McDonald’s Public Policy Engagement
Our Philosophy
At McDonald’s, the “three-legged stool” is the bedrock of our System. The “System” is defined by McDonald’s Corporation and its majority-owned subsidiaries worldwide (the “Company”), its franchisees and suppliers. Our aim is to work with policy makers and third-party stakeholders to advocate for policies that can help benefit all parts of our System and help advance our purpose: To Feed and Foster Communities.
Our mission is to make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone. We believe that we have a responsibility to make a positive impact in the communities where McDonald’s restaurants operate. The System is key to our impact: the global brand serves customers in over 100 countries through more than 41,000 restaurant locations, approximately 95% of which are franchised as of the end of 2023.
We believe that our ability to operate and make a positive impact depends on the success of a well-balanced franchise business model, which we believe is an essential driver of small business ownership, minority entrepreneurship, generational wealth and job creation. The goal of having a vibrant franchise business model underpins our overall policy engagement strategy.
The philosophy is to advocate for policies that we believe are relevant to our operations, can help improve the lives of our people and the communities where we operate, and also help protect the natural resources on which our System depends. Decisions are made at every level of government that can have a significant impact on our operating ecosystem. We believe it is important to understand key policy areas that impact our business and work with policy makers and other organizations to express our views.
Our Approach
McDonald’s Corporation is committed to engaging in public policy processes globally in a transparent manner that supports our Accelerating the Arches strategy. Although the issues that can impact the McDonald’s System are numerous and evolve often, below are a few of the key topics on which we engage with our stakeholders:
Key Advocacy Areas
Business
- Franchise Business Model
- Entrepreneurship
- Taxes and Finance
Community Connection
- Community Impact and Philanthropy
- Ronald McDonald House Charities®
Food Quality and Sourcing
- Food Safety
- Nutrition and Marketing Practices
- Responsible Sourcing
- Responsible Antibiotic Use
- Animal Health and Welfare
Jobs, Inclusion and Empowerment
- Economic Mobility
- Workforce Development
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Safe and Respectful Workplaces
- Human Rights
Planet
- Agriculture
- Climate
- Packaging and Waste
- Nature, Forests and Water
Governance Structure
As part of our commitment to strong corporate governance, McDonald’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) oversees our business in an honest, fair, diligent and ethical manner. Among other responsibilities, our Board actively oversees our strategic direction, objectives and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework. Five standing Board Committees support our Board’s oversight role – Audit & Finance; Compensation; Governance; Corporate Responsibility; and Executive.
The Corporate Responsibility Committee oversees our strategies and efforts to address matters that could materially affect our reputation, sustainability goals, company culture, human capital management and government relations as part of our broader public policy engagement and priorities. McDonald’s is committed to thoughtfully and responsibly advancing our global public policy engagement across all levels of policy making through an ethical and transparent approach. The Board regularly receives reports detailing McDonald’s political contributions, federal and state government lobbying activities, as well as trade association membership information. Lobby reporting deadlines vary at the federal and state level and depending on state-specific legislative sessions. Please visit the sites for the most up to date disclosures in the reports section.
Pursuant to our global compliance policies and Standards of Business Conduct, all McDonald’s employees must abide by federal, state, and local government ethics laws that regulate political activities and interactions with government officials.
Political Contributions
We believe that in certain cases, it is in the Company’s best interests to use the Company’s resources to make political contributions and to otherwise engage with the political process, including through support of politically active groups and organizations. The Board has adopted the Policy on U.S. Political Contribution and Engagement (the “Policy”) linked below to help ensure that such contributions are made in a manner consistent with our mission, purpose and public policy positions, while also protecting and enhancing shareholder value.
The Policy governs the making of corporate political contributions and other related expenditures by the Company. Unless otherwise noted, this Policy applies only to the United States of America—political contributions and engagement in other jurisdictions may be subject to additional rules and restrictions, depending on local laws and regulations. Campaign finance reporting deadlines vary at the federal and state level and depending on state-specific election dates. Please visit the sites below for the most up to date disclosures in the reports section.
McDonald’s Political Action Committee
The McDonald’s Political Action Committee (“McDonald’s PAC”) was established with the purposes of protection, preservation and furtherance of good government, the private enterprise system and the business climate within which the McDonald’s System operates in the United States. We believe that the System is enhanced when government policies promote growth that creates jobs, encourages investment in our business and supports the communities in which McDonald’s restaurants operate. The McDonald’s PAC is funded solely with voluntary contributions made by McDonald's employees and McDonald's franchisees, who are U.S. citizens, and provides our System an opportunity to collectively participate in the political process. No Company funds are contributed to the McDonald’s PAC for the purpose of making political contributions, and neither the Company nor its Board controls the decision-making process for contributions made with McDonald’s PAC funds. The McDonald’s PAC uses numerous criteria to determine which candidates to consider for support. Please visit the reports section to view the contribution report.
Trade and Business Associations
McDonald’s Corporation is a member of various trade associations that represent a broad spectrum of views on industry and policy issues. Membership in trade associations provides opportunities to network, discuss issues of common interest, and potential solutions. We recognize that trade associations in which we participate do not share all of our views, nor do we endorse all of theirs.
It is our practice to require these trade associations to agree that no part of the Company’s dues will be used for political contributions, independent expenditures, electioneering communications or ballot initiatives, as those terms are defined by applicable law. Also, no part of the dues may be deposited into any account used by any association required to report its contributions and expenditures under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code. A list of trade associations of which the Company is a member and pays annual dues of $25,000 or more can be found in the Reports section.
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