ATLANTA RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES INC
Keeping Families Close
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our Mission is to transform pediatric healthcare access and experiences for families with ill, injured or recovering children through a network of Houses, Family Rooms and Care Mobiles and community resources. Our Houses serve families whose children are being treated at local hospitals. When a child faces serious illness or injury, families need to be nearby to offer comfort, hope and support. Our Care Mobile addresses a critical issue in our community--asthma. Atlanta is one of the worst cities in the nation to live with asthma. The 40-foot Care Mobile brings medical services to children in underserved communities of Atlanta where the greatest need has been demonstrated. Our Family Room serves parents and primary care givers who have children receiving care at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center within Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite allowing them to 'escape' the hospital setting for a few moments while steps away from their child's hospital bed.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Our Houses
Built on the idea that nothing else should matter when a family is focused on healing their child, the Houses are our core program through which we deliver our vital services of housing, meals, 24-hour transportation to and from the hospital, laundry facilities and positive distractions to families. Our two Houses—a 50-bedroom House near Children's at Egleston and a 31-bedroom House near Scottish Rite—serve families who must travel to Atlanta for specialized medical care. ARMHC saves families an average of $300 a night in food and housing. ARMHC delivers services to families regardless of their ability to pay the requested contribution of $20 a night—an amount 94% of our families are unable to afford—and provides a critical medical safety net for families. Since 1979, ARMHC's Houses have served more than 65,000 families representing 125 Georgia counties and all the Southeastern states. In 2021, ARMHC's Houses served 1,365 families, saving them more than $3.3 million.
Care Mobile
Launched in October of 2016, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is a collaboration between Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to address a critical issue in our community—Asthma. Asthma is the number one reason for admission at Children's. The 40-foot mobile clinic delivers medical care to children in schools in under-served communities of Atlanta where the greatest need has been demonstrated. Care is provided by the expert staff of Children's at Hughes Spalding's Asthma Center.
In 2021, our Care Mobile treated 1,306 children at 23 Atlanta and North Fulton Public Schools.
Family Room
Our Family Room serves parents and primary care givers who have children receiving care at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center within Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. In contrast to our House Program, the Ronald McDonald Family Room serves families who might not be eligible to stay at one of our Atlanta Houses due to distance from home requirements. Ronald McDonald Family Room Staff and Volunteers provide support and hospitality for those seeking this space of respite allowing them to 'escape' the hospital setting for a few moments while steps away from their child's hospital bed.
In 2021, our Family Room hosted 41,628 family visits.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of families that were able to stay together during time of crisis
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Related Program
Our Houses
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2022, our Ronald McDonald Houses served a total of 1,279 families from 5 countries, 137 counties in Georgia and 7 other states.
Number of visits to our Family Room
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Related Program
Family Room
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
In 2022, our Family Room hosted 43,416 visits for childhood cancer patients and their families.
Number of visits to our Care Mobile
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Related Program
Care Mobile
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
In 2022, our Care Mobile hosted 91 asthma and 216 vaccine visits at 35 Atlanta Public and North Fulton Schools, as well as 72 well visits at 10 area McDonald's.
Average financial savings for families
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Our Houses
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2022, Atlanta RMHC helps alleviate the tremendous financial burden on the families we serve. We save families $335 per night or approximately $3,350 per average stay of 10 nights.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The primary goal of our House Program is to provide all families relying on our services with the comforts of home during their time of crisis, enabling them to remain together and focus on their child's treatment. Committed to providing a safe haven for those who need it most, ARMHC delivers services to families regardless of their ability to make the requested contribution of $20 a night.
Atlanta RMHC launched a Ronald McDonald Care Mobile to provide care for underserved children in metro Atlanta and address the number one diagnosis at Children's locations—asthma. With the Care Mobile's services, we aim to create stronger and healthier families by helping children reduce absenteeism in school, reduce asthma related hospital visits and increase asthma awareness and education.
