Meghan Markle Supports Close Friend in New Instagram Photo amid Prince Harry’s Shocking Charity News

Meghan Markle reached for a special top to support the work of the Alliance of Moms, founded by her close friend, Kelly McKee Zajfen.

On March 25, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, posted a new photo of herself sporting the white t-shirt the nonprofit released for Mother’s Day this year. The Alliance of Moms is selling the shirt as a fundraiser for its programming benefitting expectant and pregnant youth living in the Los Angeles foster care system.

“Proudly supporting @allianceofmoms and the powerful work they do to support moms and their children,” Meghan wrote below the photo on her namesake Instagram page.

“Well done @_heartmom_, for your selfless love of so many — the world is better with you in it ❤️,” she added, tagging her friend Zajfen.

The shot showed the Duchess of Sussex sitting on the grass in a garden and petting her family dog, Momma Mia. Meghan paired the short-sleeved white tee with cream pants and bare feet.

The Alliance of Moms releases a shirt each year as a fundraiser timed to Mother’s Day, and poet Cleo Wade designed this year’s white tee with red letters reading “Mama” over and over, with “Thank You” at the end.

Meghan and Zajfen have been friends for years, and Zajfen co-founded the nonprofit a decade ago as a resource for pregnant girls and women in the L.A. foster system. The Duchess of Sussex, who shares children Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, with husband Prince Harry, continued the tradition by supporting the fundraiser by modeling a shirt as she has in years past.

Exclusively speaking to PEOPLE about this year’s campaign, Zajfen says that Meghan’s support means much.

“It’s just amazing always having people around who want to use their voices and give back to the community and always show up and always say yes,” Zajfen says of Meghan and their mutual friend, Abigail Spencer.

“But also just for me personally, it’s a reminder and reflection of who they are in general. When you say, Hey, will you wear this? And they say yes right away with no hesitation because they know the importance of what this is.”

Zajfen and Spencer appeared on Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which premiered on March 4, and the trio modeled the Alliance of Moms’ “Love Like a Mother” tops for the foundation’s fundraiser last year.

“Love these girls and our little Guy ❤️‍🩹 What a blast! ✨” Zajfen captioned an Instagram selfie of her smiling alongside Meghan and Spencer (who costarred together on Suits) on the day of the show’s March 4 launch. At their feet was Meghan’s beloved rescue beagle Guy, who appeared in much of the eight-episode series and whose death the Duchess of Sussex announced in January.

Speaking to PEOPLE about her With Love series, the launch of her lifestyle brand As ever and her private world with her family, Meghan encourages others to strive for balance, not perfection.

“The series is about doing what you can do, and doing it with love,” the Duchess of Sussex says.

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The Duchess of Sussex’s latest Instagram post came as news broke that Prince Harry, 40, was stepping down from Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in honor of their late mothers. The surprising announcement stemmed from a breakdown in relations between chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka and the board of trustees.

In a joint statement, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso said, “With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as Patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same. It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation.”

“What’s transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about,” they added. “Although we may no longer be Patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care.”