Prince Harry and Meghan Markle worked just one hour a week at their Archewell Foundation in 2021 — during which the nonprofit gave out more than $3 million in grants but collected less than $4,500 in public donations, tax records show.
The humanitarian charity has released its latest tax return showing it was largely supported by two wealthy philanthropists who contributed $13 million combined while raking in a measly $4,470 from the public.
In all, Archewell received a total of $13,005,660 — $10 million of which came from an individual donor as DailyMail.com first reported, $3 million from another, and $4,470 from other “contributions and grants.” The remaining $1,190 came from “investment income,” according to documents obtained by DailyMail.com.
The Archewell Foundation’s 2021 tax returns show it was largely supported by two philanthropists whose contributions make up the majority of the charity’s $13 million revenue
In total, the charity has raised $13,005,660 – $13 million from two donations, $4,470 from other “contributions and grants” and $1,190 from “investment income”
This has led to speculation that the larger donation was made by Oprah Winfrey in exchange for the interview the Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave in March 2021, which rocked Buckingham Palace, and the other $3 million came from Harry himself, as part of the $20 million advance he received for his controversial autobiography Spare.
Archewell has handed out $3,096,319 in grants — or 24 percent of its earnings — for 2021, tax returns show
The charity gave out $3,096,319 in grants, representing 24 percent of its revenue, and had $9,018,590 in reserves at the end of 2021.
The document also shows that Harry and Meghan only worked one hour a week at the foundation, so 52 hours a year.
This compares to a week of full-time work, which begs the question of how the couple spent their time when Archewell was reportedly their main focus.
The charity spent $163,085 in salaries, according to the documents.
While Harry and Meghan don’t take a salary, CEO James Holt also works an hour a week and receives a salary of $59,846 and $3,832 in other benefits, meaning he earns $1,224 an hour.
There are two other salaries on the tax return: $40,867 for “program service” and $22,811 for “management and general expenses.”
Two unidentified wealthy donors collectively contributed $13 million to Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation, which will make up approximately 99% of the charity’s total income in 2021
The Sussexes launched Archewell in April 2020 after applying for a trademark a month earlier
This suggests that the charity has only three paid employees, one of whom is the CEO, another provides programs and an administrative assistant.
Since 2018, 16 employees have left the Archewell brand, a mix of not-for-profit and for-profit companies, including Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio.
Other expenses for the return total $727,666, including $427,110 in legal fees, $69,042 in conferences, conventions, and meetings, and $12,096 in travel.
It distributed more than $3 million in grants to 25 US institutions or NGOs and $186,319 to three European targets.
The Tax Form 990 is an overview of all income, gifts and expenses for tax-exempt organizations.
Archewell’s 2021 tax return should have been filed with the IRS on May 15, 2022, but appeared on the website ten months after that deadline.
It is not clear when it was filed with the IRS as it still does not appear on the IRS website.
In 2020, Archewell was allowed to submit an abbreviated 990 form called an “ePostcard” as it had received less than $50,000 in revenue and had been in the US for less than a year.
The foundation released its impact report in January and said it helped pay for 12.66 million Covid-19 shots around the world while working with charity Global Citizen.
Money was also donated to charities supporting refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
A handout from Archewell shows Prince Harry participating in a Q&A with San Francisco-based company BetterUp, which will provide coaching and mental health services to businesses and individuals in 2021
Archewell released its 2020-2022 impact report in late January, which said it had raised $13 million in revenue and distributed $3 million in grants to projects, including procuring 12.66 million Covid-19 vaccines around the world. world while partnering with anti-poverty charity Wereldburger
Harry and Meghan say in their filing that Archewell’s main goal is to “uplift and unite communities – local and global, online and offline – one act of compassion at a time.”
They add: “The Archewell Foundation believes that compassion is the defining cultural force of the 21st century and through its work, the Archewell Foundation supports a growing community of partner organizations that are driving systemic cultural change.
“Archewell Foundation listens to people and their communities, helps them tell their stories, puts real action behind its words and shines a spotlight on a new generation of leadership.”
Archewell, named after their 3-year-old son Archie, also spends money on ‘building a better online world’.
It included cash donated to a foundation that provided an online guide “for promoting gender equality by promoting positive masculinity in boys and men” and aimed at “challenging harmful gender stereotypes.”
The Duchess herself has chosen several projects. For example, there is a program in Antioch, Tennessee, where children can have their hair braided for free. After visiting the Uvalde murder vigil in Texas, she also chose to build a play park for local children after seeing their “mourning firsthand.”
Archewell says it will work on “three main pillars” over the coming year: building a better online world, restoring trust in information and uplifting communities.