Families faced with the hardship and heartache of a child’s illness struggle to cope with the day-in-day-out of living. At the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan families find hope and compassion.
By giving to the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan, you help provide a “home-away-from-home” for families with a critically ill child. There are many ways to give – a tax-deductible gift, products or professional services, or by remembering our House in your will. For more information on ways to support RMH of Western Michigan, please contact Joe Dulin, Director of Development at (616) 258-5736 or at jdulin@wmrmh.org. We appreciate your generosity.
Financial Contributions
Sponsor A Night: Keeping Families Together When It Counts The Most
The most direct way to support the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House is with a financial contribution. Help support the lodging, meals, transportation, and various other amenities and services provided by our House by underwriting the cost of a family’s stay. Click here for more information.
Corporate Matching
Many corporations offer employee gift matches. Simply fill out the forms required by your corporation and send them in with your check. The Ronald McDonald House will complete the remainder of the paperwork and will work with your company to do the rest! What a wonderful gift to give twice as much to the families of the Ronald McDonald House.
Community Foundation Fund
Are you looking for a less taxing way to give? Giving through the Grand Rapids Foundation qualifies you for big savings through the Michigan Community Foundation Tax Credit. For example, married donors, filing jointly, can receive a 50% tax credit of up to $200 on a gift of $400 to the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan permanent endowment fund. A single person can receive a $100 tax credit on a gift of $200. Michigan businesses have the potential to receive up to a $5,000 tax credit (not to exceed 5% of total Single Business Tax) on a gift of $10,000. For more information, please contact Joe Dulin, Director of Development.
Planned Giving
You can help tomorrow’s families by making a bequest in your Will or Estate Plan. Help us provide a comfortable home-away-from-home filled with love, stability, respite and hope for all of the families who will need us in the years to come. Please consider one of the following ways to remember us in your Will or Estate Plan:
- Charitable Bequest: A gift in your Will is the simplest way to remember our House in your Estate Plan. There is no lifetime cost and your estate may qualify for a charitable deduction.
- Life Insurance: A life insurance policy you no longer need makes an excellent gift to the House. You may either designate the House as a beneficiary or grant us ownership of the policy.
- Retirement and Pension Plans: Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan can be the beneficiary (or partial beneficiary) of your IRA, other retirement plan or pension plan. By using percentages that add up to 100%, you have the ability to name the House as a recipient of funds from these plans after providing for your loved ones.
- Life Income Gifts: There are several varieties of charitable trusts that pay lifetime income to you alone, or to you and a loved one. At your passing, what remains is a gift to the House.
If you have already included us in your Will or Estate Plan, please let us know. We’d like to thank you and welcome you into our Legacy Society.
Pop Tabs
To many, a pop tab is just a piece of aluminum with one purpose - to open a can. But to the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan, the pop tab is a valuable resource. Why? Collected pop tabs are recycled; generating much-needed funds to support the House and the nearly 500 families we serve each year. Find out more.
Special Projects
Make Room In Your Heart
As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, a new campaign, Make Room In Your Heart, was launched with a goal to renovate the 17 guest rooms at the Ronald McDonald House. Click here for more information.
Third-Party Fundraising
As your company plans its annual philanthropic activities, please consider organizing a “Third-Party Fundraiser” to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan. Your company’s employees can help make a difference in the lives of children seeking critical care by organizing events such as golf outings, dances and block parties throughout the year. These caring, humanitarian efforts promote teamwork and camaraderie amongst co-workers, vendors and the community all while raising major funds for an important cause. If you are interested in arranging a Third-Party Fundraiser to benefit Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan, please contact Joe Dulin, Director of Development at (616) 258-5736 or at jdulin@wmrmh.org.
Jeans Day
Participate in Wear Jeans for Children: Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan Jeans Day at your place of employment and wear jeans while raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan! Click here to find out how!
Special Events
No Place Like Home Gala
Each Fall, The Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan holds a fall gala called No Place Like Home. Individuals, foundations and corporations join together in celebration of our mission to provide a home-away-from-home for families of children and youth seeking medical treatment in our community. The gala features live and silent auctions, entertainment, and an incredible menu of food and drink. Sponsorship opportunities are available in many categories, from individual tickets to table sponsorships. Click here for more details.
The Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan is proud to have been named a Charity Partner for the 2012 Fifth Third River Bank Run. We invite everyone to join “Team Ronald” as we raise funds for the House with Grand Rapids’ most prestigious sporting event. Runners who participate in one of the four events (25K Run, 10K Run, 5K Run or 5K Walk) can designate the Ronald McDonald House as their “charity of choice”, raising money for the House and making their run even more meaningful. To find out how you can participate, go to our Fifth Third River Bank Run page!
West Michigan Whitecaps "Ronald McDonald House Night"
Each summer, The West Michigan Whitecaps designate one special baseball game as “Ronald McDonald House Night at Fifth Third Ballpark”. Sponsored by McDonald’s and McDonald Owner Operators of West Michigan, this special game features the Whitecaps players in one-of-a-kind RMH uniforms, a 50/50 raffle and, of course, a special appearance by Ronald himself! We’ll announce the date for next season’s game in early spring. Come on out to the ballpark and support the Ronald McDonald House!
Beat The Pro
Beat The Pro is an annual golf competition hosted by WWTV 9&10 News, Cadillac/Traverse City. This weekly competitions run from May to August, changing locations each week. Click here to find out how you can participate and support the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan.
In-Kind Gifts
The Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan supports its mission and programs not only through cash contributions but by the generosity of “in-kind” donations from individuals, corporations, schools and community groups. In-kind donations take on many forms and range in scope from simple gifts of soap and toothpaste to toys, household items, postage, contributions of printing, and other necessary services or entertainment opportunities for our children and families. In-kind gifts allow us to focus our budget dollars on the most critical, day-to-day needs of the children and families undergoing medical treatment – needs such as transportation to and from our treatment centers and the extensive overhead of housing 17 families each night in spite of the current economic crisis and the rapidly rising cost of living. Please take some time to look at the House's Wish List to get an idea of what we are currently in need of.
If you, your community group or company would like to share bulk donations of new goods, seasonal surplus merchandise or other large-scale contributions, please contact Megan Priester, Guest & Volunteer Services Manager at (616) 776-1300 ext. 31.
Thank You!
The Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan exists because our community generously provides financial and in-kind support. The Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan qualifies as a 501 (c) 3 and therefore contributions to our House may be tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. Please consult with your tax advisor for details. All contributions will be acknowledged in writing for your records. Donations of goods and services are also acknowledged; however, we do not place a value on these contributions. Individual giving histories are available upon request by contacting the Ronald McDonald House. All contributions to the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan stay local, supporting the families staying at RMH Western Michigan.
Unless specified as anonymous, all donors will be placed on the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan mailing list to receive our semi-annual newsletter and other information about the House and special events. The Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan mailing list is not shared with any individuals or outside agencies.
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