FAMIC Leads Profession-Wide Effort to Tackle Funeral Service Workforce Crisis

New video series offers peer-driven solutions to help funeral homes recruit and retain staff 

Brookfield, Wis. – The Funeral and Memorial Information Council (FAMIC), in collaboration with its member associations, has taken a proactive step in addressing one of the funeral profession’s most urgent challenges: attracting and keeping qualified employees. Today, FAMIC announced the release of Hiring and Retention: Tips from Your Colleagues, a new video series featuring real-world solutions from funeral home owners and managers from throughout the United State and across the globe. 

“Recruiting and retaining qualified staff isn’t just a challenge, it’s one of the greatest threats to the future of funeral service,” said Chris Robinson, president of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). “As associations, we have a responsibility to lead with action and provide practical tools our members can use right now. This video series is a tangible example of how NFDA and its FAMIC partners are working together to help funeral homes build strong, sustainable teams.” 

The 13-video series, hosted on FAMIC’s YouTube channel, features 12 short videos, each spotlighting practical strategies being used by funeral home owners and managers to recruit and retain high-quality employees.  A final compilation video brings the best insights together in a single resource. Topics include mental health and well-being, creating inclusive workplace cultures, and community-based recruitment. 

“Our members are constantly asking, ‘What’s working, and how can we learn from each other?’ This series answers that call,” said Christopher Waite, incoming chair of Selected Independent Funeral Homes (Selected). “By sharing candid insights from real funeral directors, who face the same challenges and are finding creative ways to overcome them, we’re helping firms move from frustration to forward momentum.” 

The funeral professionals who made time to share advice with their colleagues include:

• Eric Bliley, Richmond, Virginia
• Jim Busch, Cleveland, Ohio
• Colin Haskett, Ontario, Canada
• Bettina Jose, Manila, Philippines
• Jimmi Anne Lowe Ellington, Burlington, North Carolina
• Carmalita March-Harris, Baltimore, Maryland
• Adam Martin, Mount Morris, Michigan
• Leili McMurrough, Chicago, Illinois
• Larnique Mickens, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Emily Nelson, Denver, Colorado
• Marcus Nelson, Spooner, Wisconsin
• Lori Pray, Charlotte, Michigan

Tips range from small, impactful actions, like hosting quarterly staff lunches, daily check-ins and redistributing workloads, to long-term strategies such as building recruitment pipelines through job fairs, social media and partnerships with hospice professionals. 

“This effort reflects what our profession needs most right now – leadership, collaboration and real-world solutions,” said Kim Hunter, president of the International Order of the Golden Rule (OGR). “Through FAMIC, we’ve harnessed the insight and experience of funeral professionals who are finding success, and we’re making that knowledge available to everyone. It’s a powerful example of how associations can work together to move the profession forward.” 

The video series is part of FAMIC’s broader mission to provide valuable information and education to the profession. The videos will be promoted by NFDA, Selected and OGR through email, social media and their websites. 

Watch the full series on the FAMIC YouTube channel: YouTube.com/@FAMIC_Tips. 

About FAMIC 

The Funeral and Memorial Information Council is an association of associations representing all facets of the deathcare profession. With members including the National Funeral Directors Association, Selected Independent Funeral Homes and the International Order of the Golden Rule, FAMIC serves as a unified voice and a leading provider of education and information. Its mission is to support informed consumers and funeral professionals who value meaningful memorialization. # # #

ICCFA’s Government & Legal Committee Leads 2025 Capitol Hill Advocacy Effort

STERLING, Va. (April 10, 2025) – The International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) brought the voice of the deathcare profession to Capitol Hill last week during its annual Washington, D.C. Fly-In. More than 30 ICCFA members met with lawmakers and federal agency leaders over the course of two days to discuss the most pressing issues impacting funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, and related deathcare businesses across the country.

On Wednesday, April 2, ICCFA members visited dozens of offices across Capitol Hill. Meetings focused on lawmakers from the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee, addressing issues related to the FTC’s Funeral Rule, the proposed ban on non-compete agreements, and the need for federal regulation of non-transplant tissue donation through the Consensual Donation and Research Integrity (CDRI) Act. ICCFA members engaged with legislators and staff from the House Ways and Means Committee to advocate for tax policy reforms critical to funeral and cemetery trusts, including support for the Funeral Expenses Act and changes to the outdated cemetery perpetual care fund distribution deduction.

“The advocacy side of deathcare is massive – if you’re not involved in advocacy efforts, you can’t see the changes that need to be made or be a part of making those changes,” said Poul Lemasters, Esq., ICCFA General Counsel. “Our voice matters in Washington, and this visit proved just how powerful it is when we come together with a unified message.”

On Thursday morning, the delegation visited the Federal Trade Commission to meet with the Division of Marketing Practices to share industry concerns and perspectives on the ongoing review of the Funeral Rule.

Throughout the Fly-In, ICCFA members emphasized a shared goal: ensuring that federal policy reflects the realities of modern deathcare and supports ethical, sustainable business practices for providers serving families during life’s most difficult moments.

