Ronald McDonald House of Dallas

What Ronald McDonald House of Dallas does

Ronald McDonald House of Dallas (RMHD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981 in Dallas, Texas, providing free lodging, meals, transportation, and family support services to families of seriously ill children (21 years or younger) receiving pediatric medical treatment at Dallas-area hospitals. The organization's core program is the Ronald McDonald House — a 78,000-square-foot facility in the Dallas Medical District that accommodates 89 families nightly across 77 private bedrooms, six extended-stay suites, and six transplant apartments, with families referred by hospital social workers and able to stay as long as their child receives treatment (average stay of 13 days). RMHD operates no proprietary technology; the value proposition rests on physical hospitality infrastructure, in-person service, and a 1,527-volunteer base that contributed 36,328 hours in 2025.

The organization has expanded its service model beyond the central House into a distributed network: a Ronald McDonald Family Room at Scottish Rite for Children – Frisco (opened November 2018) provides in-hospital respite space; Hospitality Cart programs deliver snacks and activity kits at Cook Children's Medical Center Prosper, Medical City Frisco, and Medical City Children's Hospital; and a Hospitality Bag program serves NICU parents at Texas Health Frisco. The Meals That Heal program provides three home-cooked meals daily, 365 days a year, with the Dallas Service Forum having prepared meals since 1988 (71,566 meals served in 2025). RMHD is governed by an independent Board of Directors and affiliated with the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) network.

RMHD's business model is donation-funded rather than transaction-based: all guest services are provided free of charge, with the cost per night to house a family (~$198) covered by donors. Revenue streams include individual donations, corporate partnerships (McDonald's has been a Mission Partner since 1974), special events (Trains at NorthPark, Rock The House gala, golf tournaments), monthly recurring giving via the Love League program, McDonald's in-store Round-Up donations (80% of which stay local), third-party fundraisers through the Caring Partners Program, and grants. The organization employs approximately 52 staff across executive (CEO, CFO, CDO, COO), family services, fundraising, facilities, and operations functions.

Name

Ronald McDonald House of Dallas

Legal name

Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, Inc.

Website

https://rmhdallas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ronald McDonald House of Dallas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free lodging, meals, transportation, and family support services to families of seriously ill children receiving pediatric treatment at Dallas-area hospitals, funded through donations, corporate partnerships, and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family Hospitality and Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Family lodging services
• Pediatric support programs
• Nonprofit hospitality services
• Charitable housing programs
• Community family services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Primary funding source from individual donors who contribute monetary donations to support operations and family services.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Local McDonald's owner/operators fund portions of annual operating costs along with other corporate partners. McDonald's has been a mission partner since 1974, providing ongoing financial support through various campaigns including Round-Up program.
3. Special Events: Annual fundraising events including Rock The House gala, Trains at NorthPark, golf tournaments, and third-party fundraisers organized by community partners generate significant operating revenue.
4. Monthly Giving (LoveLeague): Monthly recurring donation program where supporters contribute on an ongoing basis at various membership levels ($10, $25, $50+ per month).
5. McDonald's Round-Up Program: At McDonald's locations, customers can round up their purchase to the nearest dollar, with the difference donated to RMHD. 80% of funds help local families directly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ronald McDonald House of Dallas provides free lodging, meals, transportation, and family support services to families with seriously ill children (age 21 or younger) receiving pediatric medical treatment at Dallas-area hospitals. The core program is a 78,000-square-foot House accommodating 89 families nightly with 77 private bedrooms, six extended-stay suites, and six transplant apartments, supplemented by a Family Room at Scottish Rite Frisco, hospital-based Hospitality Cart and Bag programs, three home-cooked meals daily, and a slate of family activities. All services are provided at no cost to qualifying families, with priority given to families living more than 40 miles outside Dallas.

Product overview

Ronald McDonald House of Dallas is a nonprofit charitable organization operating as a unified set of family support services, not a technology product platform. The organization offers four interconnected core programs: the Ronald McDonald House (primary lodging facility serving 89 families nightly with private bedrooms, common kitchens, playrooms, and amenities), the Ronald McDonald Family Room (hospital-based respite space at Scottish Rite Frisco), Hospitality Programs (mobile cart services and NICU bags at partner hospitals), and Meals That Heal (three daily meals prepared by staff and volunteers). Supplementary programs include Family Activities, Volunteer Programs, Teen Team, Friends of the House, and Caring Partners Program for community engagement, plus donation programs including Love League monthly giving and Round-Up at McDonald's locations. The organization serves families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at Dallas-area hospitals, with services provided at no cost.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ronald McDonald House: A 'home away from home' for families with ill or injured children receiving medical care at Dallas-area hospitals.
• Ronald McDonald Family Room
• Meals That Heal
• Hospitality Cart Program
• Love League

