Obama Foundation

The Obama Foundation was originally formed in 2014 — while the Obamas were still in the White House — to oversee planning of a future Presidential Library. The project evolved and expanded over time, and in 2021 the Obamas broke ground on construction of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago. The embodiment of the Obamas’ mission and values, the center is intended to serve as a cultural institution and a laboratory for democracy and social justice. At the same time, it will provide an economic engine and a community resource for the neighborhood where the Obamas began their journey in public service.

The Foundation has steadily built its portfolio of programs since the Obamas left office in 2017. These initiatives include Obama Foundation Leaders, which works with regional cohorts in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United State to develop values-based leadership skills; Obama Foundation Scholars, which partners with the University of Chicago and Columbia University to provide an immersive, graduate-level curriculum of academic, skills-based and hands-on learning; and the Voyager Scholarship, launched in collaboration with Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO Brian Chesky, which provides financial aid and mentorship opportunities for undergraduates pursuing careers in public service.

The Foundation also oversees the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, a cross-sector national initiative to build safe, supportive communities and foster opportunities for boys and young men of color. Through the Girls Opportunity Alliance, the organization  expands educational opportunities for adolescent girls around the world. Two Obama Foundation programs — the Futures Series and Obama Youth Job Corps — specifically support career pathways for high school students in Chicago.

The Obama Foundation is guided by a core belief in the power of ordinary people to work together to create positive change. In pursuit of this vision, it seeks to build and sustain a global network of program alumni who can connect and collaborate to address the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. 

Contributors: Maha Tazi, Erin Brown