Earlier this year, Travis Kelce’s reputation for giving back was facing a setback after an investigation into the NFL players’ charitable foundations raised questions about how some donated money was spent. Kelce’s Eighty-Seven and Running Foundation raised more than $1.5 million between 2021 and 2024, yet its reported charity spending was notably lower than that of several other NFL-linked organizations.
In January, 2026, according to federal tax records examined by The Arizona Republic, Eighty-Seven and Running reported about $1.5 million in revenue during the three-year period and roughly $1.1 million in expenses. About $446,000 was listed under charitable spending, while $469,000 was reported as management costs. That works out to about 41 cents of every dollar spent going toward charity based on the filings. Charity Navigator generally views nonprofits spending at least 70 cents of each dollar on programs as efficient, while CharityWatch uses 75 cents as a benchmark for high efficiency. The figures have drawn attention partly because of the foundation's ties to A&A Management Group. The company was co-founded by Travis Kelce’s longtime business managers, Aaron and André Eanes. Aaron Eanes also serves as the nonprofit’s executive director. Laurie Styron, executive director of CharityWatch, raised concerns about the structure after reviewing the records. “It appears to function more as an extension of the management company versus as an independent public charity,” said Laurie Styron, the executive director of CharityWatch, an independent charity watchdog group that reviewed the nonprofit’s tax filings for The Arizona Republic. “That’s not how charities work. It’s wrong.”
Travis Kelce’s team disputes the picture presented by the filings. Aaron Eanes said the reported figures did not properly classify some operational expenses tied to charitable work. “Operational costs for charitable efforts were “mistakenly reported under management rather than allocated adequately to program services,” Eanes told The Republic, so the public records do not provide an accurate “indication of where the resources were truly 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, bring in nonprofit advisers and improve its reporting practices.
“Looking ahead, we are expanding our board of directors, bringing on advisers with nonprofit expertise, and restructuring our reporting processes to better reflect our actual program work. We are dedicated to ensuring this foundation operates at the highest standards.” The scrutiny 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. His foundation’s reported numbers do not erase that community work, but they do 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 reaches the people it is meant to help.
