offices of Barack and Michelle Obama responded to requests for comments.
