How Travis Kelce’s hidden $800,000 move changed the story behind his charity controversy(Image via Getty Images)
The foundation had committed $800,000 to communities over the next three years, money that had not yet appeared in its current filings. A January 2026 report from The Arizona Republic raised questions about Eighty-Seven & Running’s finances, saying federal filings from 2021 through 2024 showed only 41 cents of every dollar going toward charitable work. Then, on January 7, 2026, Kelce learned on the New Heights podcast that he had won the Nationwide Charity Challenge. The victory added another $35,000 donation to his charity of choice, Operation Breakthrough. So, while questions around Eighty-Seven & Running remain part of the conversation, the newly disclosed $800,000 commitment adds an important piece to the financial picture.
Travis Kelce ’s charity work came under scrutiny in January after questions emerged over how Eighty-Seven & Running reported its spending. It also came just days after Kelce won the Nationwide Charity Challenge for the third time. Then came a new detail. That disclosure gave a different look at the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s charitable work. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
The source said the foundation had committed $800,000 over the next three years, with those funds set to appear in future filings once they are deployed. The same source said that counting the committed money would put the foundation at more than 80% directed toward charitable causes. Eanes added that management fees fell significantly in 2024 and reached zero in 2025. He founded Eighty-Seven & Running in 2015, with the foundation focused on helping disadvantaged youth. The Chiefs said on Dec 4, 2025, that his work with the organization and its Ignition Lab had helped more than 1,000 Kansas City high school students since the lab opened. He made the comment in his statement after the Chiefs announced his 2025 nomination.
He said some costs had been “mistakenly reported under management rather than allocated adequately to program services.
A source close to Travis Kelce later told People that the filings did not show the complete picture. Laurie Styron, the organization’s executive director, told The Arizona Republic, “That’s not how charities work. Reflecting on his connection to Kansas City and Cleveland Heights, he said, “Being able to give back to Kansas City and to my hometown, places that have done so much for me, has been a dream come true, and I’ll never take that for granted.
Travis Kelce’s business manager Aaron Eanes also addressed the reporting. That explanation came as CharityWatch questioned the foundation’s structure. Still, Travis Kelce’s recent charitable record gives more context. Kelce has also built a long-running relationship with Operation Breakthrough. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines That same day, Kelce spoke about being named the Chiefs’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.