Funeral Consumers Alliance

What Funeral Consumers Alliance does

Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1963 (EIN 52-109-5109) that operates as the only national US nonprofit dedicated exclusively to funeral consumer advocacy and rights education. FCA serves individual consumers and families navigating funeral and burial decisions, a network of 50+ independently incorporated nonprofit affiliate organizations, and secondary professional audiences such as social workers, hospice workers, attorneys, and accountants who advise consumers. Its core offerings are non-software in nature: free downloadable educational pamphlets (20+ titles in English and Spanish covering cremation, embalming, green burial, home funerals, veterans benefits, and consumer rights), funeral home price surveys compiled by affiliates, a biennial conference, archived webinars, and direct phone/email consumer support. The national organization also coordinates legislative advocacy at the federal level (FTC Funeral Rule commentary, H.R. 3655, Funeral Coverage Act) and supports affiliates pursuing state-level reform.

FCA does not develop or sell technology products, platforms, or APIs; its distribution layer is a human-mediated affiliate network rather than a software stack. Core technology dependencies are limited to a WordPress-based website (funerals.org), email newsletter infrastructure, YouTube/Instagram/Facebook channels, and standard office productivity tooling.

The business model is donation- and membership-driven rather than transactional. Revenue streams are (a) tax-deductible individual donations solicited through the website and direct mail, (b) affiliate membership dues calculated at no more than 15% of each affiliate's annual income (excluding bequests, special gifts, interest/dividends, transfer fees, and literature sales) plus a one-time $50 application fee, and (c) one-time merchandise revenue from a pamphlet/kit store including the "Before I Go" planning kit. Core educational services are provided free of charge to consumers. Headcount is small (11-50 range, with one paid staff member named) and the board is volunteer-only; the April 2023 closure of the Burlington, Vermont office indicates a lean operating posture.

Name

Funeral Consumers Alliance

Legal name

Funeral Consumers Alliance, Inc.

Website

https://funerals.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Funeral Consumers Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1963 providing funeral consumer education, advocacy, and rights protection. It serves individuals and supports a nationwide network of 50+ nonprofit affiliate organizations via free pamphlets, price surveys, and legislative advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

South Lyon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: FCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN# 52-109-5109). The primary revenue stream is donations from individuals who support consumer advocacy and funeral transparency. The website mentions donate buttons and direct mail fundraising campaigns. Donations are tax-deductible.
2. Affiliate Dues: Affiliates pay annual dues calculated at no more than 15% of the affiliate's annual income, excluding bequests, special gifts, interest or dividends, transfer fees, and sale of literature. Initial application fee for affiliate membership is $50.
3. Publications and Merchandise: FCA operates a store selling educational pamphlets, guides, and possibly other materials. The Before I Go planning kit is mentioned as available for purchase.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Funeral Consumers Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for funeral consumers' rights by providing educational resources, publications, and consumer guidance on funeral planning and pricing. The organization operates through a network of affiliates (memorial societies) that help members arrange affordable, meaningful funeral services while protecting consumers from predatory funeral industry practices.

Product overview

Funeral Consumers Alliance is a non-profit educational organization (501(c)(3)) that does not offer a software product, but rather provides a suite of consumer advocacy services and educational resources. The organization's core offerings include Consumer Help Resources (guidance on funeral planning, saving money, and consumer rights), Educational Pamphlets (professionally designed downloadable materials on various funeral topics available in English and Spanish), Funeral Home Price Surveys (comparative pricing data compiled by local affiliates), an Affiliate Network (over 50 non-profit funeral-planning groups across the US), Webinars and Educational Events (both live and recorded), Consumer Rights Advocacy (assistance with FTC Funeral Rule and state regulations), and Legislative Advocacy Resources (tools for affecting funeral-related legislation). These services work together to empower consumers to choose affordable, meaningful after-death arrangements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Educational Publications
• FCA Affiliate Membership Program
• Funeral Cost Information Resources
• Online Affiliate Directory

Quantifiable outcome

• Affiliates can help consumers save thousands of dollars on unnecessary funeral costs through price surveys and negotiated discounts

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Consumer Federation of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCA collaborated with Consumer Federation of America on a 2022 study of online price posting at funeral homes in 35 state capitals. The joint study found only 18% of funeral homes surveyed post their price lists online.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)coreOthersFCA has a long-standing relationship with the FTC, contributing testimony to hearings leading up to the 1994 and 1999 revisions of the Funeral Rule. FCA submitted comments to FTC in December 2022 asking for updates including requiring all funeral homes with websites to post complete price lists online.
• U.S. CongresscoreOthersFCA has been instrumental in federal legislative efforts, including helping draft HR3655 to expand the Funeral Rule to cover cemeteries, crematories, and third-party vendors. FCA Executive Director testified before House Subcommittee in July 2009.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Funeral Service Foundation: Funeral Service Foundation is a nonprofit affiliated with the funeral service industry that funds education and research related to funeral service. It is comparable as another nonprofit operating in the funeral/death-care ecosystem with an educational remit, though it is industry-supported rather than consumer-advocacy-focused.
• National Home Funeral Alliance: NHFA is a nonprofit that educates and advocates for families choosing home funerals. It overlaps FCA's mission of consumer empowerment in death care and shares board-level personnel (e.g., Sara Williams served on NHFA's board), making it a closely aligned peer in the consumer-advocacy niche.
• Deathwise: Deathwise was an independent nonprofit consumer-advocacy organization focused on affordable, meaningful after-death arrangements — directly mirroring FCA's mission and member education model. It later integrated into FCA but historically competed for the same donor and affiliate ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Compassion & Choices: Compassion & Choices is the largest US nonprofit advocating for end-of-life options including medical aid in dying. It overlaps FCA's interest in consumer-driven end-of-life decision-making and is increasingly coordinating on legislation (e.g., state medical-aid-in-dying bills that FCA reports on).
• Green Burial Council: GBC is a nonprofit that sets standards and certifies green-burial providers. While narrower in focus (green burial only), it operates in the same consumer-education/advocacy space as FCA around alternative disposition options, including green burial — a topic FCA covers in its pamphlets and webinars.

Others

• Consumer Federation of America: CFA is a broad consumer-advocacy nonprofit and a direct partner of FCA (joint 2022 study on funeral home online price posting). It is comparable as a national consumer-rights organization operating in the same advocacy ecosystem, though its scope extends well beyond death care.

Broad incumbents

• International Cemetery and Funeral Association: ICFA is a broad trade association representing cemeteries, funeral homes, and crematories worldwide. It sits on the industry side of the same regulatory conversations FCA influences through FTC advocacy and state-level price transparency campaigns.
• National Funeral Directors Association: NFDA is the largest US trade association representing funeral directors and funeral homes. It is comparable as the dominant organized stakeholder in the same death-care regulatory space FCA engages with on the FTC Funeral Rule and state legislation, but represents the industry rather than consumers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FuneralConsumersAlliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/funeralconsumersalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/funeral-consumers-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Funeral Consumers Alliance