It’s no secret that consumers’ increasing preference for cremation is impacting the traditional funeral home business model. Because cremation services generally produce lower revenue, many funeral home owners are expanding their product and service offerings. Others are discovering ways to serve the needs of new groups within their communities.

As reported in IBISWorld industry research and echoed in the NFDA’s 2023 Cremation & Burial Report, “It is predicted that funeral homes will continue to expand their array of extra services offered to families; increase their focus on niche markets to differentiate themselves; and draw attention to their value-added services, such as … serving groups with diverse cultural and religious preferences.”

Cultural differences play a significant role in funeral practices and the better we understand the religious and cultural diversity of our communities, the greater our opportunity to serve those groups. Ask yourself three questions:

1. What is the religious and cultural makeup of my community?
2. Am I proactively reaching out to diverse groups?  
3. What am I doing to better understand and accommodate unique funeral customs and rituals in my area?
   

Foundation Partners’ Valley Memorial Park team serves many Mexican families in the Portland suburb of Hillsboro, where nearly one-third of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino. Annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, held in late October/early November, are extremely important to these families. Rooted in the rituals of the aboriginal American Indian cultures that evolved in Mexico and Central America and later adopted as All Souls Day in the Catholic Church, Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday in which the spirits of the dead are believed to return home and spend time with their relatives. Families build alters and decorate them with yellow marigolds, candles, family photos and tissue-paper skulls to honor their deceased loved ones. Food and beverage offerings are a large part of the celebrations.

During Valley Memorial’s Dia de los Muertos celebration, the community gathers to “revel in the spirit of those who live on in our hearts.” Residents are invited to bring photos or mementos of their deceased loved ones to contribute to a communal alter, share in stories, enjoy Mariachi music and dine at food trucks. A local Catholic priest conducts a brief service in Spanish at the altar, which is placed at the foot of the statue of Our Lady of Guadeloupe, who holds a special place in the religious life of Mexico.

While the majority of Mexican Americans still choose traditional burial, cremation is increasingly popular among families of Mexican origin in the Portland Metro Area.

In a country where ancestors are honored and death is regarded as a constant presence, another Mexican tradition is the wish to be buried in one’s place of origin. At Mexico City International Airport, more than 300 bodies arrive each month and this is just one of many ports of entry for remains from the U.S.

Our bilingual team at Samaritan Funeral & Cremation Services, with two locations in Phoenix, Arizona, is on the front lines of repatriation of remains for the area’s Mexican population. English is a second language for 30 to 40 percent of Samaritan’s clients. Our team works closely with the local Mexican consulate and has built a solid reputation for compassionately and professionally serving families who wish to ship their loved ones’ remains back to their native countries.

“No other funeral home in Phoenix does as many ‘ship outs’ as Samaritan,” said Venitria Curtis, lead funeral director. “Traditional burial remains the most popular choice for Hispanic families in our area, but that is slowly changing with many more Mexican American families choosing cremation. In the past, we would not even discuss cremation with a Hispanic family, but today that conversation has become much more acceptable. The trend began about eight years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic played a big part in accelerating acceptance of cremation among these families.”

Although the Vatican forbade cremation for centuries, the Church amended its Code of Canon Law in 1963 to lift the ban on cremation with several caveats, including: ashes must be placed in a proper vessel in a “sacred” place and may not be scattered or divided among family members. Cremation has been gaining popularity in American Catholic communities ever since. The Vatican provided further instruction on the disposition of cremated remains in 2016 and, today, nearly one-third of American Catholic families opt for cremation.

Additional guidance from the Vatican on handling cremated remains was issued in December 2023 in response to the increasing numbers of Catholics who want to scatter the ashes of their loved ones in nature. The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith upheld the rule mandating that the ashes of the deceased be preserved in a consecrated place, but also said family members could request "a minimal part of the ashes" be kept in a sacred place of "significance for the history of the deceased person." The dicastery also said a parish or diocese could establish "a defined and permanent sacred place" where the cremains of multiple people would be commingled and preserved together. 

While the new instructions may seem like good news for many Catholics, the practical application of these rules are not crystal clear. Steve Trevino, a 45-year funeral service veteran, founder and current funeral director at Ponderosa Valley Funeral Services in Parker, Colorado, said this issue has caused many discussions with families over the years.

“As active members of the local Roman Catholic community, my wife, Nanci, and I serve a large number of Catholic families and they have been requesting options for memorializing their cremated loved ones for a long time,” Steve said. “We don’t represent the Church, but we share the rules as we know them, and this issue has caused many families to walk away from those discussions very disappointed. Many have opted to disregard church rules. The bottom line for funeral professionals is that our obligation is to each family we serve and it’s their decision. We always advise families to seek the advice of their priests.”

Steve and Nanci reached out to several local priests following the dissemination of the new guidelines and received feedback contrary to the popular interpretation of the new rules. This is an area that will require further clarification from the Vatican and one that funeral professionals in Catholic communities will be wise to monitor.

The shift in ethnicities and increasingly diverse funeral traditions across the United States will only accelerate in the years ahead. As funeral professionals, it’s our job to learn about and appreciate the different cultures and religions present in our communities. We need to make ourselves seen in these communities and let families know we are available and ready to serve them in keeping with their unique customs and rituals surrounding death and mourning. Do your research, build relationships and provide support to all segments of your changing community. Differentiating your funeral home by understanding and accommodating all types of funerals will help you remain a trusted service leader for years to come.

Winter Park, Florida-based Foundation Partners Group is one of the industry's most innovative providers of funeral services and the second-largest funeral home group in the country based on the number of families served. Foundation Partners owns and operates a network of over 250 funeral homes, cremation centers and cemeteries across 21 states. Our deep understanding of technology and customer experience-centered approach allows us to deliver truly innovative and compassionate care to the families we serve. Visit www.foundationpartners.com to learn more.   

Imagine stepping into a room filled with forward-thinking professionals eager to explore new, sustainable, and environmentally friendly options in the deathcare profession. The "Thinking Green" CANA Cremation Symposium in February promises innovation, where attendees can learn more about investing in fresh offerings, concepts, and services for their businesses. It's an exciting prospect, and the possibilities are endless.
​
But here's the truth: having new, groundbreaking products or services in your arsenal is only half the battle. Without a well-equipped and effective sales force, those remarkable offerings risk becoming nothing more than dust-covered inventory and untapped potential.

In 2022, a certain cemetery (whose name we'll leave out of this narrative) made a noteworthy change. They observed that their top-selling urn vault was, for lack of a better word, underwhelming. It was a plastic, felt-lined, and barely-protective product, yet it was flying off the shelves, and understandably so – it came with an enticingly low price tag.

