Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing for “inevitable” staff redundancies after pivoting their charity from delivering its own programs to funding those run by other organizations.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation is branding as Archewell Philanthropies, restructuring away from delivering programs and toward being a fiscal sponsor. In other words, a body that funds programs run by other charities which the couple want to support.
In a statement released to Newsweek, a Sussex spokesperson said: “The move toward a philanthropic fiscal sponsor operating model, does mean that some staff redundancies are inevitable, particularly with junior admin roles.
“We will not be discussing these personnel details further, other than to say that we are honoured to have worked with incredibly talented and caring people who dedicate themselves to helping others.”
Why It Matters
Archewell Philanthropies, formerly the Archewell Foundation, is Harry and Meghan’s charitable arm set up in 2020 with a goal to “unleash the power of compassion to drive systemic cultural change,” according to an open letter they released that December.
The charity’s financial standing has long been closely scrutinized by the British media for any sign the organization might be struggling.
What To Know
The original intention had been for Archewell to deliver programs, which requires infrastructure and logistics, increasing costs, but after five years, the Sussexes are pivoting to a different approach.
Now, they want to use their money to help fund programs delivered by other charities, meaning their money can be channeled to communities using the existing infrastructure of organizations they partner with.
Insiders, though, stress that the move is an evolution of the couple’s work rather than a departure and say they hope it will allow for an expansion of their global philanthropy.
Needless to say, stories in the British press have pointed to $5.1 million of expenses in 2024, more than double the $2.1 million of donations received that year, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday. The charity also gave out grants of $1.25 million.
Archewell’s expenses were up on the previous year, when they stood at $3.3 million while donations were down from 2023, when they stood at $5.3 million. Newsweek has been told that expenditure rose because the charity was spending the money it received in 2023.
A source with knowledge of the charity told Newsweek: “The Foundation did not lose money—it used previously raised funds for their intended purpose. The Archewell Foundation’s approach is to raise funds for specific projects and deploy them as those projects reach key stages of implementation.
“In philanthropy, it is both expected and responsible for a foundation’s financial statements to show year-to-year fluctuations as funds are raised and then strategically spent on impact. The 2024 figures reflect an intentional investment year.”
No detailed breakdown has been released for the $5.1 million, though some news outlets have pointed to the fact Harry and Meghan conducted two overseas visits that year, to Nigeria and Colombia.
They may well have had some of their costs paid by the host governments and both would still likely only have accounted for a slice of the overall bill, based on the kinds of number the royal family publish for their international tours.
At the upper end, King Charles III and Queen Camilla racked up £400,535 [around $540,000] on a ten-day visit to Australia and Samoa during which they attended The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting [CHOGM] in October 2024.
At the lower end, Prince William visited Estonia to support British forces near the border with Russia in March at a cost of a £55,846 [around $75,000], which included a private jet on the outbound journey followed by a scheduled plane home.
What People Are Saying
In an online statement, the organization said: “After five beautiful years, the Archewell Foundation is becoming Archewell Philanthropies. This charitable entity allows the couple and their children to expand upon their global philanthropic endeavors as a family.”
James Holt and Shauna Nep, co-executive directors of the organization, wrote in its annual impact report: “Five years ago, The Archewell Foundation was born from a simple but profound belief: to show up and do good.
“Today, as we mark our fifth anniversary, that mission remains as vital and urgent as ever—now carried forward through Archewell Philanthropies, a growing platform designed to deepen and expand how we serve communities around the world.
“What began as a commitment to compassion has evolved into a powerful force for meaningful change, particularly in championing global mental wellness across our communities.
“This year we have witnessed unimaginable suffering, from the preventable tragedy which unfolded in Gaza where thousands of innocent children and civilians faced starvation and death, to the urgent need for mental health support in communities facing crisis worldwide.
“We have witnessed both heartbreak and hope as we tackle one of the largest factors harming young people today—social media use and life online. Through our work, we champion young people and their families, ensuring they feel seen, supported, and empowered.”
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