Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand

What Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand does

Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand (RMHC NZ) is an independent charitable trust (registration CC50543) established in 1989 that provides free accommodation and support services to families whose children require hospital treatment away from home. The charity operates three Ronald McDonald Houses located adjacent to major paediatric hospitals in Auckland (20 wheelchair-accessible rooms across two sites near the National Children's Hospital), Wellington (six self-contained apartments opposite Wellington Hospital), and Christchurch (28 bedrooms walking distance from Christchurch Hospital), along with three Ronald McDonald Family Rooms embedded inside hospitals in Auckland, Christchurch, and Invercargill, and a Ronald McDonald Family Retreat in Rotorua serving over 80 families annually. Services are delivered free of charge to families travelling more than 100km for treatment, who are referred through the Ministry of Health's National Travel Assistance programme via District Health Boards — the charity does not accept self-referrals. In 2025, RMHC NZ provided just under 46,000 nights of accommodation and support to over 4,200 families, with an average family stay of 7 days and average travel distance of 210km.

The charity's offering is fundamentally a service-and-facility business: physical accommodation with kitchens, lounges, laundry, play areas, on-site schooling (years 1-8), and a volunteer-run Family Dinner Programme. Technology is not a meaningful component of the operating model — it is a labour-intensive hospitality and social services operation supported by 34 staff. Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary donations across multiple streams: individual giving (one-time and monthly 'House Hero' from $10/month), corporate partnerships (McDonald's, Ray White, Sealy, Fonterra, La-Z-Boy, Alliance Group, Miles Toyota, SBS Bank, Markwell Foods, Chubb, Auckland City Toyota, Essity, Ecolab, Winger Hamilton, Warner Fencing, Crown Worldwide, China Southern Airlines), Room Sponsorship Programme (minimum three-year corporate commitments), legacy giving/bequests (with example gift of $50,000), payroll giving (33% PAYE tax credit incentive), goods donations, and an extensive fundraising events portfolio including Supper Clubs across six-plus cities, Gala events, McHappy Day, PJ Day, House to House challenge, golf and polo tournaments.

RMHC NZ operates as part of the global Ronald McDonald House Charities network (founded 1974 in Philadelphia, now over 375 Houses in 62+ countries serving 10 million+ families cumulatively), with McDonald's New Zealand serving as the Founding Mission Partner since 1989 and the largest single revenue contributor (over $1.5 million annually through franchisees, crew payroll giving from 1,000+ employees, customer donations, and Happy Meal proceeds). The charity is governed independently by a voluntary Board of Trustees chaired by Ben Rose, with Lisa Tai as CEO. The organisation is headquartered in Auckland and operates exclusively in New Zealand with no disclosed international expansion plans.

Name

Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand

Legal name

Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand Trust

Website

https://rmhc.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand is an independent charitable trust operating three free accommodation Houses, three hospital-based Family Rooms, and a Family Retreat in Rotorua for families with children receiving hospital treatment away from home, funded by donations and corporate partnerships including McDonald's, Ray White, Sealy, and Fonterra.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable family accommodation services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Family accommodation services
• Charity healthcare support
• Hospital family housing
• Family retreat programmes
• Community fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, including monthly giving programme 'House Hero' starting from $10/month, one-time online donations, and tribute/memory donations.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses including McDonald's franchisees, Ray White, Sealy, Fonterra, and others. Includes monetary contributions, in-kind donations (beds from Sealy, furniture from La-Z-Boy), volunteer hours, and cause-related marketing campaigns.
3. McDonald's System Contributions: McDonald's franchisees, crew and customers collectively raise over $1.5 million annually through Happy Meal proceeds, kiosk donations, collection boxes, in-store campaigns, payroll giving from over 1000 crew members, and fundraising events.
4. Room Sponsorship Programme: Corporate sponsorships of individual rooms at Auckland and Wellington Houses with minimum three-year terms. Sponsors contribute to room maintenance, furnishings, and ongoing operational costs.
5. Legacy Giving/Bequests: Gifts left in wills, with suggested amounts ranging from $950 (5-day family stay) to $80,000 (new family bedroom). Example: Herb Keen left $50,000 in his 2023 will.
6. Payroll Giving: Tax-efficient employee giving programme where donations receive immediate 33% PAYE tax credit. No minimum donation amount required.
7. Goods Donations: Accepts physical goods donations including food, kitchen essentials, toys, books, and household items. Cash donations preferred as they can be used where most needed.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand provides free accommodation and support services to families whose children are receiving hospital treatment away from home. It operates Houses in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, Family Rooms inside three hospitals, and a Family Retreat in Rotorua, with families referred through District Health Boards under the Ministry of Health's National Travel Assistance programme.

