Employee engagement
Though McDonald’s does not currently have a formalized corporate volunteer program, the act of giving one’s time and expertise for the benefit of others is quite common among our employees.
At our corporate headquarters in Chicago, a number of departments spearhead their own community involvement activities. For example, the McDonald’s Legal Department initiated a Pro Bono Program in 2000. Through this program, McDonald’s works with numerous public service organizations to provide legal assistance to low-income individuals and to help elementary and secondary students from diverse backgrounds develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to serve their communities as active, responsible citizens.
The McDonald’s family gives back
McDonald’s employees, and others within the McDonald’s system, are given the opportunity to provide support for members of the system in the aftermath of natural disasters. McDonald’s Family Charity, established in 2000, has succeeded in distributing close to $4 million to over 4,000 individuals who have lost their homes or possessions during natural disasters.
McDonald’s also has a Matching Gifts Program that gives McDonald’s corporate employees the opportunity to double the impact of their charitable giving. McDonald’s will match dollar up to $5,000 for McDonald’s corporate employees and up to $10,000 for McDonald’s Officers and Board of Directors of qualified contributions in a calendar year.
As of January 2008, McDonald’s has made it even easier for corporate employees to contribute to support the charities of their choice. Through a partnership with America’s Charities, a non-profit federation of charities representing approximately 250 organizations, McDonald’s created an automatic payroll deduction program.
Now, McDonald’s corporate employees can make voluntary contributions through America’s Charities to qualified charitable organizations, including Ronald McDonald House Charities, McDonald’s Charity of Choice.
As an added bonus, payroll deductions set up through America’s Charities receive automatic matching gifts from McDonald’s.