McDía Feliz donates Q13.4 million to charities in Guatemala

McDonald’s has donated 13,399,162 Guatemalan quetzales (Q) to four Guatemalan organisations following its 2026 McDía Feliz children’s fundraising event. The funds came from sales of 394,093 Big Macs on the day and will support family accommodation, cardiac care, therapy and early childhood development programmes.

Funds allocated to four organisations

According to information published on 11 October about the handover, McDonald’s donated 100% of Big Mac sales revenue from McDía Feliz. The beneficiaries were Casa Ronald McDonald, Fundación Aldo Castañeda, Instituto Neurológico de Guatemala and Puente.

The funds were allocated as follows:

• Casa Ronald McDonald: Q7,840,000.
• Fundación Aldo Castañeda: Q2,688,000.
• Instituto Neurológico de Guatemala: Q1,654,226.
• Puente: Q1,216,936.

The four donations add up to the announced total. The handover concludes the 2026 edition of an event that connects consumer participation with support programmes for children and families within Guatemala’s franchise sector.

The breakdown distinguishes between sales generated on the fundraising day and how the proceeds will be used. Rather than an unallocated headline figure, each organisation has a specified amount and an announced purpose for the funds it has received.

Accommodation and cardiac care for children

The largest donation goes to Casa Ronald McDonald. Its Q7,840,000 will help keep the country’s four Ronald McDonald Houses running. These welcome families travelling from Guatemala’s regional departments to the capital so their children can receive medical treatment.

The houses provide accommodation and meals throughout treatment. According to the announcement, the donation will enable more than 12,500 children and their families to receive this support and have a safe place to stay while treatment is under way.

Fundación Aldo Castañeda received Q2,688,000 to carry out cardiac procedures for patients with congenital cardiovascular disease. The published figures indicate that more than 750 children and their families have benefited from this support to date.

That figure refers to the cumulative number of beneficiaries cited in the announcement, not a target for new patients in the 2026 campaign. The distinction matters when assessing the donation’s reach without confusing past results with the procedures that the newly donated funds will finance.

New facilities, therapy and nutrition

Instituto Neurológico de Guatemala will use its Q1,654,226 to build new facilities and buy specialist equipment for the PUNTEA project. According to the handover announcement, the expansion will enable it to deliver more than 45,000 therapy sessions a year and benefit more than 1,500 families.

This donation is intended to expand care capacity. The annual therapy figure represents the expected capacity following the expansion, rather than services already delivered using funds raised on the day.

Puente, meanwhile, received Q1,216,936 to continue its Centros Nútreme programme in Chimaltenango and Alta Verapaz. These centres promote holistic early childhood development and help tackle chronic child malnutrition.

The announcement states that more than 1,500 children and their families have benefited from this support. The allocation therefore combines funding to sustain existing programmes with investment in new facilities and equipment.

Looking back on 26 years in Guatemala

McDía Feliz has a 26-year history in Guatemala. According to the published figures, it has benefited more than 180,000 children and their families over that period through the various programmes it supports.

For the franchise sector, the key news from this year’s event is the handover of funds to named beneficiaries for clearly identified purposes. The total raised indicates the scale of the fundraising day, while the breakdown by organisation shows how that support will address different needs.

In practice: when assessing a charitable campaign, it is worth examining both the amount donated and its intended use, while distinguishing between past beneficiaries, future capacity and results already achieved.