Obama Presidential Center Seeks 100 Unpaid Volunteers as CEO Earns $740,000

The $850 million campus in Chicago's Jackson Park is recruiting unpaid "ambassadors" while its CEO collects a hefty salary.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 4:04am

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The Obama Presidential Center, an $850 million campus in Chicago's Jackson Park, announced it is recruiting up to 100 unpaid volunteers to greet visitors and guide guests when the facility opens on Juneteenth. Meanwhile, the center's CEO, Valerie Jarrett, a former senior adviser in the Obama White House, earned $740,000 in compensation in 2024, 2023, and 2022.

Why it matters

The decision to rely on unpaid labor while the executive leadership earns high salaries highlights the contradictions within many progressive institutions, where the rhetoric of community service and civic engagement often clashes with the economic realities of top-down management and executive compensation.

The details

The Obama Foundation leaned into the framing of the volunteer program as being central to President Obama's vision of civic life, but critics argue there is a difference between a grassroots political campaign asking supporters to volunteer and an $850 million institution with a quarter-billion-dollar revenue stream asking locals to work its floor for nothing. Federal tax filings show the foundation's revenue approaching $210 million and a payroll that more than doubled in six years, with Jarrett's $740,000 salary remaining unchanged across three consecutive years.

  • The Obama Presidential Center is expected to open on Juneteenth 2026.
  • Valerie Jarrett earned $740,000 in compensation in 2024, 2023, and 2022.

The players

Valerie Jarrett

The CEO of the Obama Presidential Center and a former senior adviser in the Obama White House. She is a close friend of both Barack and Michelle Obama.

Barack Obama

The former President of the United States, whose presidential legacy the Obama Presidential Center is meant to commemorate.

Michelle Obama

The former First Lady of the United States and wife of Barack Obama.

Obama Foundation

The private foundation overseeing the development and operations of the Obama Presidential Center.

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What they’re saying

“The Obama Presidential Center is a place where the world meets the best of the city of Chicago, and our volunteers will help bring that vision to life every day.”

— Valerie Jarrett, CEO, Obama Presidential Center (CBS News Chicago)

“Volunteerism has been central to President Obama's vision of civic life since his earliest days as a community organizer on Chicago's South Side.”

— Obama Foundation (Obama Foundation statement)

What’s next

The Obama Presidential Center is expected to open its doors to the public on Juneteenth 2026, with the 100 unpaid volunteers in place to greet visitors and guide them through the facility.

The takeaway

The Obama Presidential Center's reliance on unpaid volunteers while its CEO earns a $740,000 annual salary highlights the contradictions within many progressive institutions, where the rhetoric of community service and civic engagement often clashes with the economic realities of top-down management and executive compensation.