In response, the cemetery decided to remove this particular urn vault from their price list entirely. They left it to the sales and service team to offer the product only in situations that warranted it, rather than featuring it in literature. It seemed like a logical step towards promoting higher-quality, more protective offerings, and a brief memo was electronically sent to the sales team to let them know that the product would no longer be found in their price book. In addition, samples of the superior vaults were added to each display unit. However, there was a critical piece missing from this equation: thorough communication and sales training. The cemetery failed to inform its sales force about WHY this change was happening and failed to equip them with the necessary tools to effectively sell these higher-quality, higher-priced alternatives.
​
Fast forward to 2023, and the results were all too familiar. That low-cost urn vault, the same one that had been deemed insufficient in 2022, continued to reign supreme. Not a single additional unit of the superior, higher-priced urn vaults had been sold in 2023. The cemetery's well-intentioned change had gone unnoticed by the sales team, and the status quo remained unchanged.

The lesson was clear: nothing sells itself. Even when you have cutting-edge, eco-friendly, high-quality, and innovative products or services, you need a team that can effectively convey their value to your customers. As humans, we tend to gravitate towards what we know, what's comfortable, and what requires the least effort. In the absence of a compelling sales strategy, the default option often wins, regardless of its true worth. And contrary to popular belief, yes, salespeople are humans (insert chuckle here).

As we look forward to the "Thinking Green" CANA Cremation Symposium, where innovative and sustainable deathcare options take center stage, let's not forget the pivotal role that a comprehensive sales program plays. A well-equipped sales force is the linchpin that transforms remarkable products and services into tangible solutions for your clients.

Mark your calendars for my session at the Symposium, titled "Growing Sales: Selling with Sensitivity," scheduled for Thursday, February 15th at 8:30am. In this transformative session, we will explore an approach that seamlessly aligns sales ambitions with genuine concerns for families. Join us to discover how empathy, service, and connection can elevate your sales strategy and empower your team to present and sell innovative offerings effectively.
​
In the world of deathcare, where innovation and sustainability take center stage, remember that nothing sells itself. It takes a dedicated and skilled sales force to showcase the true value of your offerings. Equip your team with the knowledge, skills, and motivation needed to present these innovations persuasively.

Hold onto your smartwatches, folks. Here comes a potentially scandalous statement:
Not everything in our lives benefits from being Uber-ized or given the "there’s an app for that" treatment. Case in point? Deathcare sales.
​
Yes, I know. In an age where even our refrigerators have Wi-Fi and Alexa can tell you a joke when you’re feeling down (though, let's be honest, some of her jokes are rather... refrigerated), here I am, diving into a topic that might make some tech enthusiasts raise an eyebrow. "Whoa, is she really about to go there? Bold statement, Altenburg!"

End-of-life planning is far from your average purchase. It's not about snagging a deal during a Black Friday sale or choosing between iPhone models. We’re diving deep into the realms of mortality, legacy, and the deep love we have for those we’ll someday leave behind.

So, before you start building holograms of funeral planners or virtual reality cemetery tours into your business plan, remember: this purchase is driven by raw, unfiltered emotion, not by how snazzy the tech might seem.

Allow me to share a true story of a top-selling Counselor who for years rode the crest of success but this year, got a little too cozy with his tech gadgets. He crunched the numbers and thought, "Why settle for three face-to-face meetings in a day when I can chat with 15 people electronically in the same timeframe?"

He took the plunge. Instead of his usual in-person consultations, he dove into emails, texts, and Facebook messages. From 15 weekly face-to-face presentations, he plummeted to less than five, so that he could focus on his electronic 'presentations', which shot up to over 60 per week.

He was presenting to more people than he had before… So he sold more and earned more, right?

Wrong.

It wasn't a mere dip in sales; it was what I would refer to as a screeching halt. His stellar five-figure contract average came crashing down to below two grand, and his average contracts-written-per-month decreased by 60%.

If you’re a commission-based salesperson, you probably felt the punch in your gut just reading those statistics.

The Counselor wasn’t just broke, he was genuinely perplexed. "These families seem so interested in our emails," he'd lament during our meetings. "Why don’t they finalize things? Why aren’t they following through?"

In his quest for efficiency, our Counselor had become just another blip on the digital radar, another ping among the ceaseless barrage of notifications that his potential clients received daily.
​
Gone was the opportunity to really understand them, to discover the stories behind their eyes, or to grasp the weight of their decisions about end-of-life care. In eschewing face-to-face interactions, he'd unknowingly snuffed out the chance for genuine human connection. With this disconnect, the emotional motivation that once drove his clients to act in the best interests of their loved ones evaporated.

With everything from our toasters to our toothbrushes getting smart upgrades, it's certainly easy to be sold on the idea that tech is the magic pill for all industries. And yes, Zoom meetings, e-signatures, and digital brochures have their perks.
But, beware of the digital rabbit hole.

Where a new smartphone, car, or astronaut-designed pair of sneakers might be sold through slick online ads, the intricacies of deathcare sales need a different touch.
Something warmer.

More human.

There's no app that can replicate the comfort of a reassuring hand on the shoulder, the understanding in a compassionate gaze, or the vulnerability shared in a heartfelt story by an end-of-life expert and guide (ahem, that’s you).

Face-to-face discussion is the arena where the magic happens in our field.
These interactions allow for that deep emotional connection; they keep the focus on the very human reasons for end-of-life decision-making, and frankly, we’re short-changing ourselves and the families we serve by utilizing technology as a shortcut around true connection.

Okay, tech aficionados, before you start hurling virtual tomatoes at me, let me be clear: Technology isn't the enemy. Heck, it’s pretty darn useful. And yes, I use it too! Organizing schedules, maintaining client records, sending reminders – these are areas where technology shines. The trick is to ensure that it complements, not replaces, the human touch.

Once clients step out of the cocoon of a heartfelt chat, the digital world with its pings, notifications, and endless scroll can swoop in, shifting their mindset back to cold, hard logic. And we all know that logic isn’t what leads end-of-life decision-making and planning… Emotion is.
​
While tech might bring them to our door, it's the face-to-face relationship-building connection that seals the deal. The moment it becomes just a transaction, the essence of what we truly do becomes lost. In fact, logic and end-of-life arrangements can be like oil and water in our shiny-product-focused society.

Amidst the cautionary tales, it's essential to acknowledge technology's transformative potential. While it shouldn't usurp our personal touch, it can, without a doubt, amplify it. The trick? Let technology be the bridge, not the destination.

1. Meeting People Where They Are: An age-old sales mantra reminds us to "meet people where they are". In today's digitized age, that place is, unequivocally, online. However, while our prospecting might begin in the vast digital realm, our endgame shouldn't be a swift, impersonal "ka-ching" sale. Instead, aim for a resonant "ker-plunk" - a genuine sit-down, face-to-face conversation. By shifting our prospecting goal from sale to real conversation, technology becomes a tool to bring us closer to people, rather than an impersonal shortcut around them.
   
