Charity boss brands 12.6m Covid vaccine drive highlighted in Archewell report a ‘collective’ effort – as Harry and Meghan face questions over how remaining $10m raised will be spent
- Archewell Foundation, established by Harry and Meghan in 2020, has released its 2020-2022 Impact Report detailing it charitable efforts and contributions
- Report states Archewell raised $13m, distributed $3m in grants across a host of causes, including vaccine equity, relief centers and refugee resettlement
- Foundation partnered with Global Citizen to procure 12.6 million COVID vaccines and helped resettle over 7,400 people from Afghanistan and Ukraine
The co-founder of a good cause supported by Harry and Meghan’s US charity today clarified that getting 12.66million Covid-19 vaccinations to the world’s poorest had been a ‘collective’ effort after some questioned the figures.
The Archewell Foundation has raised $13million since its formation after Megxit in 2020, giving away $3million in grants, it has emerged, with experts asking what they will do with the remaining $10million and how much was spent on staff and administration.
The foundation’s first official report, released in the US last night, contains ‘a snapshot of our impact by the numbers’. In a section ‘measuring our work in the world’, Harry and Meghan’s charity said it had helped with: ‘12.66 million COVID-19 vaccines procured for the global population through our partnership with Global Citizen’.
But critics have pointed to a 2021 Global Citizen report, which said that the Sussexes’ foundation had helped bring in $535,000 – enough for 107,000 Covid jabs.
And today, hours after the report was released, Global Citizen’s co-founder Michael Sheldrick thanked the couple for their support while clarifying that the 12.66million jabs had been a ‘collective’ effort ‘garnering public & private sector support’.
Mr Sheldrick said: ‘We were grateful to partner w/ the Sussexes’ Archewell Foundation to promote vaccine equity at a time when vaccine nationalism was rife’.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Foundation’s first report said it had helped with: ‘12.66 million COVID-19 vaccines procured for the global population through our partnership with Global Citizen’. Co-Founder, Michael Sheldrick today called it a ‘collective’ effort.
Mr She;drick tweeted after the report was released, shared online by Omid Scobie
The GC report also said that the couple ‘called’ for people to support the good cause but did not say how much Archewell itself had donated.
Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation donates $3m from $13m raised to causes including Covid jab equity and making a guide on ‘fostering positive masculinity’: READ MORE
One said: ‘Archewell was responsible for encouraging their fans to donate $535,000 resulting in 107,000 vaccine doses. Good, but no $ came from Archewell directly & just a small fraction of the 12.66mil doses’. Another tweeted: ‘Archewell is stealing the credit from organisations they have “partnered” with’.
Supporters of the couple pointed out that the couple convened private sector roundtables that led to commitments from corporate partners including MasterCard, Proctor and & Gamble, Cisco, Coca-Cola, and Spotify.
In May 2021 Harry also appeared at the star-studded Vax Live concert in Inglewood, California, as part of a worldwide campaign to get the COVID-19 vaccines distributed.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also spoke on stage at Global Citizen Live in New York on September 25, 2021.
The Archewell Foundation report, published late on Sunday, does not contain accounts. But Yahoo News columnist Omid Scobie, one of the Sussexes’ favoured reporters, said that Archewell had donated 23 per cent of its income.
He tweeted: ‘In their first year of operation they raised $13million and distributed $3million in grants’.
Archewell said today it will spend the next year working on ‘three main pillars’ – building a better online world, restoring trust in information, and uplifting communities.
Former MP Norman Baker, an expert on royal finances, said: ‘Harry and Meghan are raking in cash like wheat from a field in a bumper year. Their Archewell Foundation has been established as a vehicle for good causes yet only a fraction of the money raised appears to have been spent. I think those who have helped build up this mountain of cash will be keen to know what they intend to do with the $10million that is safely tucked up in a bank vault somewhere’.
Mr Baker said that it is prudent for a charity not to spend all their cash, but added that the couple should reveal ‘the percentage of money raised which is spent on administration as opposed to being deployed for the purposes of the charity’.
Others on social media were also asking the same questions.
One wrote: ‘$13 million raised. $3 million distributed. Where’d the greater balance of $10 million go?’ another tweeted: ‘What has happened to the other $10 million?’.
MailOnline has asked an Archewell spokesman to comment.
