Income inequality at the Obama Foundation, while rice flourishes and seeks unity
Half of the Obama Foundation's reported workforce was paid more than $100,000, outpacing the five other presidential nonprofits examined in recent tax filings.
The 172-person six-figure professor at the Obama Foundation values Jarrett's $771,000 salary.
Professor Brian Mittendorff says the Obama Foundation's six-figure salary is unusually large for a nonprofit, but its expert workforce and CEO pay help explain the numbers.
Jarrett, one of former President Barack Obama's closest advisers and a former senior White House official, will lead the Obama Foundation starting in 2021 and oversee the final years of construction on the Presidential Center on Chicago's South Side.
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His total pay increased by about $15,500 from 2024, and he is one of at least four of the 10 highest-paid nonprofit executives with prior ties to the White House or the Obama campaign.
The current workforce of more than 500 is significantly higher than the 342 employees reported in the Obama Foundation's 2025 tax filing, which covers the year ending roughly six months before the presidential center opens in June. The nonprofit has not provided an updated salary breakdown.
The Obama Foundation saw its annual salary and benefits bill rise to $50.4 million in 2025, up from $18.5 million in 2018. The nonprofit had approximately $159 million in revenue last year, of which nearly $151 million was in grants and donations.
The spending hike comes as the Obama Foundation expands its leadership and civic programs at home and abroad as it races to finish the beleaguered presidential center. The sprawling 19.3-acre campus is located in a public park in Chicago's Jackson Park.
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Brian Mittendorf, an Ohio State University accounting professor who specializes in nonprofit finance, said the proportion of Obama Foundation employees making more than $100,000 stands out compared to the average nonprofit, but noted that the organization relies heavily on specialist staff.
Mittendorff said Obama Foundation employees likely have specialized skills that could command significant pay elsewhere.
"So it shows that a lot of their employees are the ones who are considering having an outside opportunity that justifies their salary at that level," he said. Like I said, it's unusual for a standard nonprofit, but probably not that unusual for a nonprofit of its kind.
Nearly half of its reported workforce exceeded that threshold in 2025, compared with 37% at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, 29% at the Carter Center, 23% at the Clinton Foundation, 13% at the Reagan Foundation and 10% at the George and Barbara Bush Foundation, according to the most recent tax filings available, 202
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Jarrett's pay rose from about $581,000 when Jarrett took over as CEO in 2021 to $740,000 in 2022 and remained at that level through 2024 before climbing to nearly $755,000 in 2025.
The Reagan Foundation paid its CEO about $735,000 and the Carter Center $531,000 for the fiscal years ending in 2025, while the George W. Bush Presidential Center paid its chief officer $661,000, the George and Barbara Bush Foundation $426,600, and the Clinton Foundation $420,420.
Beyond Jarrett, several former Obama administration officials continued to collect hefty six-figure checks at the Obama Foundation.
Christina Chen, former chief of staff to first lady Michelle Obama, was paid roughly $431,000 in 2025, while Michael Strautmanis, a former Obama campaigner and White House aide, earned roughly $404,000. Laura Lucas Magnuson, a former White House communications official, received approximately $396,000.
Other top earners include Robin Cohen, who received approximately $666,000. Cohen previously led the Pritzker Real Estate Group, which was founded by billionaire Democratic donor and former Obama Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, a cousin of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Former Cook County CFO Ammar Rizki received nearly $400,000.
The Obama Foundation defended its executive pay practices.
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Asked whether Jarrett's salary was excessive, Mittendorff said the answer is subjective, especially given the size and scope of the Obama Foundation.
"That's not an unusual amount to see for a high-paid employee for a director or a CEO," he said, noting that the nonprofit's net worth is more than $1 billion.
Still, Mittendorff acknowledged that substantial executive pay at charities can draw criticism.
"So I think there's criticism from time to time of CEOs being paid at this level, not that they can't get paid in the private sector, but there's a belief that in the nonprofit sector, the pay shouldn't just reflect what you get in the public sector, but something less," he said.
However, it is quite common for an organization of this size.
Illinois GOP Chairman Bob Grogan, a longtime critic of the Obama Foundation's use of public parks for the private organization, accused the nonprofit of enriching Obama's inner circle at taxpayer expense.
The Obama Foundation maintains that the construction of the Presidential Center was privately financed and that its operating costs are covered by revenues and private donations. Public funding has also supported infrastructure improvements around campus.
The hefty executive pay comes as regular Obama Foundation employees push to unionize, demanding reinstated benefits and increased workloads. Workers also claim that deteriorating conditions have caused experienced colleagues to leave, taking valuable organizational knowledge with them and accumulating more numbers. Work on those who remain.
Employees organized under the Obama Workers Union with AFSCME Council 31 include visitor services and janitorial staff, museum and technology staff, and employees involved in nonprofit global and educational programs.
"Amid an increasing workload, we have seen our benefits decrease and leadership support minimal," the workers wrote in a public letter.
Subcontractors say they face financial ruin after being owed millions of dollars after helping build the Obama Presidential Center.
The workers also asked Obama Foundation leadership to respect their right to organize and refrain from spending money on anti-union lawyers, messaging or meetings.
The Obama Foundation said it supports employees' right to organize.