ICCFA President Lee Longino commended the efforts of all involved. “I’m incredibly proud of our members who took the time to advocate on behalf of the deathcare profession during this year’s fly-in,” he said. “Their dedication, professionalism, and willingness to speak up on critical issues ensures our voice is not only heard, but respected. The impact of their efforts will be felt across the profession.”

ICCFA Executive Director Nadira Baddeliyanage echoed that sentiment, adding, “It’s inspiring to see our members take time out of their busy schedules to advocate for meaningful change. Their commitment to shaping policies that support both our profession and the families we serve is a testament to the strength and unity of the ICCFA community.”

The ICCFA Government & Legal Committee will convene next month during the 2025 ICCFA Experience in Las Vegas, Nevada for the newly named Irwin W. Shipper Legislative Session & Reception. This special event will provide attendees with timely updates on federal and state issues impacting the deathcare profession, along with the opportunity to engage in open dialogue about the challenges they are facing firsthand.

Stay informed and explore ICCFA’s ongoing advocacy efforts at iccfa.com/advocacy.

Founded in 1887, the International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association is the only international trade association representing all segments of the cemetery, cremation, funeral, and memorialization profession. The association is comprised of more than 10,000 members in the cemetery, funeral home, and crematory industries, as well as supplier and related businesses worldwide.

Dramatic Funeral Home Marketing Effort | FFFW 231

Welcome to April! We’ve arrived at Spring, which is amazing, because Spring feels inherently better than winter. It’s a season of new beginnings and fresh starts, blooming flowers and green grass. If you ignore the horrid allergies that take away your ability to breathe, it’s almost heaven!

And we love new beginnings, but at the FFFW we’ll keep on doing the same thing: bringing satire, GIFs, and a handful of chuckles.

Let’s keep it rolling!

“The announcement that Facebook will delete live streams older than 30 days reveals a critical disconnect between platform policies and the reality of grief. Grief doesn’t follow a 30-day timeline. Our data shows 30% of funeral viewings happen after that 30-day window. For an average funeral home, that’s over 2,500 families annually who will seek comfort in a service recording only to find it gone. This should serve as a wake-up call for funeral professionals to invest in solutions where they maintain ownership and control of their content, rather than entrusting these precious memories to platforms with competing priorities.” – Shane White, CTO of MemoryShare

MemoryShare is here to help.

Funeral homes affected by these changes can schedule a call with MemoryShare to receive 3 months of unlimited streaming and recording. Their team will handle all training, transfer your existing videos, and provide a complimentary 20-minute training session for your staff. MemoryShare is committed to funeral homes and ensuring a smooth transition with zero disruption for the families you serve.

Call 469-983-4832 to learn more and meet with a MemoryShare professional who will guide you through the process. Mention Disrupt/Connecting Directors to claim a bonus gift!

Funeral Home Unveils Ambitious 2025 Strategy To Increase Font Size On General Price List

In a sweeping move set to redefine how the public interacts with printed death care materials, Bracken & Sons Funeral Home has officially announced its 2025 modernization initiative: a 2-point increase in the font size on its General Price List.

The announcement was made during the funeral home’s quarterly strategy meeting, where laminated mission statements were passed out and promptly ignored. According to leadership, the shift from 10-point to 12-point Times New Roman represents a bold step into the future.

“For years, we’ve heard feedback like ‘I can’t read this’ and ‘Is that a 5 or an 8?’” said Marketing Director Linda McShale. “This strategic enhancement will make our GPL not only easier to read, but also more emotionally accessible. We’re not just raising font sizes—we’re raising standards.”

The upgrade comes after months of internal discussion and a brief trial run involving Arial, which was quickly abandoned after being described by staff as “visually aggressive.”

Other initiatives discussed during the meeting included adding QR codes to laminated urn catalogs (“so people can scan something, even if it does nothing”) and introducing a new slogan: “Transparency, Dignity, Serif.”

Not all staff were convinced.

“I don’t know, it’s just… bigger letters?” said pre-need counselor Todd Kinsey. “We spent 90 minutes on this. I thought we were going to talk about AI or cremation trends, but then someone opened a Word doc and everyone just kind of clapped.”

In addition to the font change, the funeral home plans to implement a more “user-centric” design, which includes left-aligning bullet points and changing the color of section headers from charcoal gray to “slate-inspired blue.”

At press time, the revised price list was printing in the office, where it immediately jammed the paper tray and triggered a system-wide reboot.

Trivia

Choose the correct answer and you’ll see a puppy. Get it wrong and you’ll see someone hurting themselves.

Which of the following unusual materials has actually been used to manufacture a commercially available casket?

Answer Choices:
A) LEGO bricks
B) Banana leaves
C) Felted wool
D) Compressed dryer lint

You Otter Be Proud

Here’s some good news going on in the profession.

1. I work in a job nobody wants and do it with my dad, it’s brought us closer than ever
2. People Magazine Covers Funeral Profession Story
3. Fifth-generation funeral director Jeff Monreal helps families grieve, celebrate loved ones