Thirteen organizations have submit proposals to build President Barack Obama’s presidential library following Monday’s deadline.
The Barack H. Obama Foundation declined to release a list of which groups have applied but universities in New York, where Obama went to college, and Hawaii, Obama's birthplace, announced they submit proposals. Several organizations in his longtime home of Chicago also have submitted proposals.
The leaders of foundation -- longtime friend Marty Nesbitt, former campaign fundraiser Julianna Smoot and businessman J. Kevin Poorman -- hope to narrow the list by late summer and select a site for the future library by early 2015.
“These ideas will ultimately help us build a library that reflects President Obama’s priorities and values throughout his life and career, and makes our whole nation proud,” Nesbitt said. “We will run a level and fair process to evaluate how well each response captures the vision and goals of the future Obama presidential library.”
The foundation says it will plan a library that reflects Obama's values and priorities throughout his career in public service -- expanding economic opportunity, inspiring an ethic of American citizenship, and promoting peace, justice and dignity throughout the world -- while it becomes an anchor for economic development.
It will operate as a section 501(c)(3) organization, making it eligible to accept tax-deductible contributions for its educational and charitable purposes. It will disclose all donors and donations over $200 on a quarterly basis.
For the remainder of Obama's term, it will follow donation guidelines in line with those adopted by the president for his campaigns, including no support from foreign nationals, currently registered federal lobbyists or foreign agents.
Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and White House staff will not participate in fundraising efforts during the remainder of the president's term.