After missing check drama, Harry and Meghan’s foundation back in ‘good standing’ with state of California

Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation is no longer barred from soliciting or making donations, now that it has submitted necessary documents and payment with the state Attorney General's office.

Suddenly on Tuesday, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Archewell Foundation was back “in good standing” with the state of California’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers.

A spokesperson for the California Attorney General’s Office told this news organization Tuesday that the foundation had been in touch with the state charity registry and resolved the matter.

Over the past 24 hours, questions about Archewell’s standing with the state of California had generated global headlines, due to a supposedly missing check and the state’s declaration that the foundation was “delinquent” because it had failed to file tax returns and other documents in a timely manner.

As a notice from California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, the delinquency also meant that  the Archewell Foundation had to cease seeking or issuing donations.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex founded the Archewell Foundation after stepping back from their royal duties in Britain in 2020 and moving to California.

The foundation was originally registered with the state in 2021. But in a May 3 letter from Bonta’s office, the foundation was listed as delinquent with its renewal because it had failed “to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees.”

The Sussexes did not comment on the drama on Monday, the New York Daily News said. But a source close to Archewell told People that the foundation’s tax filings were completed in compliance with all regulations and were made public in December. The California state filing, renewal and necessary payment also were sent “via tracked mail” to the Attorney General’s office. The source also insisted that the documents “were received on schedule,” People reported, adding that “any claims suggesting otherwise are inaccurate.”

More specifically, the source told People that the foundation filed its renewal documents on time, but that a check that was sent was never received. The foundation only became aware of the missing check when the delinquency notice was issued.

A new check was sent by mail, and the Archewell Foundation expected that “the issue” would be resolved quickly, the source said.

It turns out that the issue was resolved as soon as Tuesday, with online records showing that the organization’s renewal had been accepted, with a filing date listed as Tuesday.

It’s curious, though, why Archewell chose to file its renewal, payment and other associated documents via the U.S. mail, when the charity registry allows people to file documents and make payments electronically. In fact, the registry said on its website that payments should be made online, using a checking account or credit card.

The missing check controversy came just as Meghan and Harry were winding up a three-day visit to Nigeria. Harry was in the African nation to promote his Invictus Games for wounded servicemen and women. The couple also announced that the Archewell Foundation was expanding its partnership with a nonprofit in Nigeria to provide mental health services for young people.

In its registry with the state, the Archewell Foundation describes itself as “an impact-driven nonprofit” whose “core purpose is to uplift and unite communities — local and global, online and offline — one act of compassion at a time.”