Join Us

To become an active FCAME member, we ask that you donate at least $30 and fill out our membership form. Maintaining active status requires a donation of at least $30 every two years.

• Active membership gives our donors the satisfaction of knowing they make our work possible. However, it does not provide any specific benefits other than an option to receive our newsletters in hard copy by mail rather than digitally.
• Our newsletters are typically published twice a year and contain articles of general interest as well as news and information specific to Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.
• Active members who receive hard copies of our newsletter will be given notice when their membership is about to expire, two years after their last donation. Those whose membership lapses will still be eligible to receive our newsletters by email; this conversion will happen automatically if we do not hear from you before the next newsletter is published.

As an additional thank-you for donors who make a one-time contribution of $50 or more. we will email you “Managing My Affairs,” a template for a document you can create and maintain on your computer.

• Managing My Affairs is designed to organize and maintain your important information and make it easily available to those who may need to take over your affairs at some point. It is customizable can be updated as needed.
• We do not consider this a sale or a tangible benefit, so the entirety of your donation is potentially tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

If you are interested in our work you can become an associate member by providing your contact information. Associate members receive email notification of our newsletters when they are posted online, as well as occasional notification of any events or opportunities in your area. Become an associate member.

FCAME is run entirely by volunteers who receive no compensation for their service. We depend entirely on donations to provide: a website full of general and locally applicable information; informational newsletters and brochures; advocacy for consumers at the state and local level; prompt personal responses to email inquiries; and in-person and virtual presentations to groups upon request. 

Our website, email support, and advocacy benefits everyone in the jurisdictions we cover – Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Delaware. As the local affiliate of the national Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA), a portion of our donations also goes to support that organization, which advocates for consumers at the national level. So our donors have the satisfaction of knowing they are helping  grieving families proactively and in their time of need at the local, state, and national level. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent of the law, as no goods or services are purchased as a result of your donation and FCAME is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

• Online Payment with credit card or PayPal is a convenient way to make a donation. Be aware that if you elect to pay through the website, the value of your tax-deductible donation will be reduced by the amount PayPal charges to process the transaction and your donation confirmation letter will reflect the net amount that actually comes to us, as the IRS requires.
• Send us a check – Checks may be sent to FCAME at P.O. Box 34177, Bethesda, MD 20827. 
• Leave a Legacy – You can leave a gift in your will or estate plan to make sure your assets continue to help others long after you are gone. 
• Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution – FCAME is a 501(c)(3) organization that qualifies for a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA.

FCAME depends on volunteers for all its services and programs. You can help in a variety of capacities, ranging from occasional help to an ongoing role as a Board member.  Volunteers have an opportunity to learn about funeral planning, something that most of us will be involved in sooner or later, and experience the rewards of working with a team of dedicated volunteers on our board. Here are ways to get involved:

• Website Review: Review our website to notify us about broken links or information that needs to be updated.
• Periodic Funeral Price Survey: Volunteers from all parts of MD, DE, and DC are needed to help us gather price lists from funeral establishments, compile, and analyze them.
• Newsletters: We publish hard-copy newsletters once or twice a year. We encourage suggestions for topics to be covered and welcome help writing and editing.  
• Community Outreach: Identify and staff senior fairs and other community events. Although we are based in Bethesda, MD, we do have brochures and other materials you could use throughout MD, DE, and DC to make local audiences aware of our work and the information available on our website and in our newsletters. If you are a social worker, hospice worker, member of the clergy, senior group leader, funeral director, or cemetery operator, our brochures would be a help to your clients or members. 
• Virtual Board meetings: Come to one of our Board meetings to explore other ways to get involved in a more substantive manner.

Email us at info@mdfunerals.org  to let us know you’re interested in lending a helping hand and to find out more about available opportunities.