The founder and CEO of a Minneapolis nonprofit receiving substantial taxpayer funding saw his annual compensation nearly triple as government support for his organization increased dramatically, according to an October 26, 2026, investigation by The Center Square. Muhammad Abdul-Ahad, CEO of T.O.U.C.H. Outreach, received approximately $246,000 in compensation in 2024, up from $88,400 in 2023. During the same period, the nonprofit’s annual revenue increased from approximately $881,000 to about $1.4 million, with nearly all of its funding coming from government sources.

According to The Center Square, T.O.U.C.H. Outreach contracts with the city of Minneapolis to provide community-based violence intervention services. A recent city audit identified significant deficiencies in oversight of these contracts, including inadequate invoice reviews and verification of services performed, raising concerns about potential fraud, waste, and abuse.

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Consulting Fees

The investigation also raised questions about Abdul-Ahad’s outside consulting activities and whether the resulting income was appropriately accounted for. Abdul-Ahad told The Center Square that a portion of his compensation came from consulting work performed for other cities, but the nonprofit’s tax filings did not clearly reflect these arrangements. He also indicated that he personally contracted with other cities and that some of the resulting revenue went to T.O.U.C.H. Outreach.

CharityWatch Executive Director Laurie Styron emphasized the importance of properly accounting for income generated using charitable resources. “If a charity employee is performing consulting work while on the clock using charity time, the revenue such consulting generates should go to the charity, not the employee,” Styron told The Center Square.

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Tax Obligations

Additional concerns involve how T.O.U.C.H. Outreach classified its CEO for tax reporting purposes. According to the investigation, Abdul-Ahad was treated as an independent contractor during the first two years he received substantial compensation from the nonprofit, despite serving as its chief executive. “Misclassifying executives as independent contractors can allow a charity to avoid payroll tax obligations and obscure the true nature of its executive compensation arrangements,” Styron said.

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Charity Defends Its Executive Compensation

The nonprofit’s board defended Abdul-Ahad’s compensation, citing the demanding and potentially dangerous nature of the organization’s violence intervention work. However, the investigation found that his 2024 compensation was nearly twice that of the executive leading another Minneapolis nonprofit providing similar services under city contracts.

Source: Jared Strong, The Center Square, October 26, 2026, “Taxpayer Philanthropy: Minneapolis ‘violence interrupter’ founder’s pay tripled”.

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