"To everything there is a season—:
A time to be born and a time to die."
—Ecclesiastes III: 1, 2

Funeral Consumers Alliance
of Vermont

A nonprofit educational organization
dedicated to a consumer's right to choose
a dignified, meaningful, affordable funeral


Click here to download our NEW Spring 2011 Newsletter--- our May 7 annual meeting features FCA national executive director Josh Slocum and Funeral Ethics Organization executive director Lisa Carlson, authors