Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania

What Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania does

Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania is an Australian not-for-profit charity, legally constituted as Ronald McDonald House Charities VICTAS Ltd (also trading as The Home Away from Home Inc), established in 1986 to provide free accommodation and support services to families with seriously ill children receiving hospital treatment. The charity operates four Ronald McDonald Houses (Hobart, Monash, North Fitzroy at Casa Elda Vaccari, and Parkville), three in-hospital Ronald McDonald Family Rooms (Joan Kirner Women's and Children's at Sunshine Hospital, Monash Hospital, and Albury Wodonga Hospital), and the Ronald McDonald Learning Program offering tutoring and Bridge the Gap educational support for children whose schooling is interrupted by treatment.

The organization is a Public Benevolent Institution with Deductible Gift Recipient status, so all services are delivered at no cost to beneficiary families. In 2025 the charity accommodated 3,007 families for 30,711 nights at an average length of stay of 7.9 nights, supported 442 students through the Learning Program, and operated 4,743 shuttle bus trips. Customer acquisition is referral-driven: hospital social workers at the Royal Children's Hospital, Royal Hobart Hospital, and Monash Children's Hospital direct families to the Houses, rather than through traditional sales or marketing funnels.

Revenue is sourced entirely from donations and fundraising rather than service fees, across five streams: individual donations (one-off and recurring, with suggested tiers of $37, $65, $93, $200), corporate partnerships and house sponsorship, signature fundraising events (Victorian Gala Ball at $375/ticket, Ride for Sick Kids, Rally for Sick Kids, Dance for Sick Kids, AFL Grand Final raffle), planned giving through the Lifetime Memory Makers bequest society (partnered with Safewill), and corporate volunteering programs (Meals from the Heart, Sponsor a Meal, Working Bee). The organization operates under a trademark licence from McDonald's Corporation as part of the global Ronald McDonald House Charities network, but is independently governed by a Board of Directors and led by CEO Peter Bishop. A full rebrand was completed in 2025.

Name

Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania

Legal name

Ronald McDonald House Charities VICTAS Ltd

Website

https://rmhcvictas.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania is an Australian not-for-profit charity, established 1986, that provides free accommodation, hospital-based family rooms, and an educational learning program to families with seriously ill children across Victoria and Tasmania, funded by donations, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, and bequests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Fitzroy

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-off and recurring donations from individuals who support families with seriously ill children. Tax-deductible donations in Australia.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship and corporate partnership programs where businesses support the organization through financial contributions, employee giving, and in-kind support.
3. Fundraising Events: Major annual events including the Victorian Gala Ball ($375 per ticket), Ride for Sick Kids, Rally for Sick Kids, Dance for Sick Kids, and community fundraising activities.
4. Gifts in Wills/Bequests: Planned giving program where supporters leave legacy gifts in their wills. The organization acknowledges donors through its Lifetime Memory Makers legacy society.
5. House Sponsorship: Organizations can sponsor specific Ronald McDonald Houses, providing ongoing financial support for operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania provides free accommodation in Houses adjacent to major children's hospitals in Victoria and Tasmania, alongside on-site Family Rooms within hospitals and the Learning Program that delivers tutoring and educational continuity for seriously ill children. Services include meals, laundry, play areas, shuttle bus transport, holiday programs, and emotional support to families with seriously ill or injured children during extended hospital stays.

