Obama Donates Nobel Winnings to 10 Charities

WASHINGTON (March 11) -- When it comes to prize money, President Barack Obama is certainly spreading his newfound wealth around.

The White House announced Thursday that 10 different charities would receive portions of the $1.4 million that came with the Nobel Peace Prize that Obama won in December. The charities represent a diverse array of constituencies and ethnic groups, including military veterans, students, African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, central Asians and residents of Appalachia.

The largest chunk, $250,000, is going to the Fisher House, a nonprofit group that provides housing to families of patients at military and veterans' hospitals. Obama gave $200,000 to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, the aid organization that he asked former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to create for the purpose of sending relief to the earthquake-ravaged nation. Eight other groups received either $100,000 or $125,000.

"These organizations do extraordinary work in the United States and abroad helping students, veterans and countless others in need," Obama said in a statement. "I'm proud to support their work."

The Nobel committee's surprise decision to award Obama the peace prize less than a year into his presidency sparked a heated debate over its merits. The president himself said he didn't think he deserved the prize, although he went to Copenhagen in December to accept it.

The prize also brought plenty of suggestions as to what Obama should do with the money, as keeping it for himself seemed to be out of the question.

A trio of lawmakers, including Rep. Ron Paul, urged Obama to seek the consent of Congress to accept and then disburse the money, as President Theodore Roosevelt did when he won the prize. Time magazine's Joe Klein said the president should donate it to a group that builds schools around the world, and one of his suggested recipients, Greg Mortenson of the Central Asia Institute, did get a portion of the president's prize money.

Others suggested major aid organizations like the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity or the Salvation Army, none of which ended up getting a piece of the peace prize pie. And, of course, there were those who said the president should donate his winnings to the federal coffers and help pay down the trillion-dollar national deficit.

Former Vice President Al Gore, who won the peace prize in 2007 for his efforts to combat climate change, gave his award money to the organization he founded, the Alliance for Climate Protection. Former President Jimmy Carter donated his 2002 prize winnings to his Carter Center in Atlanta, along with a portion to his wife's Institute for Caregiving. Not all Nobel recipients give their money to charities or nonprofits, however: Albert Einstein's prize winnings went to his ex-wife in their divorce settlement.

Here's a full list of where Obama has decided to contribute his $1.4 million in prize money, according to a White House press release:

$250,000 to Fisher House

Fisher House is a national nonprofit organization that provides housing for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and Veterans Affairs medical centers.

$200,000 to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund

In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Obama asked former Presidents Bush and Clinton to create the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund to raise funds for long-term relief efforts in Haiti.

$125,000 to College Summit

College Summit is a national nonprofit organization that partners with elementary and middle schools and school districts to strengthen college-going and increase college enrollment rates, so that all students graduate from high school ready for higher education.

$125,000 to the Posse Foundation

The Posse Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by the traditional college selection processes. Posse's college and university partners award Posse Scholars four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships. The scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent.

$125,000 to the United Negro College Fund

The United Negro College Fund plays a critical role in enabling more than 60,000 students each year to attend college through scholarship and internship programs.

$125,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund is the nation's leading Hispanic scholarship organization, providing the Hispanic community more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country. In its 34-year history, the fund has awarded close to $280 million in scholarships to more than 90,000 students in need.

$125,000 to the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation

A nonprofit organization funded by foundations and companies, the ALEF supports and enables young men and women from Appalachia to pursue higher education though scholarships and leadership curricula.

$125,000 to the American Indian College Fund

The American Indian College Fund shapes Indian higher education by funding and creating awareness of the community-based and accredited tribal colleges and universities, offering students access to knowledge, skills and cultural values that enhance their communities and the country as a whole. The fund disburses approximately 6,000 scholarships annually for American Indian students seeking to better their lives through higher education. The fund also provides support for tribal college needs, ranging from capital support to cultural preservation curricula.

$100,000 to AfriCare

AfriCare was founded in 1970 and has more projects in Africa than any other U.S.-based charity, reaching communities in 25 countries, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. Its programs address needs in three principal areas: health and HIV/AIDS, food security and agriculture, and water resource development.

$100,000 to the Central Asia Institute

The Central Asia Institute promotes and supports community-based education and literacy, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Institute's co-founder, Greg Mortenson, was also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee this year. His book "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace, One School at a Time" recounts his attempt to successfully establish dozens of schools and promote girls' education in rural Afghanistan and Pakistan.