   
2. Scheduling Made Simple: Use automated tools to help clients effortlessly book and reschedule appointments, removing barriers and facilitating heartfelt conversations.
   
   
3. Engaging Teasers: Virtual cemetery tours or introductory videos can generate interest and lay the foundation for trust, setting the scene for deeper in-person interactions.
   
   
4. Prompting with Personal Touch: Automated reminders can be peppered with personal anecdotes or notes from prior meetings, reinforcing the human presence behind the tech interface.
   
   
5. Learning and Preparation: Glean clients' preferences and needs beforehand, ensuring that personal interactions are more tailored and impactful.
   
   
6. Digital Workshops and Webinars: Educate a broad audience about end-of-life planning. Such sessions often lead clients to seek personalized discussions for deeper understanding.
   
   
7. Virtual Face-to-Face: In-person meetings are our gold standard, yet sometimes geography intervenes. If a client is a drive away, make that trip. Be it their home, your office, or a quiet café corner. But when miles turn into lightyears, don't resign yourself to mere texts. A virtual face-to-face, courtesy of platforms like Zoom, trumps an impersonal interaction. It's a testament to the adage: "If you can't be there in person, be there in spirit (and on-screen)."

Striking the right balance between tech efficiency and human connection is an art. It's about ensuring that every digital touchpoint leads, not to a sale, but to a genuine human interaction. Because when it comes to deathcare sales, the most potent app on the market is empathy.

And if ever there was an industry that needed a personal touch, it's ours. After all, we’re not peddling sneakers or smart fridges here (although I wouldn’t say no to one that makes ice cream on demand). We’re dealing with the most profound of human experiences. Let’s ensure our approach is equally profound.
​
And a final note to the tech gurus that are working so hard to sell their newest AI product as the easy sell: Just as tech conversations can't match the indelible mark of in-person heart-to-hearts, fling a digital tomato my way and you'll see it won't leave quite the same stain as a real one would. So, you'll have to book a face-to-face appointment with me to ensure that red blotch really sets in!

According to oft-cited funeral industry statistics and confirmed by CANA’s research in 2022, at least one in five homes in America has a container with cremated human remains. In 2017, that included many households in the Albuquerque metro area. That’s why CANA Member Sunset Memorial Park, operated by French Funerals and Cremations, held its first-ever “Scatter Day” for people looking for a respectful way to inter the cremated remains of a loved one for free.

At the time, Chris Keller (Vice President of French Funerals-Cremations and Sunset Memorial Park from 2007 to 2021) said, “In a town like Albuquerque, you do the math: There’s 20 or 30,000 sets of cremated remains sitting in basements, in attics, on mantelpieces, under the bed, that are going to end up somewhere. And so many of them, we do know, end up in a landfill. And that breaks my heart.”

Keller said that as people who have kept cremated remains at home pass away themselves, “the caregiver or succeeding generations of family members who are cleaning out their home often find urns containing the remains, and are at a loss as to what to do with them.” Some, he said, “end up in garage sales or in a dumpster, and each year multiple urns are abandoned at Sunset Memorial Park by individuals who innately know they don’t belong in a landfill, but who also do not want them at home.”
​
After Sunset Memorial’s inaugural scatter event in 2017, Keller reported he heard from funeral homes and cemeteries around the country—and even one in Australia—wanting to know how to stage their own similar events. “If everybody in the country starts doing this, then the conversation in the culture will change,” Keller said. “People will realize that it’s still a body, you still need to find a final resting place.”

CANA’s Cremation Memorialization research, conducted in 2022, focused on quantifying the number of human and pet cremated remains in US and Canadian households, specifically addressing what people plan to do with the ashes in their homes.

When we ask the general public who plan to be cremated what they want done with their ashes, roughly half respond, “Scatter me!” This has been validated over time with research conducted by other organizations. But do their ashes ultimately get scattered?

Our research doesn’t directly answer this question. However, given that 26% of US households and 19% of Canadian households have human ashes, it’s likely that they don’t all get scattered—or at least not right away.

The research study did provide important insights into consumer knowledge of permanent placement options.
​
Among those who either have ashes in their home or who have been involved in cremation decisions for a loved one…

• Around a third say they are not at all or not very aware of the various permanent placement options available for a loved one’s ashes (30% US; 33% Canada).
• Over two thirds wish they knew more about the different permanent placement options for someone’s ashes (68% US; 68% Canada).
• Around half don’t know where to go to learn more about the different permanent placement options for someone’s ashes (53% US; 53% Canada).
• Only one-fifth consider scattering in a cemetery to be permanent placement (21% US; 20% Canada).
• Among those who have plans to relocate the ashes of a loved one currently in their home, around one-fifth plan to scatter the ashes in a cemetery (20% US; 18% Canada).

Bottom line: Satisfy consumer curiosity and promote your permanent placement options. Consider offering scattering and a variety of cremation products in your cemeteries!
Here’s what a few other CANA Members did:

Initially, my interest was piqued several years ago when I heard Chris Keller from Sunset Memorial Park in Albuquerque give a presentation at an ICCFA event describing their Scatter Day. “What a unique event,” I thought, and then filed it away as something that we should consider doing at Arlington when the time was right.

Flash forward to 2021, when we were continuing to witness, firsthand, a steeper climb in cremation. That’s when we decided to become active in encouraging our cremation consumers to consider final disposition and permanent memorialization at Arlington. Therefore, the time was right for a scatter day. However, we wanted a unique brand for our event and with the help of our advertising firm, we landed on “The Great Arlington Urn Return and Scatter Day.”

We understood from the very beginning that the ROI on this event was more than likely going to be nominal and simply accepted that fact. We also agreed from the beginning that we wanted to “put our best foot forward” and leverage the event as a “heritage developer” for the future. Consequently, our Urn Return & Scatter Day became an “all hands on deck” event with meticulous planning from intake of the cremated remains and verifying documentation to permit and authorize scattering, to providing convenient meeting areas to expedite the process, to enabling the surviving family members to participate in the actual scattering, and finally by providing celebrants to assist the family with their “goodbyes.”
As a result, there were numerous plaudits, ranging from “What a wonderful service you’re providing,” to “We’ve never been here before but it’s beautiful.” One consistent refrain was “We couldn’t afford anything more at the time.” That, of course, is one of the challenges that cremation poses to cemeteries and one of the reasons for Arlington to embrace events similar to Scatter Days in the first place.
​
Daniel Applegate, President and CEO, has been with Arlington since 2001, initially serving as Vice President of Family Care until 2002 when the Board of Trustees appointed him as President. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer, trustee of the Arlington Cemetery Association’s Board, President of the Arlington Funeral Home, and Chairman of the Arlington Funeral Home Board of Directors. Applegate served as secretary/treasurer of the Ohio Cemetery Association for several terms and one term as president. He has served a term on the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission and is a member of the International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (ICCFA). He has earned the designation as a Certified Cremation Specialist through the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Colerain Chamber of Commerce.

Scattering day is something other practitioners in our field were doing and we thought that was a great idea and something we wanted to try out in our community. The genesis and implementation of this program in our company is credited to our marketing and community outreach team.

Our organization’s vision is “Everyone will be remembered, honored and memorialized at the end of life,” so, to fulfill this vision with families who were going to scatter, we decided to offer this option in our cemeteries. If people were going to scatter, why not give them an option to do that in our cemetery? Cemeteries are designed for permanent memorialization. This way we are helping realize our company vision.

This is well received by our families. Everyone seems gracious and thankful that we do offer this option. I had one family tell me that they just did not know what to do with their aunt’s remains till they saw our event being promoted on social media. What I have found is that the families who come to these events had no idea that scattering in a cemetery was an option.

We are in discussion about plans for our fifth year of the annual scattering day event. I anticipate this to be ongoing in the foreseeable future. In general, when families use our funeral home they do a have a free scattering option that is included in their cremation. So, throughout the year, our families do have a free scattering option separate from this specific event.
​
Sandra Walker, Chief Operating Officer – Fairmount Memorial Association, began her career in Funeral Service in 1999. She is a licensed Funeral Director in Washington/Idaho. She also has a license to sell preneed insurance. Sandra is past president of the Washington Cemetery Crematory Funeral Association and current board member for CANA. In July 2022, along with eight other women in the death care space, Sandra created the Death Care Collective. The Collective’s mission is to create a safe space for women in the profession to feel supported and empowered and to be seen and heard. Sandra’s love for cremation began in 2005 when her mother was the first in the family to be cremated. She is passionate about all things cremation.

Ask any funeral director and he or she will tell you the same story plays out at their reception desk a few times each year. A middle-aged resident walks in holding a shopping bag and says, “My uncle just passed away and he had no children. I was cleaning out his house and found these urns on a shelf in his closet. I don’t want them in my house. What can I do with them?”

CANA’s 2022 Cremation Memorialization Research supports this. Nearly one in four U.S. households have human cremated remains in their homes. That’s 21.9 million families with parents, grandparents and extended family members who have not been memorialized in any permanent way. While around a quarter of these families have plans to relocate ashes outside their homes, many others have avoided conversations with loved ones about plans for their cremated remains and feel unprepared to make a decision. In addition, while the CANA study reveals that two in three respondents wish they knew more about permanent placement options, about half of these folks don’t know where to go to learn more.

To my mind, this CANA study says just one thing – there’s a tremendous opportunity for deathcare professionals to move cremation families from indecision to memorialization and permanent placement. Our Foundation Partners Group cemetery team has been working with our local funeral home and cemetery partners to reframe the discussion around permanent memorialization and the results are nothing short of amazing. Over the past five years, we have doubled the number of interments of cremated remains in our 22 cemeteries.
​
How did we do it? It’s all about educating families, staying abreast of the latest products and trends, and thoughtful cemetery design. We’ll be sharing those strategies and tips next month at CANA’s 105th Cremation Innovation Convention. Please join me, our West Area Sales Manager Bryan Mueller and Dan Cassin, account executive for Merendino Cemetery Care from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. on Friday, August 11 for our session, “Built to Last: How to Breathe New Life into Cemeteries.”

We encourage our teams to use every opportunity to discuss permanent memorialization. From our Foundation Partners cemetery pros, here are 10 tips to increase permanent memorialization awareness – and it’s just a preview of the useful information you’ll take away from our session:

1. Give cremation permanent memorialization information a prominent place on your website, in your arrangement space and in social media posts.
   
   
2. Design short videos, slideshows or animations showing various options for cremation memorialization and play them on a loop in your arrangement rooms and lobby.
   
   
3. Send regular emails to families you serve with relevant information, including grief resources, preplanning advice and options for permanent memorialization.
   
   
4. Discuss the negative aspects of keeping ashes at home, including possible damage, loss and chain of custody issues.
   
   
5. Reach out to cremation families multiple times following cremation to let them know it’s never too late to select a final resting place.
   
   
6. If your funeral home has a cemetery, have a cemetery advisor present to provide information and tours when families make immediate, imminent or preneed funeral arrangements.
   
   
7. Host special events year-round, including holiday commemorations and historic tours that give community members opportunities to visit the location and appreciate available options in a non-sales environment.
   
   
8. Reach out to veterans’ groups. Although honorably discharged veterans are entitled to placement in national veteran’s cemeteries, many have limited cremation options. Veterans placed in private cemeteries may be eligible to receive partial reimbursement for burial costs.
   
   
9. Actively seek testimonials from cremation families who selected permanent memorialization.
   
   
10. Look to partner with a cemetery design or memorial company to increase the number and quality of cremation memorialization options you can offer families.

Increasing permanent memorialization sales to cremation families is within reach of every independent funeral home and cemetery manager. We look forward to seeing you in Washington, D.C. and to sharing more useful information.

​Smith—aviation mechanic, Army Veteran, and past commander of the American Legion post in Gridley, California—died suddenly after a surgical procedure at age 52. His brothers and young son had the body cremated at the new crematorium at what is now Los Angeles National Cemetery. Afterward, his ashes were placed in the nearby indoor columbarium, Bay 300, Row A, “Cinerarium” 1—the first interment. Cremation was a practical choice for Smith’s family and their decision reflected the move away from casket burials on the West Coast at this time.

In the United States, cremation of the dead and interment of the ashes or cremains in above-ground structures known as columbaria grew increasingly popular in the 1920s. Before contagious disease was fully understood, cremation was touted as a sanitary way to dispose of bodies—and perhaps a necessity in a pandemic. By the time scientific advances in the 1930s disproved this idea, many Americans viewed cremation as an appealing burial option. This was particularly true in California, where one-third of all U.S. crematories were in operation. Environmentally practical and architecturally stylish columbaria became a common asset in the state’s cemeteries.  

At the Los Angeles Veterans cemetery, which opened in 1889 on the grounds of the Pacific Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, the graves of Veterans who served from the Civil War through World War I filled much of the acreage. With space at a premium and cremations on the rise, VA built an indoor columbarium and chapel-crematorium in 1940-1941. The Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal-era agency that carried out public works projects, provided the money and the manpower for their construction. The WPA completed other improvement projects at the cemetery, landscaping the grounds, resetting headstones, and building a rostrum.

The arc-shaped columbarium, with a covered arcade or “cloister” on the front, was strategically placed midway down the cemetery’s greensward as a backdrop to the low brick rostrum. Inspired by California’s historic eighteenth-century Catholic missions, the structure incorporated “second-hand brick” with “squeezed joints,” terra cotta roof tiles, and stucco. The use of clear, insulating hollow glass block in the windows added a forward-looking material. First introduced to consumers in 1933 at the Chicago Century of Progress Exhibition, glass block gained favor through the decade.

