Russell Wilson's Why Not You charity is using less than quarter of its income to help kids
CBS sports
2/10/23
Russell Wilson's charity, which does business as the Why Not You Foundation, is facing scrutiny over its finances. According to an investigation done by USA Today into nonprofits founded by Walter Payton Man of the Year winners, the Why Not You Foundation may not be making the most of its resources.
In 2020 and 2021, Wilson's charity reported spending a combined $600,000 on charitable endeavors, according to federal tax records. That comes out to 24.3 cents of every dollar, and it pales in comparison to the $1.1 million that the Why Not You Foundation spent on employee salary and benefits.
"Millions of dollars in funds raised by the Why Not You Foundation go through our partners who can deliver that money where it is needed more directly," Why Not You Foundation's chief financial officer Scott Pickett wrote in a statement to USA Today. "Those funds were raised, in large part, through the work of the foundation, but you would not see all of those dollars in the foundation's tax documents."
There is also concern that the Why Not You Foundation is paying top employees a disproportionate amount compared to the money it brings in and directs to charitable endeavors. Most notably, three employees have received $1.9 million combined.
In 2021, chief strategy officer Ryan Tarpley was paid $222,500, and executive director Carly Young was paid $176,000. Pickett was also paid $60,000 for 15 hours of work per week.
Wilson's attorney and sports agent, Mark Rodgers, who negotiated their contracts, defended the deals and said that all of those employees were paid according to the value they bring to the organization
"I think that they were paid appropriately based on their talent, experience and the knowledge they were bringing to us," Rodgers said.
The Why Not You foundation was founded by Wilson and his wife, pop star Cierra, in 2014 with the goal of lifting people out of poverty through education. Among the stated aims on the foundation's website, "The foundation supports student access to equal education opportunities, children's health and food security initiatives. Its mission is to equip today's youth with the skills and opportunities to become tomorrow's leaders."
In 2022, after Wilson was traded to the Broncos, the Why Not You foundation partnered with Amazon Fresh and Safeway, along with multiple children's hospitals and health care organizations in Colorado and Washington to raise money to support education and health initiatives in the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest.
Throughout his career, Wilson has done a lot of work with organizations like the Seattle Children's Hospital, and that earned him the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2020. That should be commended, but there are still outstanding questions about the Why Not You Foundation's finances.
