Travis Kelce’s $1.5 million nonprofit faces scrutiny after records show $469,000 spent on management and $446,000 on charity

Travis Kelce (Image via Getty Images) Earlier this year, Travis Kelce’s reputation for giving back money faced a setback after an investigation into NFL players’ charitable foundations raised questions about how some of the donated money was spent. Kelce’s Eighty-Seven and Running Foundation raised more than $1.5 million between 2021 and 2024, but its reported charitable spending was significantly lower than several other NFL-related organizations.

Travis Kelce’s nonprofit spending is under scrutiny

As of January 2026, according to federal tax records reviewed by The Arizona Republic, Eighty-Seven and Running reported about $1.5 million in revenue and about $1.1 million in expenses over the three-year period. About $446,000 was reported under charitable expenses, while $469,000 was reported as administrative expenses.That works out to about 41 cents of every dollar spent on charity on a filing basis. Charity Navigator generally considers nonprofits that spend at least 70 cents of every dollar on programs to be effective, while CharityWatch uses 75 cents as a benchmark for high effectiveness.The numbers drew attention in part because of the foundation’s ties to A&A Management Group. The company was co-founded by long-time business executives Kelce, Aaron and André Eanes. Aaron Eanes also serves as the executive director of the non-profit organization.Laurie Styron, executive director of CharityWatch, raised concerns about the structure after reviewing the records.“It appears to be operating more like an extension of the management company than an independent public charity,” Laurie Styron, executive director of CharityWatch, an independent charity watchdog group that reviewed the nonprofit’s tax returns, told The Arizona Republic.“That’s not how charities work. It’s wrong.”

The Travis Kelce Foundation says the tax returns were incorrect

Kelce’s team disputes the picture presented by the filings. Aaron Eanes said that the reported figures do not correctly classify some of the operating costs associated with the charity.Operating costs for charitable activities were “mistakenly reported under management rather than adequately allocated to program services,” Eanes told The Republic, so public records do not provide an accurate “indication of where resources were actually directed.”Eanes said the foundation has since changed its approach, adding that management fees fell sharply in 2024 and reached zero in 2025. He also said the organization plans to expand its board of directors, bring in nonprofit advisors and improve its reporting practices.“Going forward, we are expanding our board, bringing in advisors with nonprofit expertise, and restructuring our reporting processes to better reflect our actual program work. We are committed to ensuring that this foundation operates at the highest standards.”The review comes as the NFL continues to highlight charitable work through the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year program. Kelce has been nominated three times and has supported causes in both Kansas City and his hometown of Cleveland.While his foundation’s reported numbers don’t erase community work, they highlight why financial transparency matters. For celebrity-led nonprofits, public trust depends not only on how much money is raised, but also on how clearly and responsibly that money gets to the people they are supposed to help.