The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Charities and Patronages

[Claire]

I think they are restructuring without saying that - but the paperwork and logistics of the charity should have continued as required. However, the turnover of staff might have resulted in items been dropped. It happened -but I understand that several warnings were ignored as well. You are not just placed on Delinquency Notice at a drop of a hat. They would have received warnings of incomplete paperwork and funds in arrears.

 

[Hallo girl]

If they do not move on to the next venture in a professional manner they will not receive the backing they want/ need. People will stand back.
There is a website with nothing to buy, pots of jam that are out in the ether somewhere, it does not bode well.

 

[shady lady]

If they do not move on to the next venture in a professional manner they will not receive the backing they want/ need. People will stand back.
There is a website with nothing to buy, pots of jam that are out in the ether somewhere, it does not bode well.

Exactly, and this is the problem we are seeing with Invictus; the veterans are being overshadowed by the presence of H&M and since MM started stealing the show in terms of publicity, the games are losing focus. That's not how a professional charity should run.

Returning to Archewell, this report from The Guardian Nigeria reports that Archewell are to build a basketball court:

Harry, Meghan Foundation to build basketball court in Abuja

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Princess Meghan,have said that they would support the construction of a new Giants of Africa basketball court in Abuja through their non-profit outfit, the Archewell Foundation.

guardian.ng

As I've previously said, I know next to nothing about how finances work in the US. Can they still do this?

 

[Lady Daly]

Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation no longer listed as delinquent

The charity is ‘in good standing’ following the records misphap

www.independent.co.uk

Prince Harry and Meghan's Archwell Foundation has been found "delinquent over unpaid fees and warned it could face fines or suspension". Delinquent charities are ordered to stop fundraising, can face penalties or have their registration suspended or revoked.

The organisation’s 2021 filing, which was submitted last February, revealed that they had raised $13m (£10.3m) from benefactors, while they had given out $3m in grants. The following year, they suffered an $11m drop in donations, with only $2m in charitable donations received.

I think their controversial interviews, Netflix series, and Harry's book damaged the charitable image they intended to project, "to do good" and the donations have dried up.

 

[Chimene]

They were never serious anyway and this was just a cover.

 

[Emmily]

Exactly, and this is the problem we are seeing with Invictus; the veterans are being overshadowed by the presence of H&M and since MM started stealing the show in terms of publicity, the games are losing focus. That's not how a professional charity should run.

Returning to Archewell, this report from The Guardian Nigeria reports that Archewell are to build a basketball court:

Harry, Meghan Foundation to build basketball court in Abuja

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Princess Meghan,have said that they would support the construction of a new Giants of Africa basketball court in Abuja through their non-profit outfit, the Archewell Foundation.

guardian.ng

As I've previously said, I know next to nothing about how finances work in the US. Can they still do th

 

[Emmily]

My understanding was they couldn't raise or distribute funds until this is cleared up.

 

[An Ard Ri]

This article dates from before Christmas 2023 and there were already concerns about Salaries and plummeting donations.
Harry & Meghan pay massive salaries to Archewell staff as donations plummet

 

[Erin9]

Here is all the information on Archewell's status:

Verification

If you click on the 'Delinquency Notice' you'll find the letter that was sent. The filing that was not submitted is for the accounting period January - December 2022; they submitted their filing for 2021 in November 2022, so they are about 6 months late compared to their timeline the previous year.

It's not about a fee that wasn't paid. That's only a small part of it. It is about a financial report ("ANNUAL REGISTRATION RENEWAL FEE REPORT TO ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA") with supporting documents that wasn't filed. And now, they also have to pay 'late fees' for not submitting on time. See 'renewal filing' for the 2021 filing to get a better understanding of what kind or report they need to submit.

I’m surprised, but not surprised.

As an accountant, in what universe do you NOT file the required annual report?! Just trying to picture my company not filing their 10K. (Would never happen.) Utterly and literally laughable.

What kind of disorganized, haphazardly run organization misses this? For ANY reason

Those have to approved/signed off on by- I assume- Harry and Meghan. No one forgets these kinds of things exist. You have to be completely incompetent imo.

 

[Hallo girl]

It is not my intention to divert the thread and by all means delete if not appropriate.
I think I am correct in saying the couple have spoken about film production, surely you need to be savvy with regards finance, organisation, timescales, communication.
This current situation even if resolved , is not a demonstration of good fiscal practice.
If I was considering going into a business partnership I might be having second thoughts.

 

[Chimene]

Second thoughts only? I would not go anywhere near a business or organization that has been labeled delinquent. That's simply unprofessional.

 

[Erin9]

Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation no longer listed as delinquent

The charity is ‘in good standing’ following the records misphap

www.independent.co.uk

Prince Harry and Meghan's Archwell Foundation has been found "delinquent over unpaid fees and warned it could face fines or suspension". Delinquent charities are ordered to stop fundraising, can face penalties or have their registration suspended or revoked.

The organisation’s 2021 filing, which was submitted last February, revealed that they had raised $13m (£10.3m) from benefactors, while they had given out $3m in grants. The following year, they suffered an $11m drop in donations, with only $2m in charitable donations received.

I think their controversial interviews, Netflix series, and Harry's book damaged the charitable image they intended to project, "to do good" and the donations have dried up.

I think their controversial behavior was/is a problem.

I also think this charity-and I don’t really know much about running one- lacked focus.

Like everything else they do- they had an idea. No plan of execution. No focus. No actual knowledge about what it takes to run one.

I’m no fan of the Sussexes - that’s pretty well established-- but even if my opinion wasn’t low given their public behavior- I would never want to be involved in anything they do from a business/philanthropist perspective because it is obvious they have NO IDEA what they are doing. And seem to have no desire to listen and learn.

They didn’t file their annual report or pay the fees. I just can’t. I don’t care why. I don’t care if they’re restructuring. I don’t care about staff turnover. There are some things you just don’t screw up.

Didn’t they just say Archewell is building a basketball court in Nigeria? I would think that would be out at present.

 

[Queen Claude]

Here is an image of the letter from a Daily Mail article:

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/14/08/84811335-13415203-Records_show_the_foundation_was_declared_delinquent_in_January_f-a-23_1715670267858.jpg

The following are quotes from People.com:

A source close to Archewell tells PEOPLE that the foundation's tax filings were completed in compliance with all regulations and were widely reported in December. The California state filing, renewal and necessary payment were sent via tracked mail to the Attorney General's Office and were received on schedule. Any claims suggesting otherwise are inaccurate.​

[...]​

According to a source close to the foundation, the organization filed on time, but a check that was sent was never received. The foundation only became aware of this when the delinquency notice was issued. A new check has been sent by mail, and the Archewell Foundation expects the issue to be quickly resolved and reflected in the records within the next seven business days.​

[...]​

At the Lightway Academy in Abuja, on May 10, it was announced that the Archewell Foundation is expanding its partnership with the GEANCO Foundation.​

[...]​

it was announced that the Archewell Foundation has made it possible for the youth-focused sports charity [Giants of Africa at Ilupeju Senior Grammar School in Lagos] to expand programming to include a new adaptive court and accessible sport in Abuja, a statement said.​

T

 

[Hallo girl]

On hand it says everything was filed correctly including payment by tracked mail and was received. Then they say the cheque was not received. It cannot be both.

 

[Erin9]

On hand it says everything was filed correctly including payment by tracked mail and was received. Then they say the cheque was not received. It cannot be both.

How very typical. It figures what they say contradicts themselves. And goes against what is being reported happened. (Which is they didn’t get the report or the fee.)

If they’re trying to stick with the check was mailed- but wasn’t cashed- and they haven’t bothered to rectify the situation until now- then what they’re really saying is: they don’t bother to reconcile their accounts. Which is ludicrous from a business standpoint.

This sounds like a poorly thought out attempt at damage control.

 

[shady lady]

It is not my intention to divert the thread and by all means delete if not appropriate.
I think I am correct in saying the couple have spoken about film production, surely you need to be savvy with regards finance, organisation, timescales, communication.
This current situation even if resolved , is not a demonstration of good fiscal practice.
If I was considering going into a business partnership I might be having second thoughts.

I would be, definitely; in fact I'd be backing out pretty fast!
[.....]
I agree; and it's desperately unfair.

 

[Kenya]

With the turnover of staff they have had, I'm not surprised things like this are getting overlooked. It doesn't look very professional, just haphazard.

What serious donor would want to donate to a charity that doesn't conduct bookkeeping sufficient to recognize such an important check hasn't cleared the bank for the past 5 months? It's amateur hour at Archewell.

 

[Erin9]

What serious donor would want to donate to a charity that doesn't conduct bookkeeping sufficient to recognize such an important check hasn't cleared the bank for the past 5 months? It's amateur hour at Archewell.

People would get fired for this level of incompetence. It’s unacceptable.

Annual reports aren’t one person shows either.

 

[Somebody]

Here is all the information on Archewell's status:

Verification

If you click on the 'Delinquency Notice' you'll find the letter that was sent. The filing that was not submitted is for the accounting period January - December 2022; they submitted their filing for 2021 in November 2022, so they are about 6 months late compared to their timeline the previous year.

It's not about a fee that wasn't paid. That's only a small part of it. It is about a financial report ("ANNUAL REGISTRATION RENEWAL FEE REPORT TO ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA") with supporting documents that wasn't filed. And now, they also have to pay 'late fees' for not submitting on time. See 'renewal filing' for the 2021 filing to get a better understanding of what kind or report they need to submit.

It looks like the link to the verification expired. Here is the 'search tool' for those who still would like to look it up for themselves.

Verification

Renewal was due on May 15 2023 (so their expiration date was a year ago!). It seems they were given several extensions. The last date of renewal was February 2 2024 - they clearly also didn't meet that deadline, which is why their registry status is now 'delinquent'.

 

[Hallo girl]

There is a new update from their team saying that the cheque was received but not cashed. But they are sending a replacement. As somebody said previously why did nobody pick up that the cheque was not cashed.
Even if this has been a misunderstanding, it demonstrates poor governance.

 

[Alison H]

Does anyone still pay by cheque?!

 

[Hallo girl]

Does anyone still pay by cheque?!

I did wonder that, even I do not pay by cheque and I am a dinosaur.

 

[Erin9]

Does anyone still pay by cheque?!

Yes. Where I work there is both.

 

[Somebody]

There is a new update from their team saying that the cheque was received but not cashed. But they are sending a replacement. As somebody said previously why did nobody pick up that the cheque was not cashed.
Even if this has been a misunderstanding, it demonstrates poor governance.

But it is not just about a cheque not being cashed/a fee not being paid. According to the Attorney General's website their filing (of their financial report in the specified format!) was 'not submitted'. It doesn't say 'partially submitted' or something along those lines...

Does anyone still pay by cheque?!

And yes, in the US, cheques are still a pretty common way of payment. Even here in Canada we had to get a cheque book to be able to pay our move-in fee. Before moving to the US over 10 years ago, we had never needed a cheque - nor did we need cheques in South America. It seems a North-American custom.

 

[Kenya]

It would surprise me greatly if organizations couldn't pay their fees to the California DOJ electronically, though. Coincidentally, my assistant just emailed me to tell me she just paid my bar fees online. I wouldn't even occur to me to send a physical check for that. I can somewhat see the rationale here, if the check was being sent along with a physical copy of the annual report, but even the report seems like something that should be able to be submitted electronically.

 

[Somebody]

It would surprise me greatly if organizations couldn't pay their fees to the California DOJ electronically, though. Coincidentally, my assistant just emailed me to tell me she just paid my bar fees online. I wouldn't even occur to me to send a physical check for that. I can somewhat see the rationale here, if the check was being sent along with a physical copy of the annual report, but even the report seems like something that should be able to be submitted electronically.

Based on the letter, it seems they are expected to send a physical copy of the filled-out form as well as fees due to the Attorney General's PO box. They do provide an email address for questions.

To avoid further adverse actions, please send all delinquent reports and fees, together with a copy of this letter, to the above address immediately. You may email questions: Delinquency-Notices@doj.ca.gov. Online resources including a delinquency webinar, forms, instructions, guides, and answers to frequently asked questions are available on our website: oag.ca.gov/charities/delinquency

 

[GondorHasNoPants]

One interesting thing about the delinquency - any donations Archewell has received in the meantime will not be considered tax-protected. So Archewell would have to declare them for tax purposes, and pay appropriate taxes on them.

The error was relatively minor, and by all accounts, extremely easy to fix, but it does make me wonder how much attention their staff are paying.

And yes, cheques are still very much a thing in north America. I work in a treasury group, receiving and settling payments of all kinds, and we still process up to 300 cheques a day. They are far from going extinct.

 

[Erin9]

It would surprise me greatly if organizations couldn't pay their fees to the California DOJ electronically, though. Coincidentally, my assistant just emailed me to tell me she just paid my bar fees online. I wouldn't even occur to me to send a physical check for that. I can somewhat see the rationale here, if the check was being sent along with a physical copy of the annual report, but even the report seems like something that should be able to be submitted electronically.

A lot of annual reports are electrically sent. Ours are for sure. We do pay things by check. It’s a mixture of check and electronic.

What I don’t understand is how anyone fails to pay the fees and file the annual report. These aren’t little things. (Or fails to notice the check didn’t clear if you want to go with their story.)

If they actually sent all this certified- the Attorney General’s office would have the full packet. Which they don’t. They seem to have nothing.

 

[Alison H]

That does surprise me! We can still use them here, but very few people do, and a friend in the Netherlands was recently told that her bank wouldn't cash a cheque and that she'd have to arrange for payment by alternative means.

Charities here are supposed to file their accounts 10 months after the year end in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but 9 months after the year end if they're in Scotland ... two different dates, just to confuse people . Automatic reminders are sent, so it's quite difficult just to forget.

 

[carlota]

If they do not move on to the next venture in a professional manner they will not receive the backing they want/ need. People will stand back.
There is a website with nothing to buy, pots of jam that are out in the ether somewhere, it does not bode well.

archewell is disjointed, to put it kindly. they have ideas, but no real execution or thought as to how it all marries together. basically a melting pot of podcasts, jam, shows, and books, mixed with the righteous word salad of the day, and some pretty websites and instagrams to go with. they left the RF 4 years ago, and we have yet to see something meaningful coming from them. in their eyes, they probably don't care... it allows them to stay relevant, and that seems all they care about.