Support Us

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. Direct 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.

If you are new to us or wish to update your contact information, please fill out our membership form so we can add you to our membership list for newsletters and potentially email communications. WE promise to email only rarely, in the event of a specific opportunity to help our cause such as helping with a price survey. We do not share your personal contact information or our membership list other than with the national FCA, for the purpose of allowing it to send you the occasional newsletter or request for support. 

In addition to providing us with your contact information, we ask our members to donate at least $30 every two years or to let us know they wish to remain members at the end of each two-year period if financial constraints pose a hardship to making a donation. This keeps our membership list current to avoid returned or unwanted mail. Our newsletters state the date your membership expires on the address label.

• 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. 
• 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.