AbbVie has donated $100 million to Ronald McDonald House Charities. It's the largest gift in the charity's history, as well as the largest donation to a nonprofit from the North Chicago-based pharmaceuticals firm.



The donation, which will be delivered to the charity in full by November, will help complete Ronald McDonald House expansions underway worldwide by January 2020. “It is beyond our wildest dreams,” says Kelly Dolan, chief development officer at Ronald McDonald House Charities, based in Chicago. “It is a transformational gift.”



Ronald McDonald House Charities serves about 14,000 people locally and 3.6 million globally each year. The $100 million will underwrite 600 new sleeping rooms at 32 Ronald McDonald House locations across the country. This will enable 230,000 extra night's stays for sick children and their families, Dolan says.



AbbVie officials visited the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s Hospital during the stewardship of the gift, which began in January. "They were able to see what an impact a gift like this would make around the United States," says Holly Buckendahl, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities Chicago-Northwest Indiana. The local chapter will receive $3 million to expand services at its five houses, three hospital-based family rooms and two mobile-care units in the Chicago area. McDonald's, its franchisees and customers, via donations, account for 20 to 25 percent of the local organization's $8 million annual operating expenses, Buckendahl says.



Ronald McDonald House Charities' last major gift was around $60 million from Joan Kroc, widow of McDonald's founder Ray Kroc. Joan Kroc died in 2003. The charity announced the AbbVie donation at the annual Ronald McDonald House Charities International Conference, taking place in Chicago.



The gift follows AbbVie's $50 million donation to Habitat for Humanity and $50 million to Direct Relief for disaster relief in Puerto Rico. The company has said it will donate $350 million to its nonprofit partners in 2018.



More:

AbbVie donates $100 million to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico

Ronald McDonald Houses, charity unite

Salvation Army Community Center poised to open on South Side



