McDonald’s restaurants have been a significant partner in the development of all Ronald McDonald Houses around the world. Each Ronald McDonald House is independently owned and operated and develops an individual relationship with the restaurants in their community. Our partnership is unique and extremely beneficial, but often misunderstood by the general public.

The McDonald’s Corporation provides a license agreement allowing each Ronald McDonald House to use the trademarks of the corporation. The name recognition and the outstanding reputation of Ronald McDonald House Charities are a tremendous asset to our organization. Each Ronald McDonald House is governed in full by a separate Board of Directors, where at least one  member of the local McDonald’s owner-operator community serves and helps to establish the mission and policies and manages its own budget and fundraising process. Assets are not co-mingled.

Our local McDonald’s Restaurants wholeheartedly support the House by participating in various fundraising activities that happen inside the restaurants. The prominent placement of change canisters in restaurants make it easy for the community to support families facing a medical crisis. Our local restaurants also participate in local and national promotions and provide valuable advertising in each store on behalf of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona. Although the relationship with our local restaurants and their owners is our single largest source of funding, the funds that are contributed through McDonald’s accounts for only 7-10% of our annual operating budget.