Inside the columbarium, a central vestibule connects two wings lined with two-dozen bays. Each bay has three walls filled with niches, twelve rows from floor to ceiling that are unmistakably reminiscent of post office boxes. The niche covers are made of an early metal alloy. Skylights and clerestory windows draw in natural light to create a pleasant setting “to visit the dead,” a stark distinction from previous generations of dark, somber columbaria. The plans for the Los Angeles columbarium included a matching structure to the east, which would have created a symmetrical focal point in the cemetery, but the second structure was never realized.

The nondenominational chapel erected by the WPA at the cemetery’s entrance provided related functions such as viewing rooms and the crematorium. The small number of chapels proposed or built at national cemeteries after World War II were short-lived. By the late 1970s, the Los Angeles chapel was used for administrative and committal-service functions, and the crematorium equipment had been removed. 

Decades after Private Smith was inurned at Los Angeles and shortly after VA assumed responsibility for the national cemetery system in 1974, the agency made outdoor columbaria a requirement at all new cemeteries. The first was completed at Riverside National Cemetery in California. By the early 1980s, they were also being built at existing cemeteries in locations unsuitable for caskets, such as hillsides and along perimeter walls. VA cremation burials had reached 9 percent, and the addition of columbaria enabled older closed cemeteries to reopen.

The future of Los Angeles National Cemetery, where available gravesites were generally depleted by 1976, has been revived with an all-columbaria tract opened in 2019 that eventually will accommodate 90,000 cremains. The need for such facilities is greater than ever, as cremation interments accounted for over 55 percent of all VA burials in 2021, just under the national rate. Meanwhile, VA is investing in its historic columbarium with a comprehensive rehabilitation project that will include a new tile roof, repairs to structural components and windows, and interior finishes. This unique building illuminates the shift in burial practices that occurred between the world wars and, like so many trends, it started in California.

Plenty of associations are concerned about greenwashing. But with PR spin and lack of transparency, it can be difficult to know what’s greenwashed and what’s just plain green. So if you want to fight it, take a cue from the playbook of an association built on an anti-greenwashing mission.

Since its inception in 2005, the Green Burial Council (GBC) has fought to bring greenwashing to light in the funeral industry. The association provides third-party oversight to ensure that natural burial options marketed as “green” are indeed environmentally friendly.

“When [founder] Joe Sehee became interested in this movement, he realized there weren’t really any standards or ways to know what truly was green,” said John Niedfeldt-Thomas, leader of GBC International’s (the 501(c)(3) arm of the organization) education and outreach efforts.
​
GBC went on to form its own standards. Its force has been felt in several ways, with successes such as legislation permitting eco-safe disposal methods and a rise in education about the impact of traditional burial and cremation. Consider these insights from Niedfeldt-Thomas on what associations can do to fight greenwashing—and how they can avoid doing it themselves.

GBC has created a set of criteria as to what’s truly green in its industry and certifies organizations that meet those criteria. The organization arrived at these standards by consulting with experts on natural burials, looking at which methods, products, and materials lead to pollution and other land and water issues. GBC also took cues from trusted sources, such as green guides from the Federal Trade Commission.

If there are no environment-related certifications in your industry, you can start forming criteria by doing the same: consulting with experts in your field. You can also approach regulators directly and push for environmental standards to be implemented, as GBC did with the FTC. When creating criteria, try to be as holistic as possible.
​
“In the case of green burial, the full picture of environmentally sound practices is what counts,” GBC states in its handbook. “For instance, a casket made of organic materials may be green, but transporting it over 3,000 miles to its destination using fossil fuels and child labor to construct it is not considered green.”

When determining which organizations and products are actually green, prioritize transparency. What claims are they making? Where’s the evidence that they’ve followed through? Are they certified? If so, using what standards? It might be a red flag if an organization provides no proof that it’s keeping its promises.

“Where greenwashing is most often manifested is vague words that are used by companies to talk about their processes or products,” Niedfeldt-Thomas said.

This goes for your organization as well: In your environmental efforts, avoid greenwashing by telling the public what you’re doing, your standards, and how you’re holding yourself accountable. Be as specific as possible.

Michael Hickey is a contributor to Associations Now.

Published by ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, Associations Now is the premier media brand covering all aspects of association leadership and operations, from governance and membership to event strategy and workplace management. Associations Now is delivered in multiple award-winning channels and provides real-world stories, innovative thinking, and practical, how-to content to help you turn ideas into action.
​
ASAE and the ASAE Research Foundation work together to bring the most comprehensive collection of resources, events, and services to association professionals. ASAE members lead and manage trade associations, individual membership societies, and voluntary organizations across the United States and around the world. The ASAE Research Foundation’s portfolio balances future-focused programs with research studies designed to help professionals improve their work and their organizations today.

CEMETERIES ARE DYING: A BOLD RESPONSE
Posted By Dr. C. Lynn Gibson, Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Updated: Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Cemeteries are Dying: A Bold Response
 

There are several key trends that have contributed to the rise of cremation in North America. Along with my colleague and friend Dr. Jason Troyer, we presented a seminar at the 2019 CANA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, entitled “Cemeteries are Dying: A Bold Response.” In this educational seminar, we suggested that there are several emerging patterns evident in how we approach death today in the United States.

Today’s emerging ethos represents the broad changes in the way people think. To be sure, a growing number of people are

Our cemetery recently designed the Grandview Legacy Trail & Pavilion specifically to address the emerging trends in deathcare. Our hope is to meet the changing preferences of our community while at the same time, providing a quality of care that meets the universal needs of the bereaved. The big idea we want to communicate to our community is that cemeteries are not only sacred places where the deceased are remembered, but also where people can regularly engage in healing and meaningful experiences. Here are a few examples.

LESS RELIGIOUS & TRADITIONAL
As people are becoming less formally religious, we designed our Legacy Trail to include nonreligious yet meaningful features—such as our Reflection Booth, where a Christian, a Buddhist, or an agnostic can take a quiet moment for themselves and reflect on life—even write a letter to their loved one to express their grief, should they choose.

GEOGRAPHICALLY DISTANT
Because of the growing geographic mobility of families, we are creating opportunities for meaningful connections at our cemetery through virtual experiences, too. Since people no longer live in the same town where their relatives are buried, we have recognized the need to foster meaningful connections by bringing the cemetery to them virtually, such as providing online visibility of grave memorials and driving directions to the exact GPS location of a gravesite. In the future, we want to add the ability to share one’s history and story online through pictures and videos and even provide remote flower orders and delivery straight to a loved one’s grave. Through our Cremation By Grandview funeral home, families can arrange and even prearrange online, including completing all of their required forms, identification, and payment.

