Former President Joe Biden is facing significant challenges raising money for a presidential library.
A longtime Democratic donor said Biden "will be lucky to have a bookmobile," according to reporting in The New York Times.
Public filings and donor interviews show Biden has raised only a small fraction of what aides say is needed to build a stand-alone presidential library, raising questions about when, or whether, such a project can be completed.
According to Internal Revenue Service filings, Biden's library foundation received no new donations in 2024, the final year of his presidency. The only funding that year was $4 million transferred from Biden's presidential inaugural committee.
The foundation has not disclosed how much it has raised in 2025 but told the IRS it expects to bring in just $11.3 million total by the end of 2027, far below the roughly $200 million Biden aides have said is the eventual goal.
John Morgan, a longtime Democratic donor and former top Biden fundraiser, said he will not contribute to the library effort, citing strained relations with Biden's staff.
"The Biden staff, they ruined any type of good library for him," Morgan said. "He'll be lucky to have a bookmobile."
Other Democratic donors said they have not been contacted about contributing or are focused on opposing President Donald Trump rather than supporting Biden's post-presidency projects.
Because of the slow fundraising pace, discussions are underway about consolidating a potential Biden library with existing Biden-related institutions at the University of Delaware, according to people familiar with the planning.
Such a move could allow the library to share resources with the university's planned "Biden Hall," reducing the amount Biden would need to raise.
The University of Delaware has already raised at least $22 million for Biden Hall, including $20 million approved by Delaware's state government. The university has not said when construction will begin.
Biden's library foundation was incorporated in December 2024 and is chaired by Rufus Gifford, a longtime Democratic fundraiser.
Its leadership and board are made up largely of Biden aides and former administration officials.
The foundation recently hired a fundraising firm to assess the project's financial prospects. Biden and his wife, former first lady Jill Biden, have begun outreach to donors, including a reception scheduled this week in Washington.
Modern presidential libraries typically cost hundreds of millions of dollars and rely entirely on private fundraising.
By comparison, former President Barack Obama has raised more than $1.5 billion for his presidential center. Trump has said he aims to raise more than $950 million for his planned library.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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