Our Family Room provides the comforts of home while in the hospital environment. We aim to provide a refuge for families just steps away from their child's hospital bed where they can rest, reflect and refuel.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Designed in collaboration with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, our Houses are equipped to address the unique needs of their patients and families. Each House offers families a bedroom with full bath, use of a common kitchen, dining areas, laundry room, 24-hour transportation to and from the hospitals, family rooms, and play areas.
The Care Mobile helps address barriers to care, like transportation, by bringing a 40-foot vehicle with exam rooms, medical supplies and equipment similar to a doctor's office directly to children and services are provided during school hours.
Based on survey results we created a relaxed, quiet environment within our Family Room. The Family Room keeps families close by, providing a peaceful place where families can receive respite, which allows parents to better communicate with their child's medical team and improves adherence to complicated treatment plans.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Atlanta RMHC is affiliated with the global network of Ronald McDonald House Charities enabling us to share best practices with Chapters around the world through communications, webinars, conferences and a global database. McDonald's Corporation licenses each Ronald McDonald House after ensuring that the highest standards of operations are being met and maintained.
Our Programs primarily serve the families of children being treated at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) creating a strong partnership which allows us to work closely with the hospital and their physicians. Regular collaborations ensure we have the capacity and equipment to meet the unique needs of their patients, based on hospital specialty and patient pro forma projections. Additionally, we work closely with the Social Services Department at CHOA as well as other nearby medical facilities to promote awareness of ARMHC's resources and facilitate assistance for their patients and families in need of our services.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
As part of our 2020 strategy, with help from Slalom Consulting, we expanded our mission statement and developed a cohesive and actionable 5-year strategic plan and roadmap. We opened a 31-bedroom House in late 2015 allowing us to serve 81 families per night between our two Houses. We are proud to share we served a record number of families at our two Houses in 2016 and launched our Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. In 2017 we launched our new Ronald McDonald Family Room and we welcomed our Chief Happiness Officer, Betty Lou, a certified therapy dog.
We will continue to improve and expand our services and programs, enhancing the lives of children and families relying on us.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
ATLANTA RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES INC
Board of directorsas of 08/14/2023
Mrs. Grace Huang
President, Manheim, Inventory Solutions Group Cox Automative
Term: 2023 - 2023
Ms Helen Carlos
Community Volunteer
Term: 2023 - 2023
Caroline Bielan
Synovus Bank
Lori Mahoney Brooks
The Siegfried Group
Jeremy Bryant
UnitedHealthcare
Helen S. Carlos
Community Connector
John Christian
TRUE Staffing Inc.
Tyler Courtney
Cushman & Wakefield
Vivian de Jesus
McDonald's Owner/Operator
Brian Fuller
Integrated Care Solutions
Greer Gallagher
Holder Construction Company
Anthony Greenwood Jr.
McDonald's Owner/Operator
Lynn Messer Hawkins
McDonald's Owner/Operator
Baron Jordan
CONA Services LLC
Raje Kantamneni
Nike
Ken Kupke
Northside Hospital and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
David Jon Lerner
Ascent CPA Group LLC
George Lott
Equifax
Christopher W. Marinac
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
DJ Mitchell III
McDonald's Owner/Operator
Cindy Nofi
SunTrust Private Wealth Management
Lindsey M. Pierce
Antares Group Inc.
Muriel Powell
McDonald's Owner/Operator
Cory Stewart
Cookerly Public Relations
John Strom
Georgia Pacific
Robert L. Ward Jr.
Colliers International
Wyatt J. Whaley
Quality One Wireless
Chris Hall
Local Three Restaurant
Lynn Messer Hawkins
McDonald's Owner/Operator
Muriel Powell
McDonald's Owner/Operator
James Bria
Trane Commercial HVAC North America
Rena Holland
The Coca-Cola Company
Bob Hope
Hope-Beckham
Michael McCool
Consolidate Planning Company
Marietta Rodriquez
McDonald's Owner/Operator
Sumita Shetty
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Sharlene Smith
Nash Smith, Inc. dba Healthsource Chiropractic
Steven Simmons
The Coca-Cola Company
Cromwell Baun
USB Financial Services
Sam Hosokawa
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/18/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.