Fellow Broncos’ foundations give a higher percentage to charity than Russell Wilson’s

A months-long investigation by The USA TODAY Network into the accounting of Russell Wilson’s foundation was published on Wednesday, causing a huge stir across Broncos Country.

The Denver quarterback’s foundation reported it spent just 24.3 cents of every dollar on charitable activities in 2020 and 2021 combined and nearly twice as much, $1.1 million, on salaries and employee benefits in that span, according to federal tax records.

The story sought out to investigate past Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award winners’ nonprofits’ ended up keying in on Wilson, who won the award in 2020, which is dubbed as the league’s most prestigious honor.

Many said the 2020 numbers weren’t anything odd. In that year Wilson’s foundation reported $838,000 in revenue and $1.2 million in expenses, including $257,000 on charitable activities and $548,000 on salaries and employee benefits. Meaning about twice as much money went to executives in the foundation compared to charity and only 21 cents of every dollar earned went to charity.

But some digging from Denver Sports found Wilson’s foundation was not in line with other notable charities run by or in conjunction with Broncos players and their organization.

Based on the last year of available tax return data focused on 990 forms published by ProPublica, former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning’s Peyback Foundation generated $1.8 million, of which 98% went directly to charity. Manning’s foundation does not employ a single person and accounting for that two percent are things like insurance and office costs. Of Manning’s most notable donations were several six-figure grants to universities.

From the same database, Von Miller’s Von’s Vision which seeks to give Denver children access to free eye exams and glasses, generated $1.6 million in 2019, 71% of which went directly to charity. Miller also did not employ a single person for the year but did use some individual contractors.

San Francisco 49ers general manager and former Broncos’ defender John Lynch brought in $272,000 in 2019, 70% of which went directly to charity. That number looks even better when one considers Lynch’s foundation does employ one person at $42,000 a year.

Meanwhile, former Broncos edge-rusher Bradley Chubb and his cousin, star running back Nick Chubb, generated $6.2 million in 2019, 97% of which went directly to charities. They did not employ anyone.

The Denver Broncos team foundation amassed $677,385 in 2020, 92% of which went directly to charity. Team employees are listed as the main contributors but none of them earned a cent from the foundation. Those employees worked a few hours a week on charitable endeavors according to the tax report.

This all compared to Wilson’s foundation which reported $1.2 million in expenses in 2020 with just 21.3% going to charity. They paid two employees, chief strategy officer Ryan Tarpley was paid $209,000 and Carly Young was paid $166,000 for full-time work, and a third, Scott Pickett, was paid $66,000 on the year for part-time contributions.

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