McDonald’s Adds Charitable Donations to the Menu

Facing dwindling donations to its point-of-purchase donation boxes for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), McDonald’s has tapped technology for a solution.

While customer donations to the collection boxes remain significant, there was a 15% drop in 2018. The innovator developed Round-Up for RMHC technology to serve as an additional donation option for customers in an increasingly cashless society.

Here’s how it works:  Customers simply select the "Round-Up for RMHC" button at checkout on the digital self-order kiosks or let the cashier at the front counter know they would like to round-up. Round-Up for RMHC is available at the 14,000 U.S. locations year-round and can be used with all payment methods.

The convenience and simplicity of Round-up for RMHC has been well received in restaurants where McDonald’s has tested this technology, with customers already donating $2.2 million.

RMHC helps families with ill or injured children stay together with home-cooked meals, private bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens and laundry facilities near to the medical care they need at leading hospitals.

"For over 45 years, McDonald's, our franchisees and our customers have been proud supporters of Ronald McDonald House Charities," said Chris Kempczniski, McDonald's President and Chief Executive Officer. "As a founding mission partner of the charity, McDonald's remains committed to leveraging the size and scale of our restaurants to promote and raise money to support the growth of the charity."

It costs an average of $80 a night to house a family; in 2018, RMHC provided more than 2.5 million overnight stays in communities around the world, saving families over $930 million in food and lodging costs.

To highlight how each donation benefits RMHC families, McDonald's unveiled a new "Menu of Moments" to emphasize the message that event the smallest of donations can make a big difference.