Sentebale, the organization that Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho founded in 2006, is going through an extremely tough time. It’s reeling from ongoing financial worries and a boardroom coup. Established to support young people in Southern Africa living with HIV and AIDS, the organization has strong emotional ties for Prince Harry, who often reflects on the legacy of his mother, Princess Diana, in his philanthropic efforts.
Despite receiving an additional £1.2 million from the proceeds of Prince Harry’s best-selling memoir “Spare,” insiders claim that Sentebale’s financial situation remains precarious. The nonprofit’s next goal is to draw more of those donations from the U.S. in greater amounts. This is a big departure from their previous fundraising approaches, which took the form of polo matches and celebrity-studded events.
This unhappiness comes from chair Sophie Chandauka’s refusal to step down. The departing charity staff members shared their immense regret. They added, “to learn that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the board chair has irrevocably broken down, resulting in an untenable situation. This purported sundering of collegial order started last fall, resulting in an allegedly toxic workplace.
The Charity Commission has acted rightly by publicly stating its intention to investigate the claims and counterclaims about Sentebale’s governance failures. Things spilled out into the real world a bit, when tensions came to a head at a Denver mayoral fundraising polo match. Yes, really. Allegations emerged that the Duchess of Sussex attempted to sidestep Chandauka during the award-giving ceremony. Prince Harry’s desire to bring a Netflix crew to a private, fundraising event set off this round of feuding between the insiders. Many in the industry postulated that all of these disruptions had a damaging impact on corporate sponsorships.
When we spoke on the phone, Sophie Chandauka knew she was up against it. Then we did notice—it was pretty clear to me that we had lost a lot of corporate sponsors. This unanticipated loss presents a significant risk to future sustainability and fundraising goals for Sentebale.
A spokeswoman for Sentebale welcomed the charity’s funding approach. She emphasized that their work with consultants has provided tangible returns on investment. Lebec was instrumental in crafting a strong positioning strategy and arming it with crucial tools for success. She shared wonderful tips to build credibility in the US market. This suggests that while traditional funding sources may be waning, Sentebale is actively seeking alternative avenues to ensure its mission continues.
The charity has adamantly denied accusations that the £500,000 was used to hire U.S. consultants. Needless to say, this claim did not sit well with former trustees. The spokeswoman noted that the one-off funding received through Prince Harry’s memoir was “incredibly useful.” She cautioned that it failed to establish a real funding program.
The continuing leadership turmoil and budget woes have mired Sentebale in controversy. Insiders paint a picture of the mood inside the philanthropy as becoming ever more tense, leading some to worry that it may not long remain afloat.
THE PROBLEM But the organization understands that evolving to meet these new funding realities is a matter of survival.