ECONOMIC PRIORITIES & NEW IDEAS
Given the economic constraints many families face, we want our cemetery’s new Legacy Trail to provide affordable options for disposition, such as our Cremation Ossuary and Legacy Wall and our semi-private niche options. Other appealing features of our Legacy Trail include in-ground niches that provide room for five (5) full-size urns, making efficient and cost-effective use of space for families not wanting traditional burial.

We intentionally placed our Legacy Trail next to our Grandview Pavilion—a modern, yet comfortable event facility design with picturesque views of the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. This outdoor facility is perfect for all types of celebrations of life, including traditional committals as well as private cremation memorials and community events, such as death cafes, yoga, and concerts featuring local artists.

What is important is that there are many creative options affordable for families today, and plenty of excellent designers out there to assist cemeterians who desire an upgrade or new initiative idea for their cemetery. For example, Gerardo Garcia and his amazing team from Columbium By Design worked with us at Grandview every step of the way, from initial concept design to turn-key completion, helping us bring our Legacy Trail development to full fruition. When launching a new creative project, professional collaboration is a must.

ONGOING GRIEF SUPPORT
My professional focus in recent years has been adopting and implementing a Nurturing Care paradigm across all of our deathcare divisions, including Cremation By Grandview. We retooled our emphasis in recent years to promote a more flexible framework for service offerings to client-families, meeting them where they are in their deathcare needs. By applying universal principles of bereavement caregiving, our Nurturing Care approach emphasizes a funeral director’s comforting presence and professional guidance that solidifies support and healing.

Cremation By Grandview provides opportunities for families who choose a cremation without ceremonies to utilize our cemetery for a final place of rest. Even without formal funeral services, families still benefit from having a place to go to remember and reframe their lives without their loved ones. Though we have been told repeatedly by grief researchers that human beings are surprisingly resilient when it comes to death and grief, we also understand that there remains a qualitative value of having a place to go and return again and again to not only honor the deceased’s life, but also to honor how our own stories have been forever changed. Cemeteries are indeed still vital to a healthy community. Providing a “cremation without ceremonies” through Cremation By Grandview also means educating families about the importance of a permanent place where they can find comfort and search for meaning.

Our Grandview Legacy Trail & Pavilion was also designed to create meaningful connections with our community by offering ongoing grief support. Partnering with the Center for Hope & Wellbeing, we are thrilled to offer our community the Healing Path®—a first of its kind. The Healing Path® is a self-guided and interactive series of stations situated along the Legacy Trail that is designed to help people who still need more support through their grief journey. After people enter our beautiful threshold entrance to the Legacy Trail, they can pick up a copy of our Healing Path® Field Guide to make use of the numerous grief resources and activities we have provided that will help them explore their thoughts and feelings and find the support and healing they may need while walking along the trail’s pathway.

My professional focus in recent years has been adopting and implementing a Nurturing Care paradigm across all of our deathcare divisions, including Cremation By Grandview. We retooled our emphasis in recent years to promote a more flexible framework for service offerings to client-families, meeting them where they are in their deathcare needs. By applying universal principles of bereavement caregiving, our Nurturing Care approach emphasizes a funeral director’s comforting presence and professional guidance that solidifies support and healing.

Cremation By Grandview provides opportunities for families who choose a cremation without ceremonies to utilize our cemetery for a final place of rest. Even without formal funeral services, families still benefit from having a place to go to remember and reframe their lives without their loved ones. Though we have been told repeatedly by grief researchers that human beings are surprisingly resilient when it comes to death and grief, we also understand that there remains a qualitative value of having a place to go and return again and again to not only honor the deceased’s life, but also to honor how our own stories have been forever changed. Cemeteries are indeed still vital to a healthy community. Providing a “cremation without ceremonies” through Cremation By Grandview also means educating families about the importance of a permanent place where they can find comfort and search for meaning.

Our Grandview Legacy Trail & Pavilion was also designed to create meaningful connections with our community by offering ongoing grief support. Partnering with the Center for Hope & Wellbeing, we are thrilled to offer our community the Healing Path®—a first of its kind. The Healing Path® is a self-guided and interactive series of stations situated along the Legacy Trail that is designed to help people who still need more support through their grief journey. After people enter our beautiful threshold entrance to the Legacy Trail, they can pick up a copy of our Healing Path® Field Guide to make use of the numerous grief resources and activities we have provided that will help them explore their thoughts and feelings and find the support and healing they may need while walking along the trail’s pathway.

I am one part concerned and one part encouraged about the future in deathcare. As cremation rates continue to steadily rise, so is the growing awareness that cemeteries are not necessary. The reason for this, I truly believe, is that we are now in an unprecedented era of deritualization – the growing trend in the United States of a public openness to revise, replace, minimize the significance of, and even eliminate or avoid long-held traditional funerary rituals to assist in the adaptation of loss. I have written extensively about deritualization in my research with Stellenbosch University. In short, deritualization is a significant interdisciplinary concern for all types of deathcare practitioners.

There has never been a time in human history where we have not disposed of our dead without pausing for some form of ritualization to help us find meaning, comfort, and healing. We actually do not know the collective effect on our society (and on us as individuals) if we gradually continue the course of choosing cremation (or burial) without any memorialization or rituals of support. Cremation is, of course, not the problem. Instead, my concern is providing quality support and care for families who experience a loss. This is why we at Cremation By Grandview work hard to educate families that cremation is not a final mode of disposition, but a means to prepare a deceased loved one’s body for final disposition. In short, cemeteries still matter.

Though it is doubtful we will ever return to the traditional rituals of old in how we care for our dead and each other, we can, however, create new ritual forms of support, hope, and healing. The good news is that now may be the best time ever to be involved in deathcare—it has never been more challenging or more fulfilling to assist one another in finding meaning and hope in the realm of human loss. The future for funeral service and end-of-life caregivers is indeed wonderfully promising.

The great irony we’ve discovered is that the key to our shared future lies buried, like some ancient treasure, in what is being too often ignored, if not forgotten altogether . . . the intrinsic value of cemeteries. As funeral professionals searching everywhere for any insights that may help us in our important work with bereaved families, we have found that true timeless wisdom abounds in perhaps one of the most surprising places of all—the old cemetery.
​
These dedicated spaces and sacred grounds are available in all our communities and are ripe with possibilities for new ritual forms that can be packed with new meaning. The response to pervasive deritualization is creative reritualization, embedded right in our community cemeteries from long ago. It seems that the key to our future has been with us all along. And thankfully, with the help of CANA and its international reach, deathcare practitioners continue getting better at making the connection between cremation and meaningful memorialization.

The pace of change driven by consumers is the greatest challenge facing funeral service. No option has fallen off the menu, and yet more options pop up each year. How is it possible to create or reposition a business to fulfill these diverse requests? The 70 practitioners, suppliers and explorers who convened in Albuquerque in October 2019 for the First Ever Green Funeral Conference were up for the challenge. Their interactive and engaging experience is challenging to reproduce in a blog post, but there is too much great content not to share.
​
Passages International was the obvious sponsor for this Conference. However, some potential speakers and participants and social media commenters—and even members of the media—weren’t so sure why CANA was hosting. Cremation is widely considered to be more environmentally friendly than traditional burial, but where does it fit on the continuum of green funeral practices? That is the kind of conversation I like to start. CANA doesn't shy away from hard questions, or from asking those questions of itself. We're proud to provide the space to have these frank discussions and attract the right voices to contribute.

​Since this was the first conference of its kind created for funeral directors and cemeterians, it was important to establish context and the intention to be inclusive in our definition of green practices. I will attempt to follow the flow of the conference in this post. Glenda Stansbury served as our emcee and she set the stage from the beginning, establishing that this conference was an exploration of green practices along a continuum. In that spirit, I invite you, dear reader, to identify where you are on that continuum. Are you a light spring green with plenty of traditional burial and cremation offerings? Or maybe you offer eco-friendly products, but want to promote more family participation and natural burial? Are you a deep forest green and all in? This post is an opportunity to learn more about the Conference content and how it may apply to your business and community.

Ed Bixby, owner of Steelmantown Green Burial Preserve and President of the Green Burial Council, kicked off the Conference with a presentation describing the wide range of green burial practices he employs in his cemeteries and has seen around the world. He challenged the audience to recognize that the spectrum includes traditional burial as well as established businesses seeking greener practices—including cremation. Yes, the attraction of green burial is related to environmental concerns, but it also appeals because it is simpler, involves less fanfare, and facilitates enhanced participation from mourners. Ed said, “Participation changes everything. You have the right to care for the dead the way you feel they should be cared for.” He challenged us—and I extend the challenge to you—to shift the mindset. You can work within regulations and laws, but you can reconceive the services you offer to families. In CANA language, "find a way to get to yes for your families."

During Ed's presentation, the topic of embalming came up. Why are embalmed bodies excluded from green cemeteries? Is this based on science or policy? Embalmers in the room shared why embalming remains an important tool for some families, but others expressed the belief that preserved bodies had no place in a green cemetery. While no consensus was reached, it was refreshing to hear so many opinions and suggestions respectfully discussed. However, many questions remained unresolved:

Next, Darren Crouch and Kilian Rempen of Passages International joined the conversation by discussing green products and marketing tactics to help businesses remain relevant and profitable. In the 20 years since Darren founded Passages International, he has learned many lessons. His customers are serving families that value green, but also unique and beautiful options. Darren asserted that the challenge of incorporating green options into businesses should feel familiar. It is similar to the challenge of embracing cremation 30 years ago. It was once controversial to add cremation to the sign in front of your funeral home and commonplace for funeral directors to send the rare cremation customer down the street to the cremation society. Ignoring cremation didn’t turn out well for funeral service, so Darren challenges funeral practitioners to not repeat past mistakes.
​
Darren offered practical advice, such as offering scatter-friendly urns for the 50% of your cremation customers who intend to scatter. He argues that scattering does not equal low-end, but rather that an urn that contains cremated remains for a time can be used as art or to hold keepsakes after scattering. Darren echoed Ed’s message of changing your mindset to envision new offerings.

​Once attendees considered the various aspects of green funeral practices and started to plot their positions along the continuum, they heard from cemeterians and a funeral director who have added them to their operations.

Jody Herrington described her success in converting funeral home selection rooms to include green merchandise. She acknowledged how overwhelming it seems to offer yet more options in an already crowded space. Jody shared that her success was directly linked to the communities she has served and their green values. Incorporating local artists along with eco-friendly products and more familiar caskets can be appealing, but every community is unique. You know the communities you serve and should reflect that knowledge.

Jody posed a challenging question for me to hear – Is cremation a fall back? At this point some of you are probably nodding your heads in recognition, but I didn’t get it at first. Jody asserted that when faced with traditional burial caskets and merchandise, some consumers know they don’t want that so they fall back to cremation. Her experience showed that offering more eco-friendly merchandise and caskets resulted in more personalization and more sales to a satisfied customer. This leads me to wonder if green burial will slow the cremation rate increases we have seen. Only time will tell.

Our practitioner panel featured Donal Key and Linda Canyon of La Puerta Natural Burial Ground, Gracie Griffin of Bellefontaine Cemetery, Salvador Perches of Grupo Perches and Recinto de la Oracion, Ed Bixby, and Jody Herrington—continuing the conversation around green burial practices and tips for creating and offering green options in existing cemeteries. It is impossible to summarize the rich content generated by the discussion between panelists as well as with participants. Each panelist shared specific examples of practices they employ to promote participation and innovate new traditions. The questions from participants did touch on business models, pricing, training and incenting employees to dig graves and assist families to dress their loved ones. The key takeaway is that you can get to yes with families. It may take more time and creativity, but you can and should do it.

Next up was Tanya Marsh, a professor at Wake Forest University School of Law, who examined the legal trends surrounding green burials and green cemeteries. Tanya presented a framework for understanding green funeral trends. She started by sharing the macro trend of consumers looking for more control and input while also seeking authenticity and a meaningful experience. This is a trend influencing all aspects of our lives. And it poses a challenge for funeral directors and cemeterians who are typically risk-adverse.

Tanya outlined considerations to take into account when considering something new – i.e., natural burial or a new disposition.

The example she gave was natural organic reduction, commonly referred to as human composting. Washington state law explicitly stated that burial, cremation and removal from the state were the legal forms of disposition. This meant they needed to change the law in order to pave the way for a new form of disposition. In states that don’t affirmatively identify the forms of disposition, a court order or opinion from the board or attorney general may pave the way.
​
Tanya led a free-wheeling Q&A session that touched on grave reusage, family participation, disinterments, indigent cremations, and what happens when cemeteries are abandoned.

The last sessions focused on consumers’ experiences and insights. Gail Rubin shared her perspective on consumer views of death and mourning and emphasized the ongoing theme of promoting participation and education.

I moderated two manufacturer panels—Luis Llorens of US Cremation Equipment and Paul Seyler of Matthews Environmental discussed the environmental impact of cremation and made presentations on the macro and micro impacts of cremation on the environment. This warrants its own blog post and one is in the works for publication in 2020. Stay tuned!

A second panel, with Sam Sieber of Bio-Response Solutions and Nicki Mikolai of Resomation America, discussed the science and practical application of alkaline hydrolysis. There was significant interest in alkaline hydrolysis among the participants, with some current and future practitioners represented. The questions from participants ranged from inquiries about the fundamental science, presence of radiation and mercury, to viewings and zoning challenges.

Legally, alkaline hydrolysis is considered to be cremation, but the process that occurs in the machine is completely different than flame-based cremation. Does that make it greener? That depends on the formula that is used. Is there a lower carbon footprint? Yes—or probably. Fewer fossil fuels are used to heat the water or dry the remains, but water and chemicals are used—so how does one account for that in the green calculation?

While more questions were raised than answered on the overall environmental impact of all dispositions, Sam did point participants to an important a recent study conducted in the Netherlands by Elisabeth Keijzer, who attempted to calculate the true costs of different types of disposition. Sam presents a useful framework for understanding the various environmental impacts and “shadow costs” discussed in the study.

Consumers are significantly ahead of funeral directors and cemeterians in seeking, performing and creating greener end-of-life options, so this conference represented an opportunity to engage in facilitated conversation, query panel presenters, and learn from leading experts. All walked away with practical ideas to implement now, and probably some ideas they considered but discarded for their own businesses. Here are three of my takeaways.

TAKEAWAY #1: DEFINITIONS MATTER
Language matters and it was important from the beginning to tackle some tough topics in order to facilitate open conversation and advance our collective understanding. We named this meeting the Green Funeral Conference to encompass a variety of green practices, and people came with many different ideas and opinions on what “green” truly means. However, everyone left seeing the full continuum of green funeral practices.

So, what shade of green are you or do you aspire to be? Have this conversation with your staff and seek to understand what your community wants or will respond positively to. And then have this conversation with your vendors to educate yourself on more eco-friendly options. Figure out your carbon footprint and how you can offset or reduce it.
Are your own policies and procedures standing in the way?

TAKEAWAY #2: EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
For cremation, it took a few evangelists (and 100 years) to make cremation a tradition. Green funerals are completely different. For some, the practice is cultural tradition and anything else is desecration. For others, it's an attempt to mitigate their carbon footprint on the world by removing external interference (letting nature take its course). So, whether it's to save money, to save the planet, or to honor tradition, it means every option, every time. And providing that is hard work.

You know your communities and have served them for the length of your career or possibly generations of your family. Incorporating green funeral practices does not mean starting over from scratch, but it does mean shifting mindsets. You may consider following the path you took to embrace cremation.

TAKEAWAY #3: START NOW!
It took nearly 150 years, but cremation in the West evolved from a European fad to the dominant form of disposition in the US with the help from multiple types of leaders. First came the evangelists—those spreading the good news of the hygienic and aesthetic virtues of cremation. Then came the practitioners who formed CANA as a forum to share best practices and promote the practice of cremation. Those practitioners innovated products, technology and services to support cremation practice. Many of these practitioners ultimately formed companies that supplied practitioners nationwide. As those companies matured and merged and competitors formed, cremation products and services further developed to support the industry.

Will green funeral practices follow a similar pattern? Probably. Likely following a significantly shorter timeline, but it certainly will happen, thanks to a similar mix of contributors. Yet again, consumers are leading the way by demanding greener funeral practices. The participants and speakers in the Green Funeral Conference represented a mix of champions of funeral practices along the continuum, both current and future practitioners.
​
This conference was a true meeting of minds and collaboration in exploring green funeral practices. I'm proud of the conversations that happened at this meeting and have attempted to capture some of the content and the spirit of the event.

When I started in this profession, in 1991—remember there was less use of the internet then—funeral homes and cemeteries relied on loyalty and location to promote their businesses. Funeral directors and cemeterians were all involved in the local rotary clubs and chambers of commerce to connect with their communities. I’ve known a few funeral directors who even attended services at more than one church each week. That’s my memory of community outreach programs of that era.

In 1996 or 1997, I was working for Wilbert Corporate. One of our licensees in Minneapolis called me and said, “Julie, come with me tomorrow night because one of my clients is having their first-ever cremation seminar for consumers.” He and a Batesville representative were planning to talk about burial for cremation. I was so impressed with what I saw. That night, from 6-8pm, McReavy Funeral Home in Minneapolis had about 50 consumers come in, mainly couples, and the Batesville representative talked about cremation in general and the different things that you could do, and the Wilbert representative talked about burial as one of the final placements for cremation. Then, in one of their visitation rooms, they had products set up with coffee and soft drinks, and consumers could roam and talk. I was so impressed, I still talk about it to this day because I’m passionate about education, and to see that back then was wonderful. And that is just one example of effective community outreach.

Now, you all know that we live in a transient society and there are a lot of people who do not currently live in their hometown, so getting your company out there is more important than ever. When CANA asked me to facilitate this presentation, I started doing a little investigating. I was very surprised and happy to see some of the unique, creative community outreach programs that our profession is putting out there. You should all be really proud of yourselves. These events help to educate consumers that never would have known the different things that you do, so they can go, have some fun, learn something, and visit your business in happier times.

I have gathered some examples from CANA members on their successful community outreach activities. We’ll focus on events hosted by companies ranging from smaller firms to larger cemeteries. Our hope is that you don’t sit there and say that you can’t do that because you don’t have the time or the staff, but get sparked by interest and inspiration to do something—even something smaller in scale.

A lot of the things we do, because we have so many active senior centers in our neighborhood, is to either visit them or have events at our locations. We have found that, when we get them out of their element, you can have a lot of fun and you can educate them. Afternoon Movies is exactly that. We partner with a senior center, they promote it by email, newsletter and bulletin to their members, and we meet up at the movies about a half hour before the show time. Then, we introduce Mountain View and educate the seniors on the value of preplanning. We keep it fun and they love the chance to see the movie for free, so they’re happy to listen. A lot of the local movie theaters are happy to let groups in on an otherwise slow Tuesday afternoon. We buy the tickets, popcorn, and soda, and they get the movie and information.

This is no surprise. 

– Jerry Roberts, Flanner Buchanan Funeral Centers & Crematory: Indianapolis, Indiana

A lot of people haven’t been to a funeral home or cemetery in a long time, and they don’t want to go. You’ve experienced this: they consider it to be gloomy and depressing. By providing community outreach events in our profession, what we’re doing is bringing the community in in happier times. That way, when they see you, they’re not only going to think that this is where you go only when there’s been a death. You keep a connection with them throughout the whole year besides just when there’s a death of a loved one.

Some of the establishments are embracing celebration events that are not death related such as weddings or other family gatherings hosted in their venues. These are bringing people in for a non-death situation — it says you can have fun here too.

To many, traditional media means an ad in the local paper or a direct mail piece, but this is not where you’re going to get the most impact. Email newsletters are good, but only reach the people who already know you. I always opt for websites and social media, and you’ll all agree, these are the avenues that we should use to promote our events. Some funeral homes and cemeteries will include “events” or “community” in their main navigation to place these activities front and center.

With social media, you can reach the community and let them know what you’re doing—and it’s less expensive than traditional media. Plus, it offers the opportunity to talk to the community – to thank them for participating in an event, for supporting you, etc.
​
In closing, a lot of these programs might be intimidating. You may think you don’t have the resources, you’re not big enough, etc. You have to start by thinking that you can try just a piece of it, just a small component at a time. As Tony Robbins says: