Rounding Up? Where do donations go when buying fast food?

FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Over the past few years, fast food and fast casual restaurants have added new ways for customers to give more of their money with many of them now adding a way to tip staff, and of course, providing an option to round up your purchase and give to a charity.

With so many charities, it can be hard to know which one your money is going to. Many restaurants work with local charities or have a corporate charity with local chapters that contribute to specific communities, while some even have grants and scholarship opportunities available.

When it comes to donating your money to big-name fast-food restaurants, an overview of where your money may be going, or other ways it can be donated is compiled below:

McDonald’s:

McDonald’s primary charity organization is none other than the Ronald McDonald House Charities , which can easily be donated to while wrapping up a purchase, or even by donating cash or change directly to a donation box.

The McDonald’s Community page notes, “Every time you visit McDonald’s, you can support RMHC by choosing to Round-Up for RMHC when you place your order on the kiosk or ask the crew to Round-Up your order to the nearest dollar. You may also drop spare change in any of the RMHC Donation Boxes in restaurants or drive-thru.”

The RMHC has multiple programs that provide lodging for families in need of medical care that requires travel, they also provide spaces in hospitals for caretakers to rest, and have a mobile bus program that brings dental and medical care to communities.

According to the McDonald’s Community page, “Every time you buy a Happy Meal®, we donate one cent to support RMHC programs and services, including Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room®, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®”

To learn more about the RMHC and how any money you donate may be spent, check out the Ronald McDonald House Charities website , or find a local chapter .

Taco Bell :

Those who choose to round up their purchase totals at Taco Bell will likely be giving their money to the multiple projects and organizations supported by the Taco Bell Foundation . Along with multiple scholarship opportunities, and a few grant options, Taco Bell partners with several non-profits including :

• The Boys and Girls Club of America
• City Year
• College Advising Corps
• Junior Achievement
• Mentor
• MoneyThink

The Taco Bell Foundation also provides several scholarship and program opportunities such as

• Live Más Scholarship
• Live Más Scholarship for Team Members
• Live Más Scholarship Renewal Program

According to the Taco Bell Foundation website, “Donations collected in U.S. Taco Bell restaurants through the Round Up Program support the Live Más Scholarships for Consumers Program, the Community Grants Program, and educational programming. Donations from Taco Bell franchisees support Live Más Scholarships for Restaurant Employees.”

To find out which communities are impacted by community grants, visit the Community Grants map .

Those interested in making a donation to the Taco Bell Foundation can learn more about the ways to give here .

Burger King:

Burger King also allows its patrons to round up a purchase to donate to support the multiple programs and projects sponsored by the Burger King Foundation .

Donated funds may go to one of the many projects sponsored by the Burger King Foundation including the Burger King Scholars Program , the Emergency Relief Fund , the Crown a Classroom program, and more.

According to the Burger King Foundation’s Global Impact page , “The Burger King Foundation has supported literacy and education projects globally by building schools and libraries, supporting awareness and education campaigns around crucial local topics, and providing opportunities for Burger King employees to make an impact in their local communities. By partnering with area organizations and franchisees who are already embedded in both grassroots programming and existing funding efforts, the Foundation magnifies BK’s impact across the world.”

To give to the Burger King Foundation, visit the donation page .

Chick-Fil-A:

As far as donation programs for Chick-Fil-A, the restaurant participates in a broad range of non-profit programs while also maintaining its own charitable programs such as Shared Table , the Community Scholars Program , and Chick-Fil-A Academy .

According to the Chick-Fil-A Shared Table program page , “Nearly 2,000 Chick-fil-A® restaurants participate in Chick-fil-A Shared Table®, a program for Owner/Operators to donate surplus food to charitable organizations in their community.”

Chick-Fil-A also partners with multiple organizations to support people , communities , access to food , and the Earth . To learn about the many donations options available at Chick-Fil-A, visit their Giving Back webpage .

Wendy’s:

Anyone who chooses to round up their purchase at Wendys will likely be supporting some of the efforts of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® program .

Along with foster care and adoption programs, Wendys also offers opportunities related to their social justice partnerships such as the Thurgood Marshall College Fund , Columbus Urban League , and the YWCA .

To donate to any of the programs or projects through Wendys, visit their donation webpage .

Many fast-food chains have multiple options for donations to associated foundations and corporations. However, while there are often options to conveniently round up your purchase, there is always the option to donate to those non-profit organizations directly as well.

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