International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association

What International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association does

International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (ICCFA) is a 501(c)-style non-profit trade association founded in 1887 and headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, that serves the global deathcare profession across cemeteries, funeral homes, crematories, pet loss providers, suppliers, professional service firms, municipal operators, veterinarians, and mortuary science educators. The organization represents more than 10,000 member locations and 18,000 professionals worldwide, delivering value through tiered membership, a portfolio of educational programs including the flagship ICCFA University with nine specialized colleges, the PLPA Pet Loss & Integration Short Course, the Crematory Operator Certification Program, and the newly launched ICCFA 240 Workshops, alongside member publications, consumer services, scholarships via the 501(c)(3) ICCFA Educational Foundation, and active legislative advocacy on issues such as H.R. 8413 (SECURE Data Act).

ICCFA's core technology is the Novi AMS association management platform powering its member portal (users.iccfa.com), event registration workflows, and online store, supplemented by iOS and Android mobile apps, Google Calendar integration for event scheduling, Google reCAPTCHA on contact forms, and a dedicated supplier directory at iccfasupplylink.com. The association does not disclose any proprietary AI/ML products, patents, or API platforms; its technology footprint is operational and membership-oriented rather than product-led.

Revenue is generated across five streams: recurring tiered membership dues (cemetery $270 introductory then revenue-scaled, crematory/funeral home $650, supplier/professional $430, PLPA $320, municipal $110, veterinarian $80, free for accredited faculty/students), event registration fees across ICCFA Experience, ICCFA University, DEAD Talks, Leadership Summit, PLPA Short Course, and 240 Workshops (with member/non-member and early-bird pricing tiers), certification fees (e.g., Crematory Operator Certification), branded merchandise sales (polo shirts at $50), and Educational Foundation scholarship flows funded by 240 Workshop proceeds. Go-to-market is primarily event-driven with a self-serve website for membership enrollment, supplemented by a small direct sales team for membership, sponsorship, and event registration.

Name

International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association

Legal name

International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association

Website

https://iccfa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICCFA is a 138-year-old non-profit trade association serving the global deathcare profession across cemeteries, funeral homes, crematories, pet loss providers, and suppliers, delivering tiered membership, certification, education, and advocacy to more than 10,000 member locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sterling

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ICCFA generates primary revenue through tiered membership fees. Cemetery locations pay $270 introductory (through Dec 31, 2026) then revenue-based renewal; Crematory and Funeral Home locations pay $650/year; Supplier and Professional members pay $430/year; PLPA pet loss providers pay $320/year; Municipal cemeteries pay $110/year; Veterinarian subscribers pay $80/year.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from ICCFA Experience, ICCFA University, DEAD Talks, Leadership Summit, PLPA Short Course, and 240 Workshops. Event pricing varies by membership status (member vs non-member) and includes early bird discounts.
3. Product Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including polo shirts for ICCFA University students, alumni, graduates, and professors.
4. Educational Foundation Scholarships: The ICCFA Educational Foundation (501(c)(3)) supports education in deathcare through scholarships. Registration fees for 240 Workshops benefit the Educational Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ICCFA is a trade association providing education, networking opportunities, and legislative guidance to the cemetery, cremation, funeral, and memorialization profession. It delivers tiered memberships, major annual conferences (ICCFA Experience, DEAD Talks, Leadership Summit), ICCFA University with nine specialized colleges, certification programs (Crematory Operator Certification), regional workshops, scholarships through its Educational Foundation, and member resources including Memento Mori magazine and a member directory.

Product overview

ICCFA (International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association) operates as a trade association providing a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs, certification courses, annual conferences, and member resources for the deathcare profession. The core offerings include ICCFA University (a week-long program with nine specialized colleges), the PLPA Pet Loss & Integration Short Course, Crematory Operator Certification Program, DEAD Talks Sales Conference, and the flagship ICCFA Experience annual convention. Additional programs include the Fall Leadership Summit, newly launched ICCFA 240 regional workshops, scholarship programs through the Educational Foundation, Memento Mori magazine, Cemetery Credit Exchange Plan, consumer complaint services, member directory, and an iOS mobile app. The association serves cemeteries, funeral homes, crematories, pet loss providers, suppliers, and related businesses through membership-based access to these products and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICCFA Educational Foundation: 501(c)(3) entity established to make education accessible to future leaders in the deathcare profession and raise standards of professionalism within the industry.
• Pet Loss Professionals Alliance (PLPA)
• Memento Mori Magazine

Products and services

• ICCFA Membership Tiered annual membership program for cemeteries, crematories, funeral homes, suppliers, professional service providers, pet loss providers, veterinarians, municipal cemeteries, and free memberships for mortuary science faculty and students. Pricing ranges from $80 (veterinarian subscribers) to $650 (crematory/funeral home) annually, with revenue-based renewal for cemeteries.
• ICCFA University (ICCFAU) Premier week-long educational program held annually at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, featuring nine specialized colleges covering cremation services, hospitality, land management, leadership, technology, sales/marketing, funeral home management, and graduate studies.
• PLPA Pet Loss & Integration Short Course Specialized four-day certification program for professionals serving families through pet loss and memorialization, held in conjunction with ICCFA University at Emory University.
• Crematory Operator Certification Program Online certification program for crematory operators covering professional terminology, combustion principles, equipment operation, maintenance, forms and record keeping, and exposure control. Participants have 60 days to complete the online training and exam.
• DEAD Talks Sales Conference Annual sales-focused conference held in Las Vegas featuring quick, impactful sessions on marketing, sales skills, personal branding, and technology, with topics including CRM utilization, AI in sales, consumer insights, and preneed motivators.
• ICCFA Experience (Annual Convention & Expo) Flagship annual convention and expo bringing together cemetery, cremation, funeral, and memorialization professionals with multiple educational tracks, expo hall, networking events, President's Banquet, and industry recognition ceremonies.
• Fall Leadership Summit Annual leadership-focused conference for deathcare professionals featuring sessions on hospitality, personalization, space design, customer experience, and compassionate follow-up care.
• ICCFA 240 Workshops Regional, in-person educational workshops bringing ICCFA education directly to local communities with four-hour focused learning sessions; $89 registration fee with all proceeds benefiting the ICCFA Educational Foundation.
• ICCFA Educational Foundation Scholarships Scholarship program providing financial support for deathcare professionals to attend ICCFA University and PLPA Short Course, with over 100 scholarships awarded annually including specialized programs for PLPA, ABSFE-Accredited Mortuary Programs, Women in Leadership, and Journey to Serve.
• Memento Mori Magazine Official bimonthly publication of ICCFA featuring industry news, trends, best practices, and member spotlights, distributed to all ICCFA members.
• Cemetery Credit Exchange Plan Consumer resource program allowing families to purchase cemetery property and prepay for services through installment plans.
• Cemetery Complaint Services Consumer protection service providing mediation and resolution for complaints against ICCFA member cemeteries.
• Member Directory Members-only searchable directory of ICCFA member cemeteries, funeral homes, crematories, and suppliers worldwide.
• ICCFA Mobile App iOS mobile application providing members access to ICCFA resources, events, and member directory on mobile devices.
• ICCFA Store Online marketplace offering ICCFA merchandise including polo shirts for ICCFA University students, alumni, professors, and graduates, as well as educational materials and resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 scholarships awarded to deathcare professionals in 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Funeral Directors Association: The primary US trade association for funeral directors, offering education, advocacy, and member services that directly overlap with ICCFA's funeral home and cemetery member segments. It is the most direct competing association in the deathcare space, though NFDA skews more toward funeral homes while ICCFA spans the full profession.
• Cremation Association of North America: A specialized trade association focused specifically on cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, and disposition methods. CANA competes with ICCFA in the crematory operator membership and certification space, and represents a more niche-focused alternative for cremation-only operators.
• Selected Independent Funeral Homes: A member-owned network of independent funeral homes offering peer support, performance groups, and education. It competes with ICCFA for funeral home member engagement and is structurally analogous as a membership-based organization serving the same funeral home segment.
• Order of the Golden Rule: An international network of independently owned funeral homes providing member services, ethics standards, and business resources. Like ICCFA, it is a membership organization serving deathcare professionals, though it is structured as a cooperative-style network rather than a broad trade association.

Regional players

• National Association of Funeral Directors: The UK trade association for funeral directors, providing member services, training, and advocacy in the British market. It is the international counterpart to NFDA and offers a structural peer comparison to ICCFA's international scope, though operating in a different regulatory environment.

Others

• American Board of Funeral Service Education: The accrediting body for US mortuary science programs, complementing ICCFA's role in the deathcare professional ecosystem. ABFSE accredits the educational institutions whose students ICCFA recruits as free members, making it an adjacent enabling organization rather than a direct competitor.
• Funeral Service Foundation: A nonprofit foundation supporting funeral service through research, education grants, and scholarships, structurally analogous to ICCFA's Educational Foundation. It operates in the same professional ecosystem but focuses on grantmaking and research rather than trade association membership services.

Broad incumbents

• Service Corporation International: The largest publicly traded funeral, cemetery, and cremation operator in North America, with brands including Dignity Memorial. As a major member of ICCFA and a dominant industry participant, SCI is a broad incumbent operating in ICCFA's member base rather than competing with the association itself.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ICCFA
• Xx.com/iccfa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iccfa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association