Homesteaders Life Company Pledges $100,000 in Support of Funeral Service Foundation

Homesteaders gift to support area of greatest need for Foundation

Brookfield, Wis. – Homesteaders Life Company made a generous $100,000 pledge to support the greatest needs of the Funeral Service Foundation on stage at the 2024 NFDA International Convention & Expo General Session.

On the opening day of the Convention, the gift was announced by Will Bischoff, Homesteaders SVP-Strategic Markets and Foundation Fund Development Committee Chair. He was joined on stage by Homesteaders President, CEO and Board Chair Steve Shaffer who presented a ceremonial check to the Foundation.

Bringing their cumulative giving to nearly three quarters of a million dollars, former Foundation Trustee Shaffer spoke of Homesteaders’ commitment and legacy of support for funeral service. Through their continued support of the Foundation as well as their continued investment in private funeral home ownership through services such as funeral home lending, Shaffer acknowledged and thanked those in the funeral profession for their dedication to their grieving families and communities.

“Homesteaders has always been – and will continue to be – deeply committed to this space,” Shaffer said. “I am proud of Homesteaders’ legacy of support for the profession and the important work our partners do to care for the families in their communities. On behalf of all of us at Homesteaders, thank you.”

Throughout 2024, Homesteaders has made several additional generous donations – honoring the memory of Tom Johnson and Bob Rae with a $10,000 contribution and supporting the Funeral Service Foundation Golf Classic as a Premier $5,000 sponsor. Additionally, in the spring of 2024, in partnership with Homesteaders, the Foundation through their Crisis Response Fund granted $20,000 to the Iowa Funeral Directors Association for funeral directors affected by Iowa’s spring floods.

“The Foundation greatly appreciates Homesteaders’ enduring support for the Foundation,” said John Heald, Chair of the Funeral Service Foundation. “With generous contributions over twenty years, their partnership has made an indelible impact by helping establish the Foundation’s endowment to provide for a better future, offering funding for scholarships to deserving students, and making a difference during times of need through the Foundation’s Crisis Response Fund. We are honored to work with Steve and his team and we’re grateful for the work they do.”

PHOTO LINKS:
• Homesteaders Steve Shaffer at the Podium: https://www.funeralservicefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/General-Session-Homesteaders-at-Podium.jpg

• Shaffer with Foundation Chair John Heald and Fund Development Chair Will Bischoff: https://www.funeralservicefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/General-Session-Homesteaders-with-Check.jpg

ABOUT HOMESTEADERS LIFE COMPANY – Homesteaders Life Company
Homesteaders Life Company, a mutual company owned by its policy holders, is a national leader in providing products and services to help people design a better farewell. Learn more at homesteaderslife.com.

ABOUT THE FUNERAL SERVICE FOUNDATION – FuneralServiceFoundation.org
Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the philanthropic voice of the funeral profession and has been identified as the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997. Donors and volunteer leaders’ profession-wide support the Foundation’s mission to lift grieving communities by investing in people and programs that strengthen funeral service.