What Empty Arms Bereavement Support does

Empty Arms Bereavement Support is a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2007 by Carol McMurrich in response to personal experience with pregnancy loss. The organization provides peer-led bereavement support to families experiencing pregnancy loss, stillbirth, infant death, and termination for medical reasons (TFMR). Its beneficiary base is intentionally segmented across approximately twelve monthly support groups serving distinct populations, including LGBTQ+ families, BIPOC families, fathers/partners, Spanish-speaking families, and parents experiencing specific loss types such as TFMR.

The organization's service model is community-based and human-powered rather than technology-mediated. It operates a peer companion program embedded across 4-5 partner hospitals in the Pioneer Valley region, providing clinical-referral-driven outreach to newly bereaved families. Approximately five core staff are supported by a trained volunteer corps of 32+ peer companions who contribute their lived experience as the primary service-delivery asset. The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform; service delivery occurs through in-person meetings, Zoom-based groups (since a 2020 COVID pivot), and direct peer outreach. An online store offers educational materials to families and clinicians.

The economic model is donation-and-grant-dependent rather than commercial. Revenue sources include individual donations, foundation grants, and modest sales of educational materials. The organization is mission-driven with no shareholders, profit motive, or exit pathway, and financials are not publicly disclosed. Recent grant activity includes Parmenter Foundation funding allocated across 23 programs in 2026. Capital allocation is concentrated on program delivery, volunteer training, and hospital partnership maintenance.

Name

Empty Arms Bereavement Support

Legal name

Empty Arms Bereavement Support

Website

https://emptyarmsbereavement.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Empty Arms Bereavement Support is a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2007 that provides peer-led bereavement support for families experiencing pregnancy loss, stillbirth, infant death, and TFMR via approximately 12 monthly support groups and hospital-embedded peer companion programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bereavement Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

Keywords

• Bereavement support services
• Pregnancy loss support
• Infant loss counseling
• Peer support groups
• Professional grief training

Headquarters

HQ city

Florence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Empty Arms operates through generous support of individual donors who contribute financially to sustain the organization's programs and services.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Major grants from The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, Baystate Health, The Beveridge Family Foundation, The Consigli Foundation, City of Northampton, and others fund operations and bereavement support bags.
3. Parmenter Foundation Grant Funding: The Parmenter Foundation awarded $400,000 across 23 programs in 2026 supporting end-of-life care, bereavement, and grief services including grants to Good Shepherd Community Care and Boston Children's Hospital. Empty Arms is listed among recipients in the MetroWest Massachusetts region.
4. Educational Materials Sales: Sale of pamphlets, guidebooks, and curriculum materials. Items include the 'How to be There for Someone when their Baby Dies Booklet' ($10), 'Support Group Facilitator Curriculum Guide PDF' ($200), 'Making it Through your Miscarriage PDF' ($200), 'Making it Through your TFMR PDF' ($200), 'Lactation After Loss PDF' ($200), 'Memory Making Ideas Card' ($30/set of 3), 'Miscarriage Support Bag' ($17), 'Miscarriage Medical Kit' ($17), and 'Bereavement Support Bag' (free to hospitals up to 5 units).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Empty Arms Bereavement Support is a Massachusetts-based non-profit that provides free peer support services for individuals and families experiencing pregnancy loss (miscarriage, stillbirth, early infant death) or termination for medical reasons (TFMR). The organization runs monthly support groups, hospital-embedded bedside peer companion programs at five Western Massachusetts hospitals, one-on-one peer support, accredited professional development training for healthcare providers, and sells educational booklets, curriculum guides, and comfort bags.

Product overview

Empty Arms Bereavement Support is a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization providing peer support services for individuals and families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss. The organization operates a core platform of peer support services including one-on-one peer companion matching, time-of-loss bedside support at hospital birth centers, and monthly support groups. Their product portfolio includes various specialized support groups addressing specific loss types (stillbirth, miscarriage, TFMR, twin loss, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, dads, infertility, infant/toddler loss, parenting after loss, pregnancy after loss) plus professional development training for healthcare providers. The company also offers a store of educational materials including booklets, PDFs, and physical products like bereavement support bags, miscarriage medical kits, memory making cards, and support group facilitator curriculum guides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peer Support Services One-on-one peer support connecting bereaved parents with trained peer companions who have experienced similar losses, providing emotional support during time of loss and ongoing grief journey.
• Support Groups Monthly support groups including Stillbirth and Neonatal Loss, Miscarriage and Early Pregnancy Loss, TFMR, LGBTQ+, BIPOC Pregnancy and Infant Loss, Dads Bereavement, Twin Loss, Infertility and Loss, Expecting Your Next Baby, Trying for Another Baby, Infant and Toddler Loss, and Parenting After Loss groups.
• Time of Loss Support Immediate bedside support and companionship at hospitals for families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss, including miscarriage support, stillbirth support, and TFMR support.
• Peer Companion Program Trained volunteer peer companions available at hospital birth centers to provide bedside support during stillbirths or newborn deaths, offering emotional support, memory making assistance, and connection to ongoing resources.
• Professional Development Training Accredited professional training programs for healthcare providers including nurses, OB/GYNs, midwives, social workers, and doulas on compassionate bereavement care, with continuing education credits through ANA Massachusetts and NASWMa.
• Hand and Foot Casting Memento service offered at hospitals where volunteers create hand and foot casts of babies for bereaved families as irreplaceable keepsakes.
• Miscarriage Medical Kit Medical supply kit for those anticipating or experiencing miscarriage containing chux pads, menstrual pads, saline solution, specimen cup, gloves, and informational materials.
• Miscarriage Support Bag Emotional comfort bag containing a handwritten card, rose quartz stone, and information about Empty Arms Bereavement Support services.
• Bereavement Support Bag Hospital comfort bag provided free to Massachusetts hospitals (up to 5 per institution) containing memory candle, aromatherapy products, hot/cold rice pack, lactation materials, affirmation cards, and partner organization information.
• Memory Making Ideas Card Double-sided laminated resource card showing memory making options available to parents while in the hospital, normalizing choices and supporting meaningful memory creation.
• Bereavement Support Booklets and Pamphlets Educational booklets covering topics including 'How to be There for Someone when their Baby Dies' ($10), 'Making it Through your Miscarriage' ($10), 'Making it Through your TFMR' ($10), 'Talking to Children about Loss', and 'How to Support a Co-worker Whose Baby has Died' ($10). Written by bereaved parents for bereaved parents, friends, family, and colleagues.
• Lactation After Loss PDF Pamphlet covering emotional and physical experiences of lactation after loss, including information on milk production and stopping lactation. Licensed for unlimited institutional/professional use at $200 or available as individual booklet.
• Support Group Facilitator Curriculum Guide Comprehensive guide detailing components of support group sessions, characteristics of successful groups, and full year curriculum for general perinatal loss and miscarriage groups, plus 9-month subsequent pregnancy curriculum and 6-month TFMR curriculum. Available as PDF ($200, unlimited prints) or physical booklet ($150).

Quantifiable outcome

• Implemented companion programs in all four major hospital birth centers in the Pioneer Valley
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Share, Inc. (Pregnancy and Infant Loss)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization supporting families through pregnancy and infant loss. Empty Arms' peer counselor training is modeled after Share's program. Founder Carol McMurrich received peer counselor training through Share, Inc. The companion program is based on a Share program successfully run in the Midwest.
• Perinatal Loss and Infant Death Alliance (PLIDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional alliance of which founder Carol McMurrich is a member, informing the organization's professional training curriculum and bereavement care standards.
• Resolve through Sharing (La Crosse, WI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBereavement care training organization whose methodologies inform Empty Arms' professional training programs. Carol McMurrich has studied with Rana Limbo of Resolve through Sharing.
• Hometown Mental Health ServicesminorOthersTrusted team of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners who work with Empty Arms to assist Massachusetts residents with medication options for acute grief symptoms (trouble sleeping, anxiety, difficulty with daily life) and help navigate Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) paperwork.
• SOLEO WellnessminorOthersMassachusetts-based maternal mental health practice specializing in supporting individuals and families through pregnancy loss, infant loss, infertility, and other reproductive and perinatal mental health challenges. Empty Arms refers clients to SOLEO for individual therapy, psychiatric medication management, support groups, and intensive treatment options.
• Grace CeremoniesminorOthersInterfaith ministry service connected with Empty Arms to help bereaved families create memorial ceremonies and rituals for their babies. Hannah Grace offers sliding-scale pricing and free first consultations.
• Portraits by DanaminorOthersLocal artist offering hand-drawn memorial portraits for bereaved families, recommended on Empty Arms' remembrances resources page.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EmptyArmsBereavementSupport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empty-arms-bereavement-support-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Empty Arms Bereavement Support