The restaurant and fast food industry has exploded onto both the national and international levels, establishing its presence in countless cities around the world. When thinking of fast food, many people often think of McDonald’s, a fast food chain that has been in business in the United States since its creation in 1948. As part of the evolution into the international scene, McDonald’s also established a nonprofit organization, to have a way to give back to their communities. Today, the Ronald McDonald Foundation is known as one of the biggest foundations in the country and has had a profound impact on thousands of people’s lives around the world.

What Does The Foundation Do?
Named after the iconic Ronald McDonald character, the Ronald McDonald Foundation was first created in 1974. It is dedicated to helping families with a sick child by providing them access to the support and medical resources they need. For many families with a sick child, the medical resources that they need are often located elsewhere, making long-term travel necessary. Additionally, because of the timeframe typically required for treatments, parents may be forced to take unpaid time off of work for their child to get the necessary treatments.

Without a stable income, it can quickly become difficult to afford all of the additional expenses, which often includes lodging. This is where the Ronald McDonald Foundation comes in to act as a resource for the families. The foundation has built and established 367 Ronald McDonald housing next to or near some of the world’s best children’s hospitals. Parents can stay in one of the Ronald McDonald houses throughout their child’s treatment, allowing them to avoid spending precious money on a hotel. By providing lodging options, families can get the rest they need to provide their full attention to their child each day.

Using the vision of supporting the whole family as the motivation, the Ronald McDonald Foundation has also gone on to establish 250 family rooms in hospitals worldwide. Family rooms typically include a kitchen area, shower facilities, sleeping rooms, laundry facilities, internet access, and more. The room was created with the idea of supporting families as a whole. The foundation also created 50 mobile care units that travel across the United States to provide families with the access they need to medical care.

The Ronald McDonald Foundation continues to provide much-needed support to families as they navigate one of the most difficult fights of their lives. The Teem Reed Foundation is proud to support the Ronald McDonald Foundation.

As we move through the early part of May, most Americans are starting to see the first signs of warmer, summer weather. This will mean doing more activities outside to soak up the highly anticipated warm temperatures. Because of the shift towards outdoor activities, many non-profit organizations create outdoor fundraising events, to attract a larger crowd. If you are thinking about doing an outdoor event to fundraise, try one of these popular options that will be sure to please a large crowd.

Barbecue Dinner On The Grill
One of the most popular outdoor summer activities is to hold a get-together and grill food. To begin, hosting a barbecue dinner can be done in countless locations, making it relatively easy to set up. Another benefit to a barbecue dinner is the reasonable prices for a larger amount of food on the grill, including hotdogs, hamburgers, sausages, and chicken. Depending on the outdoor setting, a majority of BBQ dinners are generally casual, making it less strenuous to plan.

Pool Party
Hosting a pool party is another great option to raise money and support. One of the benefits of a pool party is the wide range of people that it appeals to. Organizations that are more family-oriented could benefit from a family pool party. A family party could include activities for both the kids and adults. On the other hand, you could host an adults-only pool party that includes a signature cocktail and outdoor bars. While the approaches are different, they are both a great option for a summer fundraiser.

Outdoor Exercise Class
For organizations that are looking for a smaller-scale event that can still be done outside has the option to host an outdoor fitness class. For example, an organization dedicated to public health could partner with a fitness studio or instructor to teach the class. While some instructors will teach the class for free, a majority will offer a discount for their time. If you are requesting a sponsor from a studio, they will often donate a percentage of the proceeds to the organization.

Summer Field Day
If you are looking for an event that is tailored for kids, a good option is to hold a summer field day. While some camps go throughout the entire summer, many camps only hold shorter sessions. This means that many kids on summer break will have a large amount of downtime at home. Holding a summer field day with planned games throughout is not only another relatively easy way to raise money, but it provides parents a respite.

There are countless events that can be held outside that raises money towards a cause of the organization. Not only do outdoor events appeal to its target audience, but it also has the potential to raise a large amount of money that will be used towards the cause that is important.

Originally posted on TeamReedFoundation.com.

Charity and philanthropy, while often used about the same action, denote two different ways to provide aid.

Charity refers more often to our response to an immediate need. We feel empathy during times of hardship for other people. To show this empathy, we set out extra canned goods for food pantries or round up our purchase at the grocery store for various causes and organizations.

Philanthropy should be thought of as a more strategic process that attempts to tackle social problems at their source. Philanthropic acts are frequently attached to the actions of Hollywood’s celebrities in different places in the world.

How Are They Similar?
Using the terms charity and philanthropy interchangeably is not completely incorrect. Both terms describe the actions that people take to help make the world a better place for everyone. Charitable entities and philanthropic entities might tackle the same problem with the same goal in mind. The difference involves how they set about achieving that goal.

The Big Difference
Charity is a term that can be used for actions that offer short-term relief. Charitable acts follow natural disasters, personal loss, and sudden, unfortunate circumstances like illness or job loss. Due to the short-term nature of charitable acts, they are often organized as one time events meant to draw the empathy of many people.

Philanthropy is a term that can be used for more long-term efforts to rebuild. Philanthropy involves considering different aspects of a societal issue and finding the right strategy to correct that issue for the benefit of the people impacted. Philanthropic acts go about achieving goals in a systematic manner.

The example of addiction can help further differentiate both concepts. Philanthropy focuses on all the various factors that contribute to addiction in society to develop long-term programs to address addiction at its source. Charity, however, comes into the picture in the form of detox centers that seek to offer the immediate response for people suffering from addiction who need help as soon as possible.

Take Aways
Charity and philanthropy are different methods that people use to provide others aid. One is not necessarily better than the other, because many situations require both immediate responses and a broad look at the picture.

Originally posted on TeamReedFoundation.com.

Houston, Texas-Based Foundation

The Team Reed Foundation is a 501(3)-3 donor-advised fund that focuses much of their work towards the Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHFC) to provide the time and resources that the Houston community may need. The foundation was created after American professional golfer Patrick Reed decided that he wanted to find a way to give back to his community.

In addition to working with the Houston community, the Team Reed Foundation is dedicated to changing lives by working with national communities to form a meaningful impact. The foundation focuses specifically on causes that Patrick Reed is passionate about, including homelessness, supporting our nation’s veterans, and assisting today’s youth who want to pursue their passion for golf.

Patrick’s Reed passion for golf began when he was young; he understands the importance of setting a good example for today’s youth. He is also appreciative of his greater Houston, Texas community, and had always wanted to provide opportunities to younger generations. As Patrick contends, investing in our future is one of the most valuable things that we can do. We know that we want the best future for our children, and Patrick wants to help to make a meaningful difference.

Because of Patrick Reed’s passion for helping today’s youth, he and Team Reed Foundation have been ongoing supporters for the Ronald McDonald Foundation. Known as the Ronald McDonald House Charities, the foundation is dedicated to helping keep families with sick children together and near the medical care that they need. The foundation began in 1974 and assists countless families all over the United States. In addition to acting as a resource,  Many families find that they have to travel long-term to be closer to a pediatric hospital, which is what ultimately led Ronald McDonald House. The foundation established housing near some of the country’s best pediatric hospitals, and families are provided with a home that comes with home-cooked meals and private bedrooms. This greatly reduces the stress on families as they endure their child’s cancer. Because of programs like the Ronald McDonald House, Team Reed Foundation is proud to support their cause.

Team Reed Foundation is also a proud supporter of the American Junior Golf Association. Patrick Reed found his love for golf when he was young, and wants to provide that to today’s youth. The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is dedicated to the growth and development for young men and women. The AJGA provides young players access to top junior competitions, with opportunities to earn college golf scholarships. Because of Patrick Reed’s opportunity to play golf in college, he was able to grow as and evolve as a player. Team Reed Foundation continues to contribute to the AJGA to help young athletes achieve greatness.

The Team Reed Foundation is proud to serve many different communities, both in the Houston area and around the United States. Patrick Reed continues to be a proud Houston, Texas resident and is always happy to serve the place that he calls home. 

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton