Last week, the Daily Mail’s crack team of “charitable tax experts” were trying to scandalize their readership with a convoluted story about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell foundation. I didn’t cover the Mail’s story because I didn’t even understand what they were trying to say. It was just random sh-t like “Harry and Meghan’s MISSING MILLIONS” and “The Sussexes DELAYED releasing their TAXES!” Harry and Meghan support themselves, they don’t take one penny from the British or American taxpayer to fund their lifestyle, and they run their own charitable foundation in America. Why does the Mail care? Don’t answer that, I know already. Well, the Mail’s faux-reporting got under the Archewell team’s skin, so wouldn’t you know, People Magazine got an exclusive about what’s really going on at the foundation:
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s charitable organization, the Archewell Foundation, has reported growth in its third year of operation, receiving $5.3 million in grants — more than double the $2 million raised the previous year, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal. According to the foundation’s 2023 tax records, reviewed by PEOPLE, the Sussexes’ nonprofit organization allocated $1.3 million of the over $5 million raised to charitable causes. These figures cover the period from January to December 2023.
Archewell, which the couple launched in 2020 shortly after stepping back from their roles as senior working royals, received a $5 million donation from an individual donor, as well as $335,000 from five separate individual contributors.
PEOPLE understands that Archewell’s efforts, including initiatives like The Parents Network and other community-based programs, have attracted more backing, leading to higher funding and assets at the end of the year. These funds will be used to support ongoing projects and expand the foundation’s work.
Contrary to previous reports that suggested $4 million had been unreported in Archewell’s 2022 tax return, the charity has clarified that all funds were properly accounted for, and that sum is reflected in the current tax filing for the 2023 fiscal year, PEOPLE understands.
In separate reports for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, benefactor Fidelity Charitable disclosed a contribution of $6 million to Archewell, while TisBest Philanthropy reported a grant of $10,000. Archewell, however, confirmed that it received two separate $1 million grants from anonymous donors. This discrepancy in reported amounts stems from differences in the timing of the grants, which has been clarified in the charity’s current filing.
Archewell’s total revenue for the year, including investment income, amounted to $5.7 million. The charity’s tax filing also disclosed the couple’s nominal one-hour-per-week involvement in Archewell’s operations, a standard practice for directors of U.S. tax-exempt organizations. The filing also confirmed that Meghan and Harry do not receive any salary from the foundation.
The tax records outlined salaries for several key staff members. James Holt, co-executive director, received a $228,500 salary, along with $18,428 in benefits. Co-executive director Shauna Nep was compensated with a salary of $272,241 and additional benefits totaling $26,356.
The tax return also revealed other key expenditures, including $997,285 in salary costs and just over $1 million in overall expenses. These expenses cover legal fees, event costs, and travel, with notable spending on the foundation’s public-facing initiatives like last year’s World Mental Health Day event in New York City.
The year-over-year increase in expenses is attributed to the expansion of key programs, such as The Welcome Project, which is fostering community support for refugees, and the continued growth of Archewell’s Parents Network.
“Contrary to previous reports that suggested $4 million had been unreported in Archewell’s 2022 tax return, the charity has clarified that all funds were properly accounted for…” Basically, the Mail was full of lies and the British tabloids crawl up Harry and Meghan’s asses over nothing. Who would have thought that the Mail has no idea about the inner-workings of an American foundation? Also: the foundation’s executives are getting big money, but in Holt’s case, he’s been with Harry for a decade. Holt used to work in Kensington Palace, and Holt came to America to help the Sussexes get set up over here. That kind of loyalty is priceless.
People Mag also details where some of the Archewell grants are going. They donated $250,000 to Ashley Biden’s Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce, a trauma-informed wellness center for women in north Philadelphia. Harry and Meghan are founding partners in Ashley Biden’s center. They also donated $130K to Humanity Crew, $50K to “providing mental health support to aid workers in Israel and Gaza, while $80,000 was allocated to support mental health services for aid workers in Turkey and Syria.”
Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red, Cover Images, Archewell, CBS and Save the Children.