The report goes into detail on each of the Foundation’s accomplishments. Some have questioned the figures
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Foundation has raised $13million since its formation after Megxit in 2020 – with $3million given away to their chosen causes.
The money raised by the Sussexes’ charitable organization was also also handed to charities supporting refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
Archewell’s first ‘impact report’, says its money helped pay for 12.66 million Covid-19 jabs around the world while working with anti-poverty charity Global Citizen.
Harry and Meghan say Archewell, named after their eldest son Archie, is also spending money on ‘building a better online world’.
It included cash donated to a foundation which provided an online guide ‘for promoting gender equity by fostering positive masculinity in boys and men’ and aimed to ‘challenge harmful gender stereotypes’.
The Duchess of Sussex has handpicked several projects herself. These include one scheme in Antioch, Tennessee, where children can receive free hair braiding. After visiting the Uvalde massacre vigil she also chose to a play park for local children after seeing their ‘grief firsthand’.
Archewell will spend the next year working on ‘three main pillars’ – building a better online world, restoring trust in information, and uplifting communities.
In a 24 page report, the philanthropic foundation describes how it:
- Helped procure 12.6 million COVID vaccines through their partnership with Global Citizen.
- Rescued more than 7,400 people from war torn Afghanistan through a partnership with Human First Coalition.
- Dished out 50,000 meals through a partnership with World Central Kitchen.
- Developed a resource guide embracing ‘positive masculinity’ that’s been accessed by 3,673 individuals
- Built a playground for children of Uvalde, Texas after a gun massacre in a school last year killed 19 young children and two teachers
- Helped fund 13 academic fellows to ‘address society’s most urgent concerns surrounding social media’ at Harvard’s Institute for Rebooting Social Media
Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation has released its 2020-22 ‘Impact Report’ which reveals how in their first year of operation the charity raised $13million and distributed $3million in grants
The name Archewell originates from the Greek word arche, meaning source of action, which inspired the name of their son Archie Mountbatten- Windsor
The Foundation helped procure 12.6 million COVID vaccines through their partnership with Global Citizen. Prince Harry is pictured onstage during Global Citizen VAX LIVE in 2021
COVID vaccines
Archewell invested in The People’s Vaccine alliance, a coalition of 100 organizations, health experts, and heads of state, which has been working to ensure equitable access to vaccines, tests, and treatments across the world.
They also partnered with Global Citizen and played a significant role in helping to equitably distribute COVID vaccines globally. The alliance chaired the VAX LIVE concert in Central Park, which they claim mobilized hundreds of millions of dollars in funds.
The VAX LIVE concert alone held in 2021 in California mobilized 26 million doses, and raised $302 million towards vaccine equity, resulting in a further 60 million COVID vaccines being committed as part of the same campaign.
The Foundation states that as a result of their advocacy efforts, they were able to secure 12.66 million COVID vaccine doses for distribution around the world.
Harry and Meghan touted this figure on a quick overview of Archewell’s main achievements.
A letter from the co-executive directors of the foundation describes Harry and Megan as ‘showing up, taking action … to uplift and unite communities.’
Afghanistan and Ukraine
When it came to the war torn countries of Afghanistan and Ukraine, the foundation says its partnership with the Human First Coalition received a grant that enabled them to move almost 8,000 people from Afghanistan to safety.
The grant also helped the coalition provide aid to more than 10,000 individuals in Afghanistan and Pakistan and provide living expenses for 1,000 Afghans in safe houses in both countries.
The grant helped Team Rubicon assist 4,000 refugees in moving in, setting up their homes, the Sussexes explained. The donation also directly helped 853 families move into new homes.
In Ukraine, a grant provided critical funding to the HIAS Jewish charity, which expanded their humanitarian efforts across Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and Romania following the outbreak of war in the country.
The funding helped to increase housing, food, and transport assistance and provided legal assistance for an unspecified number of refugees.
The grant also helped train men and women to remove landmines and avoid being injured by explosives. It funded 373 sessions with the Halo Trust, helping an estimated 10,000 people learn how to avoid being injured by discarded explosives.
Afghan refugees are processed inside Hangar 5 at Ramstein Air Base in Germany in September 2021
Gender
When it came to the subject of gender the organization had partnered with several groups including the National Women’s Law Center to support women, girls, women of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals in their efforts to live, learn, and work with safety, dignity, and equality.
