Earlier this year, Travis Kelce’s charitable work drew fresh attention after he won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Charity Challenge for the third time. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end secured a $35,000 donation, but instead of directing the money to his own foundation, Eighty-Seven and Running, he chose Kansas City nonprofit Operation Breakthrough. The decision came as his foundation faced questions over its financial reporting, governance and spending. The move put the focus not only on Kelce’s latest charitable contribution, but also on how athlete-led foundations manage money and maintain public trust.
Travis Kelce directs $35,000 prize to Operation Breakthrough
Kelce won the 2025 Charity Challenge through a social media vote, finishing ahead of Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins and Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata. His prize will support Operation Breakthrough, an organisation Kelce has worked with since his rookie season in 2015.The choice also carries added significance because Taylor Swift recently donated $250,000 to the Kansas City nonprofit. Operation Breakthrough supports children and families facing poverty through education, emergency assistance and other programmes.Unlike Kelce’s foundation, Operation Breakthrough has a long-established structure. Its latest available tax records show that it spent about 83 cents of every dollar on charitable programmes over a three-year period.Kelce has also helped fund the organisation for years. The Chiefs have reported that his contributions through personal gifts and directed funding have approached $2 million.
Eighty-Seven and Running faces scrutiny over its finances
The $35,000 award comes at a time when Eighty-Seven and Running is working to address concerns raised by a review of its federal tax records.The foundation reported spending 41 cents of every dollar on charitable activities during the latest three-year period covered by its filings. It also reported significant payments to A&A Management Group, which was co-founded by Kelce’s longtime business managers, Aaron and André Eanes.Aaron Eanes said the foundation had incorrectly categorised expenses on its tax filings for years. He said the organisation has since changed its reporting practices and eliminated management fees in 2025.“Our previous approach to categorizing expenses on our 990 filings did not accurately reflect actual fund usage,” Eanes told The Republic in a written statement.“We have since corrected this: management fees decreased significantly in 2024 and dropped to zero in 2025,” Eanes said.The foundation also plans to expand its board and add nonprofit advisers.For Kelce, sending the latest prize to an established charity provides a direct route for the money to reach its intended beneficiaries while his own foundation works through those changes.
