Harry and Meghan’s foundation announces new philanthropic grants

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charitable body has announced it is investing in more organisations that have “taken a lead in improving our digital community”.

Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation has awarded “philanthropic grants” to a project working to give voices to local communities, and another funding academic research aimed at addressing the “challenges and opportunities of social media”.

The charitable body said on its website: “Archewell Foundation believes that new innovations in technology and media should strengthen our communities, empower families, restore trust in information, and ensure that all of us – especially our children and grandchildren – can experience a better and safer world online.

“That’s why today we’re announcing a series of philanthropic grants in organisations that have taken a lead in improving our digital community.”

The foundation stated it was investing in the organisation Cortico’s Local Voices Network, a collaboration with MIT’s Centre for Constructive Communication, where the conversations of participating groups of people about their lives are recorded.

Software is used to allow the topics and issues discussed to be analysed by researchers and so give a platform for individuals whose voices might not be reflected in decision making.

The foundation is also supporting the Institute for Rebooting Social Media, a new three-year initiative at the Berkman Klein Centre for Internet and Society at Harvard University, which aims to address urgent concerns around social media like hate speech and misinformation.

The charitable body is backing the institution’s new fellowship programme which will bring together experts and new innovators from diverse backgrounds to collaborate on impact-oriented projects that address the challenges and opportunities of social media.