Harry and Meghan’s Archewell charity no longer ‘delinquent,’ says California AG

LOS ANGELES — The Beverly Hills-based charity founded by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan was deemed “in good standing” by the state of California on Tuesday and is no longer “delinquent” due to late payment, the attorney general’s office said. .

This change in status means that the Archewell Foundation, originally registered in the state in 2021, can begin fundraising and operating in California again.

“We have diligently investigated the situation and can confirm that the Archewell Foundation remains fully compliant and in good standing,” a spokesperson for the association said in a statement. “Payments due were made promptly and in accordance with IRS processes and procedures. Additionally, all necessary documents were filed by the Foundation without error or wrongdoing.”

Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office did not say when it realized the foundation was “current” with the state’s registry of charities and fundraisers. The update comes a day after speculation about why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charity, which previously reported more than $13 million in total income, had apparently not paid the fees annual deposit of $200 after expiring in May 2023.

Bonta issued a late notice to the foundation this month, noting that its renewal information was incomplete.

A source close to Archewell said Monday that the group’s initial check was lost in the mail but the payment was resubmitted, adding that the problem should be resolved within a few days.

But without further clarification from Bonta’s office or Harry and Meghan themselves, it may be difficult to shed light on the apparently unpaid payment, according to royal family watchers.

The couple, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California, traveled to Nigeria to draw attention to causes they have long supported, including wounded veterans.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to media coverage of the charity at an unrelated behavioral health-focused event in the Bay Area on Tuesday, telling reporters the foundation’s setback was “typical” .

“I just want people to know that not only are they in compliance,” Newsom said, “this was a technical paperwork issue that has been greatly exaggerated.”

CharityWatch, a Chicago watchdog group that investigates nonprofits, said it considers the Archewell Foundation “non-assessable,” given that it was only recently founded and has not sufficient years of financial activity.

According to its state filings, the Archewell Foundation, a name inspired by the couple’s son Archie, is “an impact-driven nonprofit organization created by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” and its “main goal is to uplift and unite communities.” – local and global, online and offline – one act of compassion at a time. »

CharityWatch CEO Laurie Styron said the foundation appears to be deviating from the norm in at least one respect: In its 2022 tax filing, it reports that its governing body consists of just two people: Harry and Meghan . She said the widely accepted minimum “best practice” in the nonprofit sector is five voting board members, “the majority of whom should be independent.”

In general, “a charity whose board is too small and does not have a majority independent board is not well placed to consistently make decisions that are in the best interests of the charity or to provide adequate oversight of its operations,” Styron said. “Charities are not small businesses or hobbies intended to be controlled by a married couple or family. Rather, they are owned by the public in the public interest and are intended to exist as independent legal entities interests of the people who run them.”

Diana Dasrath reported from Los Angeles and Erik Ortiz from New York.