What percentage of Tunnel to Towers donations go to grants, services, or programs for veterans and first responders?

1. What the headline percentages mean: program ratio vs. donation allocation

The 90.4% figure comes from a 2023 tax‑return‑based calculation that allocates total expenses between “programs” and “overhead,” indicating $272 million in budget with 90.4% spent on program activities and 9.6% on administrative or fundraising costs ^[1]; by contrast, the 98.23% figure cited in older charity compilations is a different snapshot—likely based on prior fiscal data or different accounting treatments—and therefore represents an alternative estimate rather than a contemporaneous contradiction ^[2].

2. Event‑specific commitments can be 100% while annual reporting differs

Fundraising events sometimes pledge entire proceeds to the charity—Barrett‑Jackson’s 2026 sale specifying that 100% of the Corvette hammer price benefited Tunnel to Towers is one clear example of an event pledge that is distinct from the charity’s annual expense allocation ^[3]. Such event promises do not change the foundation’s annual program percentage by themselves; they reflect donor intent for a specific receipt rather than the overall split of all revenues and expenses across a year ^[3].

3. Independent evaluators and the foundation’s own claims

Charitiesforvets’ 90.4% program spending calculation is explicitly based on the foundation’s 2023 tax return and meets its threshold for a “highly recommended” charity ^[1], while Charity Navigator and the foundation’s own summaries emphasize totals delivered—such as over 1,200 mortgage‑free homes and more than $500 million committed across programs—without always presenting a single annual program‑ratio percentage in the snippets provided ^{[4] [5]}. These differences reflect varying emphases: independent screeners focus on expense ratios, the foundation highlights cumulative impact metrics, and event partners highlight designated proceeds ^{[1] [4] [3]}.

4. Criticisms, anomalies, and reporting limits

Public reporting has flagged particular transactions or payments as noteworthy—Charitiesforvets’ screening noted a $230,087 rent payment for Chairman Frank Siller in its review of Tunnel to Towers’ filings ^[1], and Wikipedia’s summary records past controversies involving alleged redirection of funds to individuals—matters that affect perceptions of how donations are used even if they do not, by themselves, alter headline program percentages ^[6]. The sources provided do not offer a single, universally agreed number that traces every dollar of donor revenue to a specific beneficiary, so the interpretation of “what percentage of donations go to grants, services, or programs” depends on whether one uses an annual program‑expense ratio, historical snapshots, or event‑specific pledges ^{[1] [2] [3] [6]}.

5. Bottom line and how to interpret it

Taken together, the sourced evidence supports a conclusion that a large majority of Tunnel to Towers’ reported spending goes to veteran and first responder programs—using a 2023 tax‑return basis the program ratio is 90.4% ^[1], while other cited summaries report higher historical or selective figures up to about 98.23% and individual events have been advertised as 100% donor‑directed for particular items ^{[2] [3]}. Readers should treat the 90.4% as the most directly comparable annual measure cited here, recognize higher figures as either older snapshots or special‑event promises, and consult the foundation’s full IRS Form 990 and independent evaluator methodologies for a line‑by‑line accounting if precise attribution of every donation dollar is required ^{[1] [4]}.