Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex chose an image from their attendance at the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala in New York for their holiday card this year. Photo / Getty Images
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex chose an image from their attendance at the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala in New York for their holiday card this year. Photo / Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation has donated US$3 million (NZ$4.64 million) of US$13m (NZ$20.1m) raised in its first year of operation.
The money raised by the couple’s non-profit organisation from 2021-22 was given away to causes including refugee resettlement and humanitarian relief centres.
It also included grants towards procuring 12.6 million Covid vaccinations and the creation of a resource guide to embrace “positive masculinity”, a new report revealed.
Archewell Foundation’s (AWF) first Impact Report said that the duke and duchess have raised and invested “millions of dollars across the non-profit space for sustainable programmes and campaigns” since its creation in 2020.
It also includes details of the couple’s focus for the charity’s third year, including building a better online world, restoring trust in information and uplifting communities.
The report, published on Sunday, does not contain details of accounts, but it is understood that AWF donated around 23 per cent of its income, with millions more in reserve expected to be donated in the future.
The money has gone towards providing 50,000 meals through a partnership with World Central Kitchen and rescuing more than 7400 people from Afghanistan through a partnership with Human First Coalition, said the report.
AWF also helped fund 13 academic fellows to “address society’s most urgent concerns surrounding social media” at Harvard and helped to build a playground for the children of Uvalde, Texas, after a school shooting.
A letter from the co-executive directors of AWF in the 24-page report said: “The results of [the Sussexes’] work are undeniable, both through metrics that can be seen and an emotional impact that can be felt.
“Baked into all that we do is the core belief that our collective wellbeing and mental health are paramount.”
“In a world where everyone has an opinion about people they don’t know, the duke and duchess have compassion for the people they don’t know. They don’t just opine. They run toward the struggle.” Photo / AP
‘They run toward the struggle’
The organisation, which is based in Beverly Hills, includes the couple’s business and their non-profit ventures and was founded after they stepped down as working members of the royal family.
Its name originates from the Ancient Greek word “arche”, meaning source of action, and the English word “well”.
Since founding the company in October 2020, the duke and duchess have secured a Netflix deal reportedly worth around US$100m and a Spotify deal worth around US$18m, as well as the duke’s multi-million three-title deal with Penguin publishing.
However, Sunday’s report details the accomplishments of the company’s philanthropic arm after partnering with various organisations to champion mental health, racial justice, gender equity and vaccine equity, among other things.
While exact amounts donated to each of their partners were not disclosed, in some cases the couple were able to state the precise number of people their funding had helped in its first full year of operation in 2021-22.
José Andrés, chef and founder of World Central Kitchen, one of AWF’s partners, said: “Meghan and Harry turn compassion into boots through their Archewell Foundation.
“In a world where everyone has an opinion about people they don’t know, the duke and duchess have compassion for the people they don’t know. They don’t just opine. They run toward the struggle.”
He added that the couple, who he describes as his “dear friends”, have “brought hope to each and every community they touch”.
