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Fundraising for the Obama Foundation began to ramp up in 2016, with donations totaling more than $13 million, the most since it was founded in 2014, according to tax records released by the foundation on Monday.

But that total is expected to surge as former President Barack Obama, now free of his own self-imposed restriction over making direct appeals for donations while in office, begins to raise money to pay for his ambitious presidential center. It is expected to cost at least $500 million by the time it is completed in 2021.

The majority of last year's donations were collected from a fairly small group of the former president's most loyal and prominent supporters nine donations in all that were worth $1 million or more. The fundraising total exceeded the combined $7.5 million that the Obama Foundation collected in 2014 and 2015.

Among the biggest donors was the Lucas Family Foundation of the filmmaker George Lucas, which kicked in $1 million toward the presidential center. His wife, Mellody Hobson, a Chicago native and president of Ariel Investments, sits on the private foundation's board.

The family foundation of Glenn Hutchins, a co-founder of the private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, donated $1 million, as did the family foundation of the investor Andrew Hauptman, owner of the Chicago Fire.

Andrew Hauptman's name emerged in emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee, with one email referring to his intent to "meet with the folks from the Obama Foundation."

He is chairman of Andell Inc., a Los Angeles-based private investment firm and family office he controls with his wife, Ellen Bronfman Hauptman. She is from the Bronfman family, whose fortune was built through the Seagram Co.

Daniel Levin and his wife, Fay Hartog-Levin, donated $1 million as well. He is the founder of the Habitat Co., a major Chicago developer where Valerie Jarrett once was chief executive. Fay Hartog-Levin is a fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School who was appointed by Obama to serve as ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 2009 and 2011.

Another Obama-era political appointee, Louis Susman, gave as well.

Susman is a retired Chicago investment and top fundraiser for Obama's presidential bid who was nominated as ambassador to Britain in 2009. He and his wife, Marjorie Susman, donated $1 million toward the presidential center last year.

So did John Doerr, a prominent venture capitalist from California with an estimated net worth, according to Forbes, of $4.9 billion. When he and his wife, Anne, donated $1 million to the Obama Foundation last year it marked their second contribution in as many years.

The foundation has not released an updated estimated cost for the Obama Presidential Center since the first design plans were publicly released this month. It calls for three buildings in a campuslike setting in historic Jackson Park on the South Side.

But, in a significant shift, it will not house any permanent collection of presidential documents and artifacts maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration. Instead those records will be stored in existing NARA facilities and made available in digital format or on loan.

That decision freed the Obama Foundation from many stringent requirements concerning the center's design and endowment, including having to raise an endowment equivalent to 60 percent of the cost of the library portion of the center.

It also means that Obama Presidential Center will not receive the federal funds given to other presidential centers to support the library on their grounds. For example, NARA provided the library for George W. Bush $6.2 million in fiscal 2015.

Even with this loss, though, the savings in not having to meet NARA requirements could more than make up for the loss of federal funds.

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Obama Foundation ramped up fundraising in 2016 - Chicago Tribune

U.S. Ambassador to the State of Qatar Dana Shell Smith / Getty Images

BY: Adam Kredo May 15, 2017 1:30 pm

The U.S. ambassador to Qatar, an Obama administration holdover whose family donated hundreds of thousands to the Obama campaign, signaled her distaste for working under President Donald Trump, raising questions about her commitment to the new administration.

Dana Shell Smith, the U.S. ambassador for Qatar who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, took to Twitter last week to express her frustration at Trump's administration, which has been battling negative headlines over a plethora of foreign and domestic issues.

Smith, whose Hollywood executive brother bundled at least $50,000 to $100,000 for Obama during his run for the White House, tweeted that it is "increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions."

Smith's public expression of frustration with Trump is raising eyebrows both inside and outside of the administration among those who believe that Obama-era holdovers are working to undermine the current president.

Smith is just one of many current officials who also served in the Obama administration. The Washington Free Beacon, as well as other outlets, has reported multiple times on efforts by these holdovers to undermine Trump and his larger national security agenda. Smith's comments are being viewed as yet another attempt by Obama loyalists to foster skepticism of Trump.

"The Trump administration has been taking a lot of heat from the base for not cleaning out Obama holdovers, and this is exactly what people are talking about," one veteran Middle East adviser who is close to the White House told the Free Beacon. "There are hundreds of Obama supporters who are supposed to be non-political career professionals, but actually see themselves as part of the Resistance."

The goal of these officials, the source said, "is to grind the government to a halt, because they don't like the idea of any Republican administration, let alone this one, being empowered by voters to enact policies."