Product overview

Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand operates a portfolio of accommodation and support services designed to keep families together when their child requires hospital treatment away from home. The core offerings include three Ronald McDonald Houses (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch) providing free accommodation with kitchens, lounges, and support programmes; Ronald McDonald Family Rooms located within hospitals offering rest spaces for caregivers; and a Ronald McDonald Family Retreat in Rotorua providing free holiday accommodation for families affected by chronic illness or bereavement. Supporting services include the Family Dinner Programme where volunteers prepare meals, and various fundraising/donation mechanisms including regular giving, legacy bequests, corporate partnerships, and Supper Club events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ronald McDonald House: Full-service accommodation facilities providing 'home-away-from-home' for families with hospitalized children
• Ronald McDonald Family Room
• Ronald McDonald Family Retreat
• Ronald McDonald House Charities

Products and services

• Ronald McDonald House Auckland Free accommodation and support services for families of children receiving treatment at the National Children's Hospital in Auckland, with 20 wheelchair-accessible rooms across two locations (Auckland Domain and Grafton Mews). Includes kitchens, lounges, on-site schooling, play areas, laundry, Wi-Fi, and parking.
• Ronald McDonald House Wellington

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,200+ families served annually with free accommodation and support
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• McDonald's New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Founding Mission Partner since 1989 when RMHC NZ was established as independent charity. McDonald's franchisees, crew and customers collectively raise over $1.5 million annually. Support includes Happy Meal proceeds, kiosk donations, collection boxes, in-store campaigns, payroll giving from 1000+ crew members, volunteering, and cause marketing. Relationship extends globally for over 45 years.
• Alliance GroupmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor supporter of Christchurch Supper Club events and various fundraising initiatives. Provides protein products for family meals and event catering.
• Ray WhitemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership extending over ten years. Ray White offices around the country raise over $100,000 annually through community fundraising events, annual street collection and Business Club programme. Call on local communities for Christmas 'A Little Ray of Giving' gift collection. Offices volunteer to cook dinners and support fundraising events.
• SealymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides top-quality beds for all programmes nationwide. In 2018 provided over $140,000 worth of beds. Seaky team also prepares legendary lunches for families at RMHC facilities.
• La-Z-BoymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial furniture provider for RMHC globally. Provides comfortable sofas, chairs and recliners for all RMHC NZ facilities. Staff donate time delivering and assembling furniture and regularly cook dinner for families.
• FonterramajorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew Zealand dairy co-operative passionate about providing families with dairy products for daily meals. Team supports through baking, fundraisers, and ongoing programme support.
• Crown WorldwidesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter providing relocation and logistics services as needed for RMHC NZ operations.
• China Southern AirlinessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNational partner supporting RMHC NZ through in-kind contributions and airline-related services.
• Miles ToyotamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerProudly sponsors 'A Day at the Polo' event and provides vehicle-related support for RMHC NZ operations and events.
• SBS BanksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter involved in room sponsorship programme and various fundraising activities.
• Markwell FoodssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRoom sponsor and supporter of RMHC NZ programmes, providing food products for families staying at facilities.
• ChubbsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRoom sponsor and corporate supporter providing insurance and security-related services for RMHC NZ facilities.
• Auckland City ToyotasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter providing vehicle-related contributions and sponsorship for RMHC NZ activities.
• EssitysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter providing hygiene and personal care products for families at RMHC facilities.
• EcolabsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter providing cleaning and hygiene solutions for RMHC NZ facilities.
• Winger HamiltonsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter involved in room sponsorship and various fundraising initiatives.
• Warner Fencing and GatessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRoom sponsor and supporter providing fencing and gate solutions for RMHC facilities.
• Ministry of Health NZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough National Travel Assistance programme, government covers travel costs and provides accommodation subsidies for eligible families traveling 100km+ for treatment. Referrals flow through District Health Boards and Patient Travel Administrators.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ronald McDonald House Charities (Global): The global parent network of 375+ Ronald McDonald Houses across 62+ countries. Operates the same core model (free accommodation near paediatric hospitals) and shares branding, fundraising infrastructure and learning with RMHC NZ.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia: Australian chapter operating 17 Houses plus Family Rooms and Retreats with the same 'home-away-from-home' model. Closest geographic and operational peer, sharing programme design and corporate partnership patterns.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities UK: UK chapter running Houses, Family Rooms and a sibling's day centre funded by McDonald's and corporate partners. Direct mission-equivalent operating in a similar public-health context.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada: Canadian chapter with 15 Houses and Family Rooms supporting families with seriously ill children. Comparable scale, fundraising mechanics and government integration model.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities Ireland: Operates Ireland's only Ronald McDonald House with the same mission and McDonald's founding partnership structure. Useful benchmark for a small-population market similar to NZ.

Emerging players

• Cure Kids: NZ's largest charitable funder of child health research. Competes for the same individual, corporate and event-driven donations that fund RMHC NZ's accommodation programmes, and shares paediatric focus.
• Child Cancer Foundation: NZ charity providing support to families affected by childhood cancer, including accommodation-related assistance. Overlaps directly with a portion of RMHC NZ's family demographic.
• Make-A-Wish New Zealand: Grants wishes to children with critical illnesses in NZ. Competes for both donor dollars and corporate sponsorships (McDonald's is a global Make-A-Wish partner), with shared paediatric illness focus.
• KidsCan: NZ charity supporting disadvantaged children with food, clothing and health essentials. Competes with RMHC NZ for corporate partners and payroll-giving campaigns from major NZ employers.

Regional players

• Starship Foundation: Funds the National Children's Hospital in Auckland where RMHC NZ's Auckland Domain House is located. A complementary, not competing, regional peer sharing the same hospital catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand