Your Foundation is Energized and Making a Difference!

This has been a very productive year for the Foundation.  Under the direction of the Board of Trustees, a highly committed group of individuals representing the diversity of the death care professions, much work has been done to fulfill the mission of the Funeral Service Foundation: to provide financial resources for career and professional development; support of the funeral, cemetery and allied professions; public awareness and education; and the improvement of children’s lives.

The Foundation has worked hard to fund projects that are closely aligned with our mission.  We have embarked on a significant and substantial research project that will allow us to learn more about those who choose funeral service as a career, and what can be done to attract the best and brightest to our profession.

After two years of hard work and diligent efforts, the Foundation was present for the dedication of the New Orleans Katrina Memorial on August 29, 2008.  As the largest single private donor to the $1.2 million memorial, the Foundation was able to participate as the 85 unclaimed or unidentified victims of the disaster were finally laid to rest with the dignity and compassion that all death care professionals work so hard to provide.

Our “Hand in Hand” endowment campaign continues to grow thanks to the generosity of our donors.  Our endowment grew a record 9.85% in 2007, and we are closer than ever to our $5 million goal for our permanently endowed charitable trust.

The Foundation has consistently worked hard to grow our investments while keeping operating expenses as low as possible.  Our assets continue to grow thanks to the generosity of donors like you, and our investments continue to perform well thanks to the combined efforts of our Trustees and our money manager, Fidelity Investments.  We take our fiscal responsibility to the Foundation and its donors very seriously, and are pleased with these results.

We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who have supported the Foundation, financially or through in-kind gifts, and to all those who have worked so hard before us to help make this the leading independent charitable organization in the death care profession.  We look forward on expanding on these successes in the years to come.

Thank you for your support!  You make our work possible.

For the Board of Trustees of the Funeral Service Foundation

John Carmon, Chair 2008

Jim Curran, Chair 2009