How much of the Gary Sinise Foundation's budget goes to programs versus administrative and fundraising costs?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
The Gary Sinise Foundation reports that 89% of every dollar donated in fiscal year 2025 went to programs (implying 11% to administrative/fundraising), while independent reviewers using the 2024 tax return calculated roughly 86.1% to programs and 13.9% to overhead (administration + fundraising) [1] [2]. Public filings and the Foundation’s audited report give more granular figures but are summarized differently across sources [3] [4].
1. What the foundation says: an 89% program-spend claim
On its Financials page the Gary Sinise Foundation states that “89% of every dollar contributed” was applied to support program work in its fiscal year 2025 (April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025) — a direct, headline figure the charity uses to describe efficiency and fiscal responsibility [1]. That claim is presented alongside third‑party recognitions such as Charity Navigator’s four‑star rating and Guidestar’s Gold Seal of Transparency [1].
2. What outside watchdogs report: slightly lower program share in 2024
Charities for Vets, using the Foundation’s 2024 IRS Form 990, reports the Gary Sinise Foundation spent 86.1% of a roughly $75 million budget on programs and 13.9% on overhead for that year [2]. CharityWatch also profiles the charity and flags items in its 2020 audited statements (wire fraud), but overall lists the group as top‑rated and notes its program/overhead metrics [5] [2]. These independent calculations rely on IRS‑reported functional expense allocations rather than the Foundation’s promotional summary [2] [5].
3. Primary documents: audited statements and Form 990 exist
An audited consolidated financial statement for the Gary Sinise Foundation and subsidiaries is publicly available and includes consolidated statements of activities and functional expenses; that report details program expenditures such as nearly $9.4 million spent on Smart Homes and other program commitments as of March 31, 2025 [3]. ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer and its copies of Form 990s provide tax‑filing data the watchdogs use to calculate program vs overhead percentages [4] [6]. Readers should consult those primary documents for line‑by‑line numbers [3] [4].
4. Why numbers differ: fiscal year definitions, classification choices
Differences between the Foundation’s 89% figure and third‑party 86.1% stem from timing and accounting choices: the Foundation’s 89% covers fiscal year April 1, 2024–March 31, 2025 and is presented as “every dollar contributed” applied to mission, while watchdog groups often base calculations on the calendar‑year Form 990 or different expense allocations reported on that Form 990 [1] [2] [4]. Independent evaluators use IRS functional expense lines to define “program” vs “management and fundraising,” which can change percentages depending on where certain shared costs are allocated [2] [5].
5. Context: how these ratios compare to donor expectations
Both the Foundation’s self‑reported 89% and Charities for Vets’ 86.1% program ratios place the organization well within common donor benchmarks that recommend at least 75% of spending on programs. CharityWatch explicitly says the 86.1% meets its recommendation that charities spend at least 75% on programs [2] [5]. Charity Navigator’s ratings and Guidestar transparency seals cited by the Foundation further buttress its public credibility, although Charity Navigator also notes limitations in evaluating program impact for this group [1] [7].
6. Caveats and items for donors to check
Donors seeking a full picture should review the Foundation’s audited consolidated financial statements and the most recent Form 990 to see how program, management and fundraising expenses are classified and whether one‑time items (like the wire fraud loss disclosed for 2020) or multi‑year program commitments affect ratios [3] [5]. Charity Navigator flags that it cannot yet fully assess the Foundation’s program impact metrics, meaning efficiency ratios don’t tell the whole story about effectiveness [7].
7. Bottom line for donors
Available sources report two close but distinct measures: the Foundation’s headline 89% program‑spend for FY2025 and independent calculations of 86.1% program‑spend / 13.9% overhead based on the 2024 tax return [1] [2]. For precise allocations and to reconcile the small differences, consult the Foundation’s audited financial statements and the Form 990 filings cited by ProPublica/Nonprofit Explorer [3] [4].