What does Harry and Meghan’s Archewell charity do – and why is it in trouble?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are told to stop soliciting or spending money for their charity
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could see their charity foundation suspended as it was found “delinquent” for failing to pay fees.
Under the banner “Show up, do good”, the Archewell Foundation has backed projects ranging from helping Afghan women in the US to tackling misinformation since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex founded it in 2020.
After stepping down as senior royals and leaving London for Los Angeles, the couple began the project to “meet the moment by showing up, taking action and using our unparalleled spotlight to uplift and unite communities”.
However, the spotlight may be dimming as the foundation has been told to stop soliciting or spending money amid a records mishap.
The delinquency notice came as the couple spent three days touring Nigeria, where they were seen visiting schools, playing sports, and announcing an expansion of charitable partnerships.
As the future of Archewell hangs in the balance, here’s everything we know about the foundation:
When was it set up?
The Sussexes’ foundation was established after they stepped down from their roles as senior working royals and relocated to the US in March 2020.
Harry and Meghan officially launched the Archewell Foundation’s website in October 2020 but according to the organization’s spokesperson, Archewell had no financial activity in 2020 and its first bank account was opened in January 2021.
What does it do?
Named in honour of their son Archie, now aged five, the couple said the foundation’s core purpose was “quite simply, to do good”.
Their mission statement reads: “We meet the moment by showing up, taking action, and using our unparalleled spotlight to uplift and unite communities, both local and global, online and offline.”
The organisation’s 2021 filing, which was submitted last February, revealed that they had raised $13m (£10.3m) from benefactors, while they had given out $3m in grants.
The following year, they suffered an $11m drop in donations, with only $2m in charitable donations received.
They have partnered with several charitable organisations including chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, Halo Trust, which is a mine-clearing charity once supported by Princess Diana.
Just this week, they also announced an expansion of their partnership between their foundation and the GEANCO Foundation in Abuka while touring Nigeria.
Why is it in trouble?
The charity has been told to stop soliciting or spending money after it was found delinquent over unpaid fees on Monday.
The delinquency notice was sent by California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta for failing to file its annual reports and renewal fees. As stated on California’s Department of Justice website, a notice is sent to an organisation after it fails to submit complete filings for each fiscal year.
Delinquent charities are ordered to stop fundraising, can face penalties or have their registration suspended or revoked.
According to a letter seen by Page Six, the note adds: “An organisation that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.”
Although the couple has yet to publically respond to the report, according to the Telegraph “a cheque for the money was sent but never arrived”. A second cheque has now been sent to resolve the matter within days, the newspaper adds.
The Independent has reached out to Archewell for comment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments