Ronald McDonal House
Fast Facts

The mission of the Ronald McDonald House® of Cleveland, Inc. is to support families whose children are receiving treatment at area medical centers by providing a home-like environment and essential resources and services.

  • The first House was founded in Philadelphia in 1974. Today there are more than 280 Ronald McDonald Houses in 30 countries.

  • The Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland (RMH) opened its doors on September 25, 1979. It was the ninth Ronald House to be founded and had 26 bedrooms, a kitchen, common areas and a small garden.

  • In 1994, the Cleveland Ronald McDonald House opened the doors of a new facility at 10415 Euclid Avenue. At the time, it was the ninth largest in the world, with 37 guestrooms, living and play areas, laundry facilities, six fully equipped kitchens and two and half acres of beautiful gardens.

  • Each year RMH welcomes over 1,200 families who come from throughout Ohio, across the nation and around the world. More than 30,000 families have been served since 1979.

  • More than 100 volunteers help run the House, register families, maintain the gardens and provide special programs and meals for the families who stay at the House. In addition, volunteer community groups provide more than 400 meals per year to families staying at RMH.

  • Families are asked to pay $20 per night, but the actual cost to RMH to accommodate a family is about $75 per night. However, no family is ever turned away due to inability to pay and often the modest fees are waived or reduced in cases of financial hardship. RMH suffers nearly $100,000 every year due to lost room revenue.

  • RMH currently operates the only two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in the state of Ohio. One at University Hospitals’ Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and one at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. Each room is staffed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week by volunteers. The Family Rooms provide families a brief respite while being able to remain steps from their child’s bedside.

  • Tools for Today and Tomorrow became a program of the House in 2006. Its mission is to improve life’s journey for children with special needs by providing information and support for the people who care for them. This is accomplished through a combination of topic-specific workshops, biennial conferences and the website www.toolsfortoday.org.

  • Room fees only cover 10% of the House’s operating expenses. The balance of the budget is supported by charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, and Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Northeastern Ohio, as well as from the proceeds of annual events, such as the Ronald House Pro-Am Golf Tournament, the Familia Fashion Show and Tackle the Tower. Over 83% of funds directly support the families staying at RMH.