Ronald McDonald House

What Ronald McDonald House does

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio (RMHC NEO) is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 34-1269123) and a regional chapter of the global Ronald McDonald House Charities network, operating in Northeast Ohio since the Cleveland House opened on September 25, 1979. The organization's sole functional mission is to provide free, temporary lodging and supportive services to families with seriously ill or injured children receiving medical treatment in the Akron and Cleveland areas. Service delivery spans two anchor Houses (Akron, 42 rooms post-2018 expansion; Cleveland, relocated to 10415 Euclid Avenue in 1995), four Ronald McDonald Family Rooms embedded in partner hospitals (including Cleveland Clinic Children's and Fairview), a Ronald McDonald Care Mobile for community outreach, Ronald McDonald STAR learning environments at two outpatient centers, the Family Meal Program across ten Northeast Ohio locations, and an online resource portal (Ronald McDonald House Resource Link / RedTreehouse.org).

The underlying delivery model is hospitality-as-charity rather than technology. Each room night costs the organization more than $150 (Cleveland) or $160 (Akron) to provide, but families pay nothing; service access flows exclusively through hospital social-work referrals and an online room request form. The product portfolio is built on physical real estate (Houses and Family Rooms), trained volunteer labor (400+ individuals across NEO), and an integrated meal-services backbone (the new Cleveland kitchen produced 50,000+ meals in its first year). Virtual tours, a Constant Contact newsletter, and standard social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube) round out the marketing stack, but there is no proprietary technology platform.

Revenue is entirely donation-funded and diversified across individual giving (including a Pay-A-Stay program for prior guests), corporate partnerships (Jersey Mike's became the sole NEO charity partner across all 39 locations in 2024), foundation sponsorships (e.g., Carter Nedley Foundation Room 202), planned giving, vehicle donations, pull-tab recycling, room sponsorships, and recurring fundraisers (Michael Clegg Memorial Pro-Am, Fore the House Golf Classic, Pulling Together for Kids, Jersey Mike's Month/Day of Giving). Costs of service delivery per family-night are disclosed in rough dollar terms, but total revenue, surplus/deficit, headcount, and audited financials are not publicly surfaced in the available source data.

Name

Ronald McDonald House

Legal name

Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Northeast Ohio, Inc.

Website

https://rmhcneo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free lodging, meals, and support services to families with seriously ill or injured children receiving medical treatment at hospitals in the Akron and Cleveland, Ohio region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family Support Services / Nonprofit Pediatric Lodging

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food Services (62421), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Meals, Nutrition & Congregate Dining Day Programs (HSABANAM)

Keywords

• Family support services
• Pediatric lodging
• Charitable housing programs
• Hospital hospitality services
• Nonprofit accommodation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to support family services. The organization operates a Pay-A-Stay program allowing current and previous House guests to make donations.
2. Pull Tab Recycling Program: Community members collect pull tabs from beverage cans which are recycled to raise funds for family programming.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Events: Corporate partners like Jersey Mike's conduct fundraising events (Month of Giving, Day of Giving) that generate significant contributions.
4. Vehicle and Planned Giving: The organization accepts vehicle donations and offers planned giving options for donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio provides free overnight accommodation, daily meals, laundry, transportation, and supportive services to families with children receiving medical treatment at hospitals in the Akron and Cleveland areas. Services are delivered through two Ronald McDonald Houses (Akron and Cleveland), four Ronald McDonald Family Rooms inside partner hospitals, a Care Mobile outreach unit, STAR Programs at two outpatient centers, a Family Meal Program at ten locations, and an online resource portal. All offerings are provided free of charge to families, with operating costs covered entirely by donations and community support.

Product overview

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio operates as a multi-facility charitable organization offering housing, meal services, and family support programs across Northeast Ohio. The core offering consists of Ronald McDonald House facilities in Akron and Cleveland providing overnight accommodations, supplemented by Ronald McDonald Family Rooms inside hospitals (Cleveland Clinic Children's and Fairview), Ronald McDonald Care Mobile community outreach, and STAR Programs at outpatient centers. The Family Meal Program spans ten locations, while Happy Wheels mobile carts provide refreshments in hospital units. An online resource portal (Ronald McDonald House Resource Link) and virtual tour capabilities round out the service portfolio. All programs are provided free of charge to families of children receiving medical treatment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ronald McDonald House: Primary housing program providing free temporary lodging for families of children receiving medical care
• Ronald McDonald Family Room
• Ronald McDonald Care Mobile
• Ronald McDonald STAR Programs
• Ronald McDonald House Resource Link
• RedTreehouse.org

Products and services

• Ronald McDonald House (Akron and Cleveland) Free overnight accommodation facilities in Akron (42 guest rooms) and Cleveland offering private rooms, daily meals, laundry facilities, and supportive spaces for families with children receiving medical care at Northeast Ohio hospitals.
• Ronald McDonald Family Room Family respite spaces located inside four area hospitals (including Cleveland Clinic Children's and Fairview Hospital), offering kitchenettes, quiet lounges, laundry facilities, and Happy Wheels mobile cart services to families of pediatric patients.
• Ronald McDonald Care Mobile

Quantifiable outcome

• The new Cleveland House kitchen produced more than 50,000 meals in its first year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Joe Babb Culinary Fights Cancer FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2023Foundation partnered with RMHC NEO to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the new Cleveland House kitchen with a gourmet dining experience and cooking demonstration led by Chef Chris Hodgson.
• Jersey Mike'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJersey Mike's conducts annual Month of Giving and Day of Giving events at 39 Northeast Ohio locations. In 2021 and 2023, the chain raised more than $30,000 each year. In 2024, RMHC NEO was adopted as the sole charity supported by all Jersey Mike's locations in NEO, with potential to raise $250,000+ from March 27 Day of Giving.
• Cleveland CliniccoreOthersPrimary healthcare partner providing specialized pediatric care. Families are referred through Cleveland Clinic Children's and other Cleveland Clinic facilities. RMHC NEO operates a Family Room within Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital.
• Akron Children's HospitalcoreOthersPrimary healthcare partner for Akron area. Located directly across from the Akron Ronald McDonald House. Families with children receiving treatment at Akron Children's are referred to RMHC services.
• University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's HospitalcoreOthersHealthcare partner where families like the Yagers receive specialized care. RMHC NEO provides shuttle transportation to UH Rainbow and operates nearby facilities.
• Chef Chris HodgsonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChef Hodgson, president of the Driftwood Group and Food Network guest, led a cooking demonstration and cookie decorating activity for families at the Cleveland House kitchen anniversary celebration.
• Emily FischerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director of Culinary Fights Cancer who contributed nutrition resources to RedTreehouse.org program and participated in the kitchen anniversary event.
• Cleveland GuardianscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMLB team that recognizes RMHC NEO volunteers (Perky Pantry Engineers as Guardians of the Community) and partners on pull tab collection initiatives. Tylor Mettler, GM for Delaware North at Progressive Field, champions the pull tab collection program at the ballpark.
• Delaware NorthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial concessions provider at Progressive Field (home of Cleveland Guardians) that has partnered with RMHC NEO for pull tab collection. GM Tylor Mettler's family was served by RMHC when his daughter Hadilynn was born with spina bifida.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Cancer Society Hope Lodge: Free lodging program for adult and pediatric cancer patients and families near major treatment centers. Directly comparable model: free housing + meals, hospital referral-based, donation-funded.
• Fisher House Foundation: Provides free lodging for military families near VA and specialty medical centers. Highly comparable model: hospital-adjacent free housing, donation-funded, multi-location national footprint.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities (Global): The global parent brand and network of 260+ Ronald McDonald House chapters. Direct peer by mission, service model, and brand identity; RMHC NEO operates under license from this system.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown: Another regional RMHC chapter operating Houses near UPMC Children's Hospital; comparable pediatric-hospital-anchored model serving mid-size metro areas.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio: Sibling regional RMHC chapter serving Columbus and central Ohio. Same brand, mission, and operating model; useful benchmark for chapter scale, fundraising, and program mix.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Wisconsin: Regional RMHC chapter serving eastern Wisconsin anchored by Children's Wisconsin. Comparable mid-sized chapter operating multiple Houses and Family Rooms under the same brand system.

Broad incumbents

• Healthcare Hospitality Network: Umbrella organization for nonprofit hospitality houses serving patients and families; broader incumbent that includes Ronald McDonald Houses alongside Hope Lodges and other member houses.

Others

• National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses (NAHHH): Industry association supporting nonprofit hospitality houses; not a direct competitor but a peer ecosystem participant that shapes standards and visibility for the hospitality-house sector RMHC NEO operates in.

Emerging players

• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Major pediatric nonprofit that addresses family experience during serious pediatric illness. Comparably sized national nonprofit with strong donation model and corporate partnerships; shares donor audience with RMHC NEO.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: Pediatric hospital fundraising network that raises funds for member children's hospitals — overlapping donor base and corporate partners (e.g., credit unions, retailers) with RMHC NEO.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/RMHCNortheastOhio
• Facebookfacebook.com/RMHCNEO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rmhcneo
• Instagraminstagram.com/rmhcneo
• Xx.com/RMHCneo

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ronald McDonald House