Key takeaways from recent reporting by USA Today – The Arizona Republic, with insights from Handler Law partner Andrew Morton.

A follow-up investigation by The Arizona Republic reviewed the charitable efficiency of nonprofits founded by Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominees, raising new questions about governance, expense allocation, and transparency, including scrutiny of a foundation associated with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

The report found wide variation in how athlete-founded charities operate, with some spending more than 80 cents of every dollar on charitable programs, while others reported significantly higher management and operational expenses. The article underscores a critical reality: not all nonprofits are structured, or reported, equally, even when intentions are good.

Among those quoted was Andrew Morton, partner at Handler Law and Chair of the firm’s Sports & Entertainment Law Group. Morton emphasized that nonprofit tax filings are meant to provide meaningful transparency, not vague or misleading disclosures.

“The statement of functional expenses is supposed to be a good-faith allocation between program services, management and fundraising,” Morton explained. “Nobody does 100% of anything.”

Morton also cautioned against treating athlete charities as extensions of business or management entities, noting that overly broad or unclear expense reporting “tells the public nothing about what the charity actually accomplishes.”

The article reinforces a growing theme across professional sports philanthropy: how a charity is structured, governed, and reported matters just as much as how much money it raises. For athletes looking to give back responsibly, best practices often include fiscal sponsorships, partnerships with established nonprofits, or proper legal guidance from the outset.

Read the full article by Jason Wolf in the Arizona Republic: Review of Walter Payton nominees raises questions about Kelce nonprofit