Products and services

• Ronald McDonald House A "home away from home" lodging facility at 4707 Bengal Street in the Dallas Medical District that accommodates 89 families nightly with 77 private bedrooms, six extended-stay suites, and six transplant apartments. Provides free lodging, three home-cooked meals daily, transportation to hospitals, laundry, playrooms, library, fitness center, and chapel/meditation garden for families of seriously ill children (age 21 or younger) receiving treatment at Dallas-area hospitals.
• Ronald McDonald Family Room A hospital-based respite space on the 4th Floor of Scottish Rite for Children – Frisco, offering recliners, TVs, computers, food, snacks, and a play area for families to recharge, shower, or rest while remaining steps from their child's hospital bedside.
• Hospitality Programs Hospitality Cart Program delivering free snacks, refreshments, and activity kits to families at Cook Children's Medical Center Prosper, Medical City Frisco, and Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas; and Hospitality Bag Program providing snacks and toiletries to NICU parents at Texas Health Frisco.
• Meals That Heal A program providing three home-cooked meals daily, 365 days a year for guest families. Volunteer groups prepare and serve meals alongside the kitchen team, with sponsorship amounts of $300 for breakfast, $400 for lunch, and $500 for dinner.
• Family Activities Weekly, monthly, and annual activities for families staying at the House including family haircuts, summer camp, Halloween parties, movie nights, game nights, scavenger hunts, dance parties, bingo, science experiments, and craft nights.
• Trains at NorthPark Annual holiday train exhibit at NorthPark Center featuring over 600 hand-painted railcars displayed on a 1,600-foot track winding through miniature Dallas and U.S. landmarks; RMHD's largest annual fundraiser.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,120 families served in 2025 through all programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Scottish Rite for Children – FriscocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018RMHD operates a Ronald McDonald Family Room on the 4th Floor of Scottish Rite for Children – Frisco, which opened in November 2018. This partnership extends RMHD services directly into the hospital setting.
• Dallas Service ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Dallas Service Forum volunteers have been preparing and serving meals to families at RMHD since 1988 through the Meals that Heal program. In 2025 alone, volunteers contributed more than 36,000 hours of service and prepared nearly 72,000 meals.
• McDonald's CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1974McDonald's has been a Mission Partner since 1974, from the opening of the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia. Local McDonald's owner/operators fund portions of annual operating costs. McDonald's provides Round-Up program, donation boxes at counters and drive-thrus, and various in-store campaigns throughout the year. McDonald's is described as 'one of our largest corporate partners.'
• NorthPark CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNancy Nasher and David Haemisegger, owners of NorthPark Center, are major supporters through hosting the annual Trains at NorthPark holiday exhibit, RMHD's largest annual fundraiser. They receive the Estess-Fuller Heart of Cold Award in 2026 for their longtime support.
• Cook Children's Medical Center – ProspercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospitality Cart program located at Cook Children's Medical Center in Prosper, providing snacks, refreshments, and activity kits to families in the pediatric unit.
• Medical City FriscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospitality Cart program located at Medical City Frisco, providing snacks, refreshments, and activity kits to families in the pediatric unit.
• Medical City Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospitality Cart program located at Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas, providing snacks, refreshments, and activity kits to families in the pediatric unit.
• Texas Health FriscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospitality Bag program provides NICU parents with bags containing snacks, toiletries, and more at Texas Health Frisco.
• Children's Medical Center DallascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary pediatric hospital partner for RMHD families. Located near the House in the Dallas Medical District. Families receive referrals from social workers at this hospital.
• Scottish Rite for Children (Dallas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor pediatric hospital partner serving RMHD families. Many families served have conditions treated at Scottish Rite including orthopedic and complex care.
• Bank of TexasflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the 2026 Trains at NorthPark holiday exhibit at NorthPark Center, running November 14, 2026 through January 3, 2027.
• Corporate Volunteer GroupscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious corporations sponsor and prepare meals through the Meals That Heal program including JPMC, AIG, Quotient Wealth Partners, Dairy Farmers of America, Hilltop Holdings, and many others listed on the meal calendar.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Healthcare Hospitality Network: Industry association of nonprofit healthcare hospitality houses (including Ronald McDonald Houses). Not a direct competitor but a peer/membership organization that RMHD would be affiliated with; provides shared standards and benchmarking.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: Nonprofit coalition raising funds for children's hospitals, with shared fundraising infrastructure (e.g., credit card round-up at retailers). Not a direct lodging peer but comparable as a pediatric-focused nonprofit leveraging corporate partnerships and community fundraising.

Direct peers

• Ronald McDonald House Houston: Another Texas-based Ronald McDonald House chapter serving families of pediatric patients in the Texas Medical Center. Directly comparable in mission, operating model, and programs (lodging, meals, family support) to RMHD, just in a different metro.
• Hospitality Homes (Boston): Nonprofit providing free temporary housing and hospitality to families of patients receiving medical care in Boston. Comparable mission and target population (family caregivers traveling for medical treatment), though delivery is partly volunteer host-based.
• Brent's Place: Nonprofit in Denver, Colorado providing safe, clean housing and family support for pediatric and adult bone marrow transplant patients. Comparable to RMHD in offering free lodging and support services to families of seriously ill children at a single specialized medical campus.
• Hope Lodge (American Cancer Society): ACS program offering free lodging to adult cancer patients and caregivers near major treatment centers. Comparable in mission and operating model (free lodging near medical facilities, donations/sponsorships funded), though serves adult oncology patients rather than pediatrics.
• Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth: A nearby RMHC chapter serving the Fort Worth pediatric medical community. Compares directly to RMHD in services, target population, and revenue model, but operates in the adjacent DFW sub-market.
• Family House (San Francisco): Nonprofit serving families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Directly comparable service model: free lodging, meals, and family support near pediatric medical centers.

Broad incumbents

• Ronald McDonald House Charities (Global): Parent/umbrella organization of the Ronald McDonald House network. Directly comparable as RMHD operates as a licensed chapter; both share brand, mission, and operational model of providing lodging and family support services to families of seriously ill children.

Regional players

• Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Foundation: Florida-based foundation supporting pediatric medical care, including family support services. Comparable in pediatric family-focused mission but operates in a different geography and integrates with a single hospital system rather than running lodging directly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/rmhdallas
• Facebookfacebook.com/rmhdallas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ronald-mcdonald-house-of-dallas
• Instagraminstagram.com/rmhdallas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ronald McDonald House of Dallas