Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Charitable Work Throughout the Years

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Charitable Work Throughout the Years

Royally kind! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have always been proponents of helping their fellow man. Charity has played a huge part in their relationship, both while they were senior members of the British royal family and since they announced their decision to step back in January 2020. Harry organized the first-ever Invictus Games in 2014, two years before he and the Suits alum met, with the goal of raising money to support wounded, injured or sick veterans while also allowing them to compete in various Paralympic-style sporting events. In addition to raising funds, the Duke of Sussex hoped the games would inspire veterans and non-veterans alike as it did him. He continued to run the charity with Markle by his side while they were dating and after their 2018 wedding. The 2020 Invictus Games were postponed due to COVID-19, but the duke said during a May webinar that the spirit of the games was alive and well. [jwplayer Ef9NC7ar-zhNYySv2] "We've obviously not in The Hague, but I'm so please we have been able to organize this virtual gathering when the games would have taken place themselves," he said. "This conversation is all about sharing the Invictus spirit, and it is even more relevant now as we are having to address new challenges and adapt our lives." The couple even made their wedding day about charity, selecting seven organizations to give back to simply because they "represent a range of issues that they are passionate about," according to the royal family's website. Those charities included the Children's HIV Association (CHIVA), Crisis, Myna Mahila Foundation, Scotty's Little Soldiers, StreetGames, Surfers Against Sewage and The Wilderness Foundation UK. After their wedding, they continued to work with organizations that aligned with causes close to their hearts, including One Young World and World Vision. Harry and Meghan's giving didn't stop just because they stepped back from their royal duties, however. In fact, one of the first things the couple did after announcing their exit and moving abroad was launch a nonprofit organization called Archewell. Keep scrolling to learn more about Harry and Meghan's efforts to give back. [podcast_block]

Credit: PA Images/INSTAR

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Charitable Work Throughout the Years

Royally kind! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have always been proponents of helping their fellow man. Charity has played a huge part in their relationship, both while they were senior members of the British royal family and since they announced their decision to step back in January 2020. Harry organized the first-ever Invictus Games in 2014, two years before he and the Suits alum met, with the goal of raising money to support wounded, injured or sick veterans while also allowing them to compete in various Paralympic-style sporting events. In addition to raising funds, the Duke of Sussex hoped the games would inspire veterans and non-veterans alike as it did him. He continued to run the charity with Markle by his side while they were dating and after their 2018 wedding. The 2020 Invictus Games were postponed due to COVID-19, but the duke said during a May webinar that the spirit of the games was alive and well. [jwplayer Ef9NC7ar-zhNYySv2] "We've obviously not in The Hague, but I'm so please we have been able to organize this virtual gathering when the games would have taken place themselves," he said. "This conversation is all about sharing the Invictus spirit, and it is even more relevant now as we are having to address new challenges and adapt our lives." The couple even made their wedding day about charity, selecting seven organizations to give back to simply because they "represent a range of issues that they are passionate about," according to the royal family's website. Those charities included the Children's HIV Association (CHIVA), Crisis, Myna Mahila Foundation, Scotty's Little Soldiers, StreetGames, Surfers Against Sewage and The Wilderness Foundation UK. After their wedding, they continued to work with organizations that aligned with causes close to their hearts, including One Young World and World Vision. Harry and Meghan's giving didn't stop just because they stepped back from their royal duties, however. In fact, one of the first things the couple did after announcing their exit and moving abroad was launch a nonprofit organization called Archewell. Keep scrolling to learn more about Harry and Meghan's efforts to give back. [podcast_block]

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Archewell

In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began rolling out their nonprofit organization Archewell. At the time, the site featured a note from Harry and the California native explaining their goal for the organization.

"I am my mother's son. And I am our son's mother. Together we bring you Archewell. We believe in the best of humanity. Because we have seen the best of humanity. We have experienced compassion and kindness, from our mothers and strangers alike," the message read. "In the face of fear, struggle and pain, it can be easy to lose sight of this. Together, we can choose courage, healing, and connection. Together, we can choose to put compassion in action. We invite you to join us. As we work to build a better world, one act of compassion at a time."

The site described Archewell as a nonprofit that "drives systematic cultural change across all communities."

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Walker Family Events Foundation

In November 2020, Harry quietly volunteered for a veterans' charity in Compton, California, called the Walker Family Events Foundation. The organization, which helps veterans and their families facing homelessness, shared two photos of the royals helping to pack and deliver food to those in need.

"Today I had the honor of meeting and working alongside Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex," one photo caption read. "He joined us in volunteering at Compton VFW for the Operation Nourish program packing and distributing food to our #compton neighbors. He is very humble and kind."

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Genesis Women's Shelter & Support

In February 2021, Genesis Women's Shelter & Support in Dallas received a donation from Harry and Meghan through the Archewell Foundation. The donation came after Texas was hit with icy and snowy weather that devastated some areas, including Dallas.

"Today, we learned that the news of the damages we incurred from Winter Storm Uri reached Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex," the shelter tweeted. "Through their nonprofit Archewell Foundation, they are supporting us by replacing the roof at our transitional housing apartment complex and also helping us meet our immediate needs. Thank you, Archewell Foundation."

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World Central Kitchen

Months after it was announced that Archewell would be working with World Central Kitchen to build four Community Relief Centers in the Caribbean, the first center was completed in February 2021. The effort was first announced in December 2020 — three years after the area was hit by Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017.

"The kitchen equipment — including refrigerators and freezers that can work entirely off the electrical grid using solar power — is now installed and ready for the school's staff to cook for students and the community, and we will be launching a culinary training program later in the year. These trainings, based on Sink to Stove and our upcoming Chef Relief Training program, will equip chefs in the skills necessary to cook for the community and even feed large numbers of people in an emergency. From this Community Relief Center, we anticipate being able to prepare thousands of meals per day in the direct aftermath of any future storm."

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Archie’s Birthday Donations

The couple celebrated their son’s 2nd birthday in May 2021 by asking anyone who was willing to make a donation in his honor toward healthcare in underserved communities. “We have been deeply touched over the past two years to feel the warmth and support for our family in honor of Archie’s birthday,” they wrote in a statement via their Archewell website. “Many of you donate to charities on his behalf and mark the occasion by giving back or doing an act of service — all through the goodness of your hearts. You raise funds for those who need it the most and continue to do so organically and selflessly. We remain incredibly grateful. … We are inviting you to contribute whatever you can — if you have the means to do so — to bring vaccines to families in the world’s most vulnerable places.”

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Procter & Gamble Partnership

After working with Procter & Gamble on Global Citizen’s VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World in May 2021 to inspire vaccine confidence worldwide, the pair announced a multi-year partnership between the Archewell Foundation and the company, whose portfolio includes brands such as Tide, Olay and Charmin. The collaboration will focus on “gender equality, more inclusive online spaces and resilience and impact through sport.”

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Books for All

After releasing her children’s book, The Bench, in June 2021, Meghan announced that she and Harry would be donating 2,000 copies of the book to schools, libraries and more. "After more than a year of unprecedented challenges for schoolkids and families everywhere, the duchess believes the path ahead must include a focus on well-being — and nourishing our communities through food, education, and emotional and mental health support," a statement on the couple’s Archewell Foundation read. “The duchess and Archewell have received the support of the publisher of The Bench to distribute 2,000 copies at no cost to libraries, community centers, schools, and nonprofit programs across the country." 

Archewell is also partnering with First Book nonprofit to distribute the book around the country.

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The Loveland Foundation

The nonprofit, which was listed on the Archewell Foundation’s website in August 2021, provides affordable mental health resources to Black women. The Loveland Foundation focuses on funding their therapy sessions for those who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford to see a counselor.

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UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2I2)

The Archewell Foundation Fund for the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry will support the center's goals to reimagine technology, champion racial and economic justice in tech industries and strengthen democracy via public policy work.

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Center for Humane Technology

After being victims of online bullying, it's easy to understand why Meghan and Harry support this initiative to "create the conditions for safer, more compassionate online communities," per the Archewell Foundation website. 

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Center for Compassion and Altruism Research And Education, Stanford Medicine

Meghan and Harry's foundation supports this research department at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. According to their website, "The Archewell Foundation supports the Center’s mission for groundbreaking research and education on techniques for developing compassion and promoting altruism within individuals and society."

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Women for Afghan Women

In August 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex donated to the organization, which empowers disenfranchised Afghan women and girls in Afghanistan and New York. The Archewell Foundation's donation will help refugees fleeing Afghanistan. 

"We are immensely grateful for the generosity of the Archewell Foundation in support of our efforts to evacuate/relocate thousands of Afghan women, children, families, including our staff," Women for Afghan Women shared via Instagram.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day

In January 2022, the couple sent Black-owned food trucks to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta to help feed volunteers.

"Thank you, Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for providing local Black-owned food trucks for our #MLKDay service project volunteers," the center's official account tweeted at the time. "Your care matters so much to those here to register and educate voters and collect items for our homeless neighbors."

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NAACP

In February 2022, the couple announced Archewell's partnership with the NAACP on a new award that will recognize people working to advance the cause of civil rights. Called the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award, the first prize went to Dr. Safiya Noble, an internet studies scholar and a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Recipients of the award receive a $100,000 stipend to be used at their discretion to further their work or continue expanding their expertise in their field.

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Women's History Month

In honor of Women's History Month, Archewell partnered with four organizations that work to advance gender equality around the globe. The four nonprofits that received grants were Smart Works, The 19th, the National Women's Law Center and the Center on Poverty and Inequality at Georgetown University.

"Part of Archewell Foundation's core commitment is to build strong, compassionate, and equitable communities across the world," Harry and Meghan said in a statement in March 2022. "Although these grants have been announced as we recognize Women's History Month, the work they represent is relevant and vital every day of the year."

Smart Works, a U.K.-based organization that helps women find employment with coaching tips and job interview attire, will create the Smart Works Female Unemployment Index with help from Archewell. The project will study the issues that cause women's unemployment in the U.K. and work to find solutions to the problem.

The 19th, an independent, nonprofit newsroom that reports on gender, politics and policy, will use the grant to advance coverage of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. The NWLC will continue to fight for legislation that helps equality and further investigate the "workforce pushout" happening to women amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center on Poverty and Inequality will put Archewell's funding toward their Initiative on Gender Justice & Opportunity, which helps public institutions support marginalized girls.

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Supporting Ukraine

It was revealed in March 2022 that Harry and Meghan donated to help those affected amid the Russian invasion. According to royal expert Omid Scobie, the pair donated to “organizations supporting the people of Ukraine” such as HIAS and The HALO Trust via Archewell. They also are supporting domestic media such as The Kyiv Independent, which is supported through Are We Europe.

One month earlier, the couple issued a statement via their Archewell website about the invasion.

“We stand with the people of Ukraine,” the joint statement read. “Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us at Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine against this breach of international and humanitarian law and encourage the global community and its leaders to do the same.”

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Marshall Plan for Moms

Archewell joined the National Business Coalition for Child Care, organized by Marshall Plan For Moms, in May 2022. 

"Families everywhere, and especially working moms, are asked to shoulder so much," the Duchess of Sussex said in a press release at the time. "This has only been heightened by the pandemic, with increased caregiving responsibilities, rising prices, and economic uncertainty. As it's been said many times, it takes a village to raise a child. Today, we're sending a message that childcare isn't just a community imperative — it's a business imperative. Creating a stronger workforce starts with meeting the needs of families."

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Inspiring Women

The Archewell Foundation announced in October 2022 that it would be teaming up with the VING Project to give $1 million in grants to women inspiring the younger generation. 

The partnership was inspired by Markle’s “Archetypes” podcast and asks anyone between the ages of 14 and 18 to nominate a woman who serves as a role model to them by meeting their goals despite adversity. 

Those chosen will receive a $1000 grant to the nominee of their choice.