Smith's brother, Hollywood executive Jeff Shell, was a top campaign bundler for Obama. He raised between $50,000 and $100,000 to Obama during the 2008 campaign season, according to reports.

Obama-era holdovers have become a tense issue for the Trump administration in recent months, with many insiders suspecting that a range of sensitive leaks have emanated from these officials, sources said.

Calls have been mounting inside the administration for Trump and his senior staff to clean house, an issue that is complicated by the narrow pool of officials from which team Trump can choose.

A recent example of this struggle saw Senior National Security Council adviser on Israel, Yael Lempertan Obama holdover who was viewed as "one of the harshest critics of Israel"pushed out of the current administration after a months-long battle.

However, her replacement, Kris Bauman, shares similar views. Bauman has decried the so-called "Israel Lobby" and has called for the terror group Hamas to be included in Middle East peace talks, according to reports.

Trump administration insiders likened the problem to a game of whack-a-mole, a children's game in which players must hit a group of moles as they pop out of their holes.

"The problem is that the Obama administration left holdovers all over the government, so you get rid of one Obama loyalist and the replacement is another Obama loyalist," said one national security insider close to the Trump administration.

"That's already happened multiple times especially with Middle East appointments," the source said, referring to Lempert and Bauman.

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US Ambassador, Obama Holdover, Signals Disdain for Representing Trump - Washington Free Beacon

Fox17

Former WH official: Obama did not record private meetings Fox17 (CNN) President Barack Obama did not record private meetings in the White House, a former White House official tells CNN. We obviously didn't record private meetings, the former official said. The Obama White House didn't secretly record private ... Former White House official says Obama never secretly taped private meetings: ReportWashington Examiner Obama's intel chief: 'I don't know if there was collusion'Daily Mail all 17,243 news articles »

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Former WH official: Obama did not record private meetings - Fox17

Michelle Obama speaks at the Partnership for a Healthier America conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday. Allison Aubrey/NPR hide caption

Michelle Obama speaks at the Partnership for a Healthier America conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

When it comes to feeding kids a healthy diet, "it's not politics, it's parenting," Michelle Obama said Friday.

And then she got a little fired up.

Without ever naming President Trump, the former first lady took aim at changes the administration announced last week that weaken some of the school nutrition standards she championed.

"Think about why someone is OK with your kids eating crap," she told the crowd at the Partnership for a Healthier America conference.

"We gotta make sure we don't let anybody take us back," she said as the crowd cheered. "Every elected official on this planet should understand: Don't play with our children. Don't do it," Obama implored.

Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Purdue, announced changes to the school lunch program during a visit to a school cafeteria in Leesburg, VA. He said he had listened to the complaints of students and school food administrators. "We all know that kids are pretty outspoken about what they want to eat and what they don't," Purdue said.

The new rules delay a mandate for further sodium reductions in school meals. Purdue's plan also eases rules on whole grains.

"[School] meals can't be nutritious if they're ... put in the trash. We've got to balance the nutritional aspect - the sodium content, the whole grain content - with the palatability," Purdue said at the time.

But changes to school nutrition rules and delays on calorie labeling (also announced by the Trump administration last week) aren't likely to hold back the momentum of the movement for healthier eating habits.

This is the conclusion of attendees gathered on Friday at the Partnership for a Healthier America conference in Washington, D.C., where Obama spoke.

The nonprofit group works with private-sector companies and partners to nudge them to make commitments to promote healthier products and practices. For instance, this week, the PHA announced new commitments from global chocolate and candy companies, including Mars Chocolate and Nestle USA, to limit portion sizes and label calories on the front of packages.

Another commitment came from the National Association of Convenience Stores, which pledged to an industry-wide effort to promote healthier choices to consumers.

The PHA got its start with the help of Michelle Obama's leadership. And she still serves as the group's honorary chair.

"The PHA was probably the smartest thing that we [did] out of the White House helping to build an outside nonprofit organization that ... can work hand-in-hand with the private sector and public sector and build partnerships in a positive way," Obama said at the event.

And she added that, though she's taking time to breath after eight years in the White House, she's still very much committed to working towards a healthier America. "You've got me as a partner as long as I can continue to be of use," she said.

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Here's What Michelle Obama Thinks About Trump's School Lunch Rules - NPR

When Barack Obama was in Harvard Law School, he once alluded to businessman Donald Trump as representing the American Dream, but the tone wasn't entirely positive.

According to the new book, "Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama," the reference was in a paper the then-29-year-old had co-written with Robert Fisher titled, "Race and Rights Rhetoric."

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The Obamas post-presidency

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ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 27: Former United States first lady Michelle Obama smiles during a conversation at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2017 on April 27, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. Michelle Obama is making one of her first public speeches at the Orlando Conference since leaving the White House. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a meeting with youth leaders at the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago to discuss strategies for community organization and civic engagement in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., April 24, 2017. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski

MUMBAI, INDIA - NOVEMBER 7, 2010: US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle wave as they board Air Force One to depart for New Delhi from Chattrapati Shivaji International airport in Mumbai on Sunday. President Barack Obama left the Indian city of Mumbai for New Delhi. (Photo by Kunal Patil/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 18: Malia Ann Obama seen out in Manhattan on April 18, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Robert Kamau/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 29: Malia Ann Obama is seen in Tribeca on March 29, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Alo Ceballos/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) The 44th President of The United States Barack Obama, poses backstage at The Roundabout Theatre Company's production of 'Arthur Miller's The Price' on Broadway at The American Airlines Theatre on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

Former U.S. President Barack Obama sits on a boat during a kite surfing outing with British businessman Richard Branson during his holiday on Branson's Moskito island, in the British Virgin Islands, in a picture handed out by Virgin on February 7, 2017. Jack Brockway/Virgin Handout via REUTERS FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY

THIS IMAGE IS BINNED Former U.S. President Barack Obama tries his hand at kite surfing during a holiday with British businessman Richard Branson on his island Moskito, in the British Virgin Islands, in a picture handed out by Virgin on February 7, 2017. Jack Brockway/Virgin Handout via REUTERS FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and British businessman Richard Branson sit on a boat during Obama's holiday on Branson's Moskito island, in the British Virgin Islands, in a picture handed out by Virgin on February 7, 2017. Jack Brockway/Virgin Handout via REUTERS FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 08: Malia Obama is seen arriving at The Weinstein Company on February 8, 2017 in New York, New York. (Photo by Alessio Botticelli/GC Images)

UNSPCIFIED, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS - FEBRUARY 1: In this undated image Former President Barack Obama takes a break from learning to kitesurf at Richard Branson's Necker Island retreat on February 1, 2017 in the British Virgin Islands. Former President Obama and his wife Michelle have been on an extended vacation since leaving office on January 20. (Photo by Jack Brockway/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: Malia Obama is seen walking in Soho on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: Malia Obama is seen walking in Soho on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Director Terry Kinney and The 44th President of The United States Barack Obama chat backstage at The Roundabout Theatre Company's production of 'Arthur Miller's The Price' on Broadway at The American Airlines Theatre on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) (L-R) Malia Obama, The 44th President of The United States Barack Obama, Danny DeVito, Mark Ruffalo, Jessica Hecht and Tony Shalhoub pose backstage at The Roundabout Theatre Company's production of 'Arthur Miller's The Price' on Broadway at The American Airlines Theatre on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 24: Malia Ann Obama is seen out in Manhattan with friend on February 24, 2017 in New York, New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 24: Malia Ann Obama is seen out in Manhattan with friend on February 24, 2017 in New York, New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: Malia Obama seen out in Manhattan on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Robert Kamau/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: Michelle Obama leaves Upland restaurant on March 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: Barack Obama leaves Upland restaurant on March 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 27: Former United States first lady Michelle Obama (L), and Robert A. Ivy, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects greet the audience during the AIA Conference on Architecture 2017 on April 27, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. Michelle Obama is making one of her first public speeches at the Orlando Conference since leaving the White House. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

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The excerpt reads, "[Americans have] a continuing normative commitment to the ideals of individual freedom and mobility, values that extend far beyond the issue of race in the American mind. The depth of this commitment may be summarily dismissed as the unfounded optimism of the average AmericanI may not be Donald Trump now, but just you wait; if I don't make it, my children will."

According to a Vice report, "The paper argued that black Americans should 'shift away from rights rhetoric and towards the language of opportunity.' The way they saw it, 'Precisely because America is a racist society...we cannot realistically expect white America to make special concessions towards blacks over the long haul.'"

While Obama has maintained a relatively low profile since leaving office, he has been speaking out in defense of some of his signature policies which face uncertain futures under the Trump White House.

The former president was in Milan, Italy this week when he spoke out in favor of the Paris climate agreement and his administration's effort to fight climate change, reports CNN.

Days before that, he was in Boston prodding lawmakers to uphold his healthcare law.

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In law school, Obama co-wrote a paper referring to Trump as the American dream - AOL