Last week I attended a Blue Ocean Tour seminar planned and produced by Alan Creedy and Danny Jefferson.  It was my first time on one of these events and it was an incredible learning experience including tours of Death Care facilities, a National Cemetery, discussons, learning experiences, and simple brainstorming of ideas with a group that included funeral home owners, retired funeral home owners, non-funeral director funeral home business executives, and funeral home supply company executives.

During one of our brainstorming discussions the group touched on what I call “funeral poverty”.  That being the fact that sometimes at the time of an unexpected death families are simply strapped for cash and do not have savings in place or the ability to secure credit in such a short time period.

The discussion led to the thought of crowdfunding vehicles as a way to bring in some money to pay for services.  At least one funeral director in the group said that he has had clients who do crowdfunding but the funeral home received none of the proceeds and he was still left with a really tough to collect receivable.

That’s when I mentioned that a friend of mine in funeral service, Jimmy Altmeyer, had created a program that can crowdfund for funeral expenses but is much more than that.  It is a funding device created by funeral directors for funeral directors that can help funeral homes assist members of their community for projects of all types.

I wasn’t familiar enough with the concept to speak in any great capacity at the Blue Ocean Tour about it but the discussion led me to reach out to Treasured Memories Community Funding (TMC Funding) to get more information and pass that information on to the readers of Funeral Director Daily.

The following is an article I received from the good people at TMC Funding for publication in today’s FDD.  I hope you enjoy it and learn about another product that may be able to help your business.

Many funeral homes have experience with a  young child passing away in their community. 

 

The family  inquires about services after this sudden, tragic death of a loved one.  Many funeral homes offer to donate goods and services, but the funeral home still needs to cover cash advance items like published obituaries, cemetery open and close, death certificate filing, and more. Then the family and friends, with good intentions, set up a fundraiser using an online crowdfunding platform. 

 

A genuine action to help the family  inadvertently begins to reflect negatively on your funeral home, making it appear as if you didn’t help them out at all. All this, while the real story is that the funeral services have been donated.  The general public most likely doesn’t know this and doesn’t consider what is happening behind the scene.

 

“When a community is coming together to help a family in need, that’s good.   However, they should consider all needs of the family, not just the cost of the funeral”,  shared Jimmy Altmeyer, President of Altmeyer Funeral Home and Founder of Treasured Memories.

 

Similar scenarios encouraged Jimmy and his team to create Treasured Memories Community Funding (TMC Funding): an online fundraising platform created for funeral professionals, by funeral professionals. TMC Funding allows funeral homes to bring crowdfunding in-house while securing funds for families in need to better serve their communities. 

 

Ultimately, this demonstrates your commitment to providing exceptional care while enhancing your firm’s public image.

 

Other community funding platforms exist by taking a portion of the funds raised. Treasured Memories has a 0% platform fee and we provide our services through donor tips.   100% of the donations will go to the family or charity of choice.

 

Treasured Memories Community funding not only helps a family pay for their loved one’s services, it can also be used to raise money for memorial donations, charitable events, sponsorships and other community organizations. 

 

“When we built the platform, we were focused on families in need,” explained Jimmy. “What we actually found out is that only 30% of the fundraisers are for families in need. 70% of the funds raised are for successful community outreach and memorial donations.” Crowdfunding can help funeral providers with all types of fundraisers:

 

Family Support – Funds can be raised for families in need of assistance with funeral, medical and other unexpected expenses.

Memorial Donations – Charities and organizations in someone’s name or in support a family.

Charitable Events – Raise funds for a specific event happening in your community.

Community Fundraisers – For a local organization in need of support.

Support for Veterans – Raise funds for Veterans’ medical assistance, housing or other necessities.

Loving Pets and Animals – Raise money towards furry friends that require medical assistance, shelter or other efforts.

 

Community fundraising  opens the door for many funeral homes to support their communities.  When a fundraiser is created, the funeral home has the opportunity to help share the family’s story. 

 

Both the family and funeral home can begin sharing the fundraiser on social media.  Once the fundraiser is complete, the funeral director can present the check to the family or the organization of their choice.  

 

“Treasured Memories Community Funding has helped us build relationships in our community.  It has given the funeral home an opportunity to show how families impact the charities in their loved one’s memory,” shared Craig Roe, Vice President and General Manager for Michigan Memorial Funeral Home in Flat Rock, MI.

 

The increased  publicity will impact your funeral home’s reputation in a positive way .

 

Treasured Memories Community Funding presents opportunities to follow up with charitable organizations creating community engagement.  Outreach events have the potential to create a cycle of education, community involvement and positive attention for your funeral home.

 

You can learn more by looking at the Treasured Memories Community Funding website here.

 

For more information regarding community fundraising or getting started on the TMC Funding platform, you can click here. 

 

A Little About the Founder of Treasured Memories Community Funding:

Jimmy Altmeyer

Jimmy Altmeyer, President of Altmeyer Funeral Home & Founder of Treasured Memories, graduated from Villanova University (BA, 1988) and Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science (Associate’s, 1989). He and his wife, Jocelyn C. Altmeyer, have three children: Simon Cameron, James Elijah, and Justine Virginia.

Funeral Director Daily take:  We are happy to provide information on another “tool in the toolbox” for those that work to satisfy Death Care clients’ needs.  This type of platform, controlled by the funeral home, is a much needed addition to what is presently available to funeral homes.

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Archaeological dig begins on new cemetery site.  BBC News (Great Britain)
• Mission to restore Grove Cemetery chapel n Kenton gains momentum as community unites for preservation.  WKTN Radio (OH)
• New end-of-life option in Georgia:  Human composting to be allowed under state law.  MSN
• Cremations to begin after six-month suspension.  BBC News (Great Britain)
• 6 biggest mistakes people make when end-of-life planning, according to a financial advisor – and what to make sure you do.  Yahoo Life

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