Product overview

Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania operates a suite of support services for families with seriously ill children. The core offerings include Ronald McDonald Houses (accommodation near hospitals in Hobart, Monash, North Fitzroy, and Parkville), Ronald McDonald Family Rooms (spaces within hospitals), and the Ronald McDonald Learning Program (educational support including tutoring and Bridge the Gap). Additional support services include shuttle bus transportation, holiday activities, and family meals. Fundraising programs include donations, workplace giving, gifts in wills, corporate volunteering, and signature events such as the Victorian Gala Ball, Ride for Sick Kids, and Dance for Sick Kids. The organization is a not-for-profit charity relying on community support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ronald McDonald Houses Free accommodation facilities providing a home away from home for families with seriously ill or injured children receiving medical treatment at nearby hospitals. Located at Hobart (near Royal Hobart Hospital), Monash (near Monash Children's Hospital), North Fitzroy at Casa Elda Vaccari, and Parkville (near Royal Children's Hospital). Includes meals, laundry, play areas, and community spaces.
• Ronald McDonald Family Rooms On-site family rooms located within hospitals providing comfortable spaces for families to rest during long hospital stays. Locations include Joan Kirner Women's and Children's at Sunshine Hospital, Monash Hospital, and Albury Wodonga Hospital.
• Ronald McDonald Learning Program Educational support services including one-on-one tutoring, art and animal therapy sessions, and the Bridge the Gap program that helps seriously ill children maintain academic progress during treatment. Supported 442 students in 2025 with 469 actively engaged in tutoring and 72 new referrals.
• Shuttle Bus Service Transportation service helping families get to airports, hospitals, supermarkets, shops, and other destinations while their child is in hospital. Provided 4,743 shuttle bus trips for families in 2025.
• Holiday Program Fun and educational activities during school holidays for children staying at Ronald McDonald Houses, providing normal childhood experiences during difficult medical journeys.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,007 families stayed at Houses in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• McDonald's CorporationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMcDonald's Corporation owns the Ronald McDonald House Charities trademarks and licenses them to local chapters. Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania operates under license as 'The Home Away from Home Inc trading as Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania' and uses the RMHC brand and trademarks.
• SafewillminorOthersPartnership offering 50% discount on online Will writing through Safewill platform for supporters interested in leaving legacy gifts to Ronald McDonald House.
• Various Corporate Sponsors (Gala Ball)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple corporate sponsors support the Victorian Gala Ball as Double Gold Partners, Gold Partners, and Silver Partners, providing financial support and brand visibility. Includes sponsors from banking, retail, and service industries.
• Royal Children's HospitalcoreOthersPrimary hospital partner in Melbourne where families are referred for accommodation support during their child's treatment.
• Royal Hobart HospitalcoreOthersPrimary hospital partner in Hobart where families are referred for accommodation support during their child's treatment.
• Monash Children's HospitalcoreOthersHospital partner where Ronald McDonald House Monash is located, providing accommodation for families during treatment.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Childhood Cancer Support: Provides free accommodation and support services specifically for families of children with cancer undergoing treatment, primarily in Queensland. Competes with RMHC chapters for hospital referrals and disease-specific donor funding.
• Very Special Kids: Victorian-based charity providing hospice and respite accommodation for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Overlaps with RMHC on family accommodation services for seriously ill children in Victoria and competes for similar donor and volunteer pools.
• Leukaemia Foundation: Australia's largest blood cancer charity, which operates its own network of free accommodation lodges for families traveling for cancer treatment. Directly competes for the same donor base and serves overlapping family accommodation needs during serious pediatric illness.
• Cancer Council Victoria: Operates regional accommodation lodges for cancer patients and their families in Victoria. Directly comparable service model (free lodging near treatment centers) and shares the same donor and volunteer ecosystems in Victoria.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia (other state chapters): Other state-level RMHC chapters (NSW, QLD, WA, SA) operate under the same global brand and trademark license, providing equivalent free family accommodation near children's hospitals. They share the same mission, operating model, and donor value proposition.

Others

• Make-A-Wish Australia: Australian chapter of the global wish-granting charity for children with critical illnesses. Adjacent mission (supporting seriously ill children) and directly competes for individual donors and corporate cause-marketing partnerships.
• Canteen Australia: Supports young people aged 12-25 impacted by cancer, including peers of patients. Shares the Australian pediatric/young adult cancer family ecosystem and competes for the same donor and corporate partnership funding pools.
• Redkite: Australian charity providing financial, emotional, and educational support to families facing childhood cancer. Overlaps on the Learning Program mission and shares the pediatric cancer family target segment, though Redkite focuses on financial assistance rather than accommodation.
• Starlight Children's Foundation Australia: National charity focused on delivering happiness programs to seriously ill children in hospitals. Complementary mission to RMHC but operates different programs (wish granting, in-hospital entertainment) rather than family accommodation; competes for corporate and individual donor dollars.

Regional players

• Cancer Council Tasmania: Tasmanian counterpart to Cancer Council Victoria, offering cancer-related support and accommodation services in Hobart. Operates in the same Tasmanian market as RMHC's Hobart House and competes for regional donors and hospital referrals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ronaldmcdonaldhousevictas/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ronaldmcdonaldhousevictas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rmhcvictas
• Instagraminstagram.com/ronaldmcdonaldhousevictas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania