How much of Tunnel to Towers' 2024-2025 revenue was spent on direct program services?
Executive summary
Tunnel to Towers’ own public materials and third‑party charity evaluators show the foundation consistently reports very high program‑service ratios: CharityWatch says 93% of cash expenses went to programs [1], and Tunnel to Towers’ materials and partners claim program‑service averages around 95% of expenses in recent years [2] [3]. Available sources do not provide a single line item labeled “2024–2025 revenue spent on direct program services” in one consolidated figure; the closest figures are percentages and program‑expense totals reported across audits, CharityWatch, and the foundation’s web pages [4] [1] [2].
1. What Tunnel to Towers and auditors report about program spending
Tunnel to Towers publishes audited financial statements and a financials page that emphasize low overhead and strong program spending; the foundation’s audited financials are available on its site [4] and its financials page states the group keeps fundraising and administrative costs “at a minimum” [3]. The audited statements from the foundation cover fiscal years through December 31, 2023, and include statements of activities and functional expenses that would show program versus overhead amounts for those years [4]. These documents are the primary source for any precise dollar totals, but the available audit file in the provided results does not include a single, explicit 2024–2025 program‑service dollar total in the snippets given [4].
2. Third‑party evaluators: percent of budget to programs
Independent charity evaluators cited in the results give consistent high‑performance marks: CharityWatch assigns Tunnel to Towers an “A+” and reports the foundation spent 93% of its cash expenses on programs [1]. Charity Navigator four‑star references appear on the foundation site as badges of fiscal management [3]. These percentages indicate that roughly 0.93–0.95 of recorded cash expenses were used for program services in the years discussed by those evaluators [1] [2].
3. Media and partner reporting on program dollars (examples, not a comprehensive accounting)
Press coverage and partner releases highlight major program disbursements—mortgage payoffs, smart homes, and veterans’ housing—that drive large program expense totals. A 2024 overview and event coverage note the foundation provides mortgage‑free homes and other direct aid [5] [6]. Independent summaries and aggregator pieces cite large grant and mortgage‑payment totals for 2022 and beyond—one analysis cited grants and mortgage payments totaling hundreds of millions in a recent year—though that source is an independent blog and not the audited financials themselves [7]. The provided materials show the foundation’s high program percentages are driven by sizable, tangible program outlays [5] [6] [7].
4. Why you won’t find a neat “2024–2025 revenue → direct program dollars” line in these sources
The materials in the provided results offer percentages (93%–95%) and audited reports through 2023, press releases, and third‑party snapshots, but they do not present a single consolidated dollar figure for “2024–2025 revenue spent on direct program services” in the snippets offered here [4] [1] [2]. Audited financial statements typically report revenues and program expenses by fiscal year; to compute an exact dollar amount for 2024–2025 you need the fiscal‑year 2024 and 2025 statements or IRS Form 990 figures covering that period—documents not contained in the provided search snippets [4] [8].
5. How to get the precise number and what each source would supply
To produce a precise dollar amount: obtain Tunnel to Towers’ audited statement of activities or Form 990 covering the fiscal year that map to “2024–2025,” then multiply reported total revenue by the reported program‑service percentage or simply read the line item for “program services” in the statements [4] [8]. CharityWatch and the foundation’s site give reliable percentage context—93% and about 95%—but those are percentages of cash expense, not a single labeled “2024–2025 revenue” dollar total in the materials provided [1] [2].
6. Competing viewpoints and limitations
Independent evaluators and the foundation agree on high program spending [1] [2], but some third‑party writeups aggregate grant totals without direct reference to audited line items [7]. The audit file cited covers through 2023, so using it to infer precise 2024–2025 dollar totals risks mismatch of fiscal years [4]. Available sources do not mention any audit or Form 990 filed specifically labeled “2024–2025” with a clear program‑service dollar amount in the snippets supplied [4] [8].
If you want a precise dollar figure for 2024–2025 program spending, consult Tunnel to Towers’ audited financial statements and IRS Form 990 for the fiscal year that correspond to 2024 and 2025; those documents will show the exact program service expense line and total revenue [4] [8].