What's Really Going On With Meghan And Harry's Non-Profit, Archewell?
Philanthropy runs in the royal family, but that doesn't mean it's always easy. Despite stepping down from their royal duties in 2020, Prince Harry is still devoted to philanthropic causes, alongside wife Meghan Markle. In fact, following Sussexit, the duke and duchess founded non-profit organization Archewell. The organization serves as an umbrella for three sub-groups: Archewell Foundation, the Spotify-driven Archewell Audio, and Archewell Productions, which serves as a hub for their business dealings with Netflix.
"At Archewell, we unleash the power of compassion to drive systemic cultural change," their official website notes, adding that, "We do this through our non-profit work within Archewell Foundation 501(c)(3), in addition to creative activations through the business verticals of audio and production." Despite such, Archewell's launch has been quite rocky, to say the least. Founded in 2020, the organization saw very little financial activity that year, as the duke and duchess opted to delay its launch that summer — with sources citing the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Speaking to The Telegraph, one source stated, "What's absolutely clear is that they want to get it right and there's no point in rushing," as "they are settling into a new life, a new era. This is about getting it right and making sure they are able to make the difference they want to make." Now, with 2022 underway, a peek into Archewell's first-year earnings paints an apprehensive picture for the organization's future.
Archewell reportedly raised less than $50,000 in 2020
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's non-profit organization, Archewell, is raising eyebrows after their 2020 tax returns have been released. According to Daily Mail, Archewell raised less than $50,000 in 2020 — the year it was founded. It was also noted that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex didn't open a bank account for the organization until January 2021.
Charities are required to detail their finances through a public "Form 990" with the IRS at the end of the year. Any charity that reports less than $50,000 in funding must file a "postcard" with limited information, the outlet noted. And while the amount of money raised may be shocking, it is of note that the couple delayed Archewell's full launch in the summer of 2020, as the pandemic and civil unrest ravaged the nation. Archewell also hasn't shared news since November, per their official website.
Interestingly enough, the couple actually spent more than $50,000 between June 2020 and June 2021 dissolving their Sussex Royal (now-MWX Foundation) charity. On top of their charity woes, Meghan and Harry have been mired in a trademark battle over Archewell. In applying for the "creation, development, production and distribution of podcasts, audio programmes, music, and audio books," as well as "live podcast performances, live stage performances, live music performances, and live audio-book readings," U.S. lawyers have asked that the "applicant must clarify these are entertainment-based services" and "specify the nature of the 'live stage performances," per Daily Mail.