McDonalds Partnership

Ronald McDonald House Charities

Ronald McDonald House Charities is a non-profit organization with local chapters currently operating in 51 countries and regions. Each local Ronald McDonald House is a separate public charity, operated by a local Board of Directors.

Understanding the McDonald’s Partnership

The partnership between McDonald’s Corporation and Ronald McDonald House Charities and its programs dates back to the inception of the charitable organization. In 1974, when an unlikely partnership was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between an NFL team, a children’s hospital and McDonald’s Restaurant, none of its members could have imagined that their dream of a “home-away-from-home” for families of seriously ill children would grow to become an international phenomenon. They simply wanted to create a place where parents of sick children could be with others who could provide emotional support.

Today, one can find support and participation from McDonald’s Corporation, its owner/operators, crew members, suppliers and business partners at every level of the charity’s activity – U.S., international, corporate, division, regional and local. Members of the McDonald’s Family serve as volunteers on the boards and committees of the local chapters, working alongside other members of their community. Together they tackle the challenges of operating a public charity – raising necessary funds and awareness and delivering program services to children and their families.