Ronald McDonald House Charities was established in 1984 as a nonprofit organization connected with the McDonald’s brand.
The charity grew from the Ronald McDonald House concept, which provides accommodation and support for families of seriously ill children receiving medical treatment away from home. The first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia in 1974.
The organization’s name uses Ronald McDonald, McDonald’s best-known mascot, but the charity operates as a separate nonprofit network. Its programs have included Ronald McDonald Houses, Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles.
A common mix-up is the 1974 opening of the first Ronald McDonald House. That event preceded the formal establishment of Ronald McDonald House Charities by a decade.