The group are said to have supported research that examines the financial impact of COVID on women, both at work and as caregivers, as well as the gender pay gap.
The organization also details how it is working closely with multiple organizations to advocate for affordable childcare, greater access to family healthcare, and increased access to education.
The Archewell Foundation has partnered with the charity Smart Workers to create the Female Unemployment Index, which will help the nonprofit understand the reasons why women in the UK end up out of work.
In addition, the Archewell Foundation has partnered with the charity Smart Workers to create the Female Unemployment Index, which will help the nonprofit understand the reasons why women in the UK end up out of work.
The organization also partnered with Equimundo’s Global Boyhood Initiative to develop a resource guide promoting gender equity by fostering positive masculinity in boys and girls
The organization has also supported Georgetown University Law Center’s Initiative on Gender Justice, which helps support marginalized and disadvantaged girls affected by labels and biases.
Furthermore, the organization has partnered with the VING Project, an initiative that invites young people to nominate an inspiring person for a $1,000 grant.
Through a joint initiative with VING, young people aged 14 to 18 were able to donate $1,000 grants to inspiring women in their lives who are experiencing financial need, totaling $1 million in handouts.
The organization also partnered with Equimundo’s Global Boyhood Initiative to develop a resource guide promoting gender equity by fostering positive masculinity in boys and girls.
This guide has been downloaded by 3,673 people in 122 countries.
Community outreach
One of the Foundation’s first partnerships was with Chef José Andrés of World Central Kitchen that saw Archewell join forces to improve local communities around the world through the use of food.
The Foundation reportedly assisted during climate disasters, including the aftermath of hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Dominica and helped supported WCK’s relief efforts around the world, which includes providing emergency food aid during floods, fires, earthquakes, and conflicts.
Archewell touts that WCK has been able to serve 50,000 meals worldwide, including hot meals and food kits, all tailored to the specific needs of each community as a result of the collaboration
The couple’s Foundation dished out 50,000 meals through a partnership with World Central Kitchen. Pictured, Chef Jose Andres, left, the founder the World Central Kitchen
Chef Jose Andres is the founder the World Central Kitchen which partnered with Archewell
In 2021, Winter Storm Uri swept across the American Southwest, causing severe damage in the state of Texas.
As a result, Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support – which provides crucial support and resources to thousands of domestic violence survivors in the Dallas area – suffered major damage and flooding.
Genesis offers a variety of essential services to families affected by domestic violence, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, and pro bono legal services.
Following the storm, Genesis was forced to close its doors for the first time in its almost 40 years of operation.
To support their recovery, Archewell provided financial assistance to replace the shelter’s roof and make repairs at Annie’s House, their transitional housing facility for women and children.
Shortly after, Genesis Women’s Shelter was able to resume its usual operations at Annie’s House, and expand its services by opening an additional outreach site providing critical, life-saving domestic violence support services to women and children in southern Dallas.
The couple’s organization also helped to repair the roof of a women’s shelter in Texas following Winter Storm Uri
Following the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas in May last year, which saw 19 small children and two teachers killed, Meghan, went to visit the community to show support
Following the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas in May last year, which saw 19 small children and two teachers killed, Meghan, went to visit the community to express her support.
Archewell remained in contact with the community to understand their long-term needs and collaborated with the city and KABOOM! to construct a play area for children and the community at DeLeon Park.
The playground was designed to serve as a space for play therapy and healing and symbolizes the hope and strength the city has displayed in its ongoing recovery following the tragedy.
KABOOM! involved the community in the design of the park which has since been opened.
The Foundation helped fund a new playground at DeLeon Park in Uvalde, Texas ‘to bring hope and healing for kids and families in Uvalde’ following a massacre at Robb Elementary School in June 2022 which killed 19 students and two teachers
Improving the online experience
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spoken many times of how the internet has affected various aspects of people’s lives, including trust, mental health, and the increase in hate speech.
Through the work of Archewell the Foundation states it has a mission to ‘create a technology ecosystem that is safe, inclusive, and promotes innovation.’
The organization reportedly has formed partnerships with experts in academia, industry, and want to hear the stories and experiences of parents and families who have been impacted by the online world.
The group partnered with the UCLA Center on Race and Digital Justice and has received multi-year funding for research and programs.
The Institute is currently looking at some of the heightened concerns of online users, namely that of hate speech, harassment, misinformation, and privacy – particularly on social media.
Prince Harry also recently met a group of young adults from The Gifted Young Gravesham, a British-based organization that partners with the 5Rights Foundation to empower youth in shaping a positive digital future.
During the meeting, the group shared their personal experiences and insights on how social media impacts their emotions, mental health, and relationships with peers, teachers, and family.
Prince Harry recently met a group of young adults from The Gifted Young Gravesham, a British-based organization that partners with the 5Rights Foundation to empower youth in shaping a positive digital future
The Foundation hope that such perspectives will help provide an insight into negative effects of the internet and help push for solutions to address the difficulties that young people and parents face in the digital world.
In once instance, Archewell hosted five families seeking accountability from the social media industry.
They shared their personal experiences on the effects of social media on their lives and expressed their thoughts on the future of technology and how it might affect young people.
The Foundation say they hope to continue to bring together parents affected by harmful online experiences in the hope of creating a more positive future when it comes to tech.
In another instance, Archewell hosted five families seeking accountability from the social media industry in that hope of sharing their experince to affect change in the future
Mental health
Both Prince Harry and wife, Meghan, have spoken of the importance of mental health in recent years – and this often taboo subject also appears to be a key focus for their Foundation.
Archewell has backed the efforts of Project Healthy Minds, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting modern mental wellness.
The organization developed a comprehensive resource guide that can be easily searched based on emotional state or type of service needed.
The Foundation has also supported the creation of guides and resources related to gender and mental health in conjunction with Meghan’s Archetypes podcast, to assist listeners who may have been impacted by the issues discussed on the show.
Support has also been provided to The Loveland Foundation and Therapy Fund which prioritizes providing affordable and accessible mental health resources to black women and girls.
Archewell has backed the efforts of Project Healthy Minds, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting modern mental wellness
Following Prince Harry and Oprah’s series on mental health, The Me You Can’t See, which was focused on breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, Archewell helped create Mental Health Emergency Rooms in Palestine, Israel, and Greece
Following Prince Harry and Oprah’s series on mental health, The Me You Can’t See, which was focused on breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, Archewell helped create Mental Health Emergency Rooms in Palestine, Israel, and Greece.
These emergency rooms are said to provide Psychological First Aid during times of crisis to communities and refugee camps that lack access to mental health support.
Funding from Archewell was reportedly used to train 150 young people and 100 key community members as mental health first responders and offer therapy services to a minimum of 3,000 children and young people.
Archewell, which is based in Beverly Hills, is a mix of for-profit and not-for-profit business organizations founded in 2020.
The group includes the Duke and Duchess’ nonprofit charitable foundation, as well as their lucrative for-profit business divisions focusing on media production, Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions.
The name Archewell originates from the Greek word arche, meaning source of action, which inspired the name of their son Archie Mountbatten- Windsor, two.
They had set up a similar ‘not-for-profit’ organization, Sussex Royal, but were banned from using the word ‘royal’ when they quit official duties.
The couple were met with criticism in 2020 after they continued to use their official cypher, which features their initials H and M intertwined with a crown on top, after stepping back from royal duty.
They then declared that they planned to become ‘financially independent’ members of the Royal Family with the pair switching to using the logo for Archewell instead.
Since stepping down as senior royals in January 2020, the couple moved to Los Angeles with baby Archie to start their new life and turned their attention to their new Foundation.
Their decision to leave the United Kingdom was based as much about financial as personal freedom and the huge sums gives them the capital to pursue their new lifestyle and public goals.
Prince Harry dropped spoke of his own mental health struggles also revealing how at one point his wife, Meghan, was suicidal
Both Oprah and Prince Harry are said to have had ‘very personal and deep feelings about destigmatizing conversations around mental health and mental wellness’
The couple announced they had secured a deal with Spotify in 2020 and a six-part Netflix series was released earlier this year.
It was commercial deals such as this that put the couple at odds with the impartiality required of those in public service and seemingly led to the permanent split within the Royal household.
Sunday’s report goes into detail on each of the Foundation’s accomplishments after working with partner organizations which specialize in helping one particular segment of society.
Archewell’s focus is on issues the couple have been championing including racial justice, gender equity, climate change, mental health, online hate speech and empowering diverse voices.
Exact amounts donated to each partner were not disclosed, but in some cases the Sussexes were able to state the precise number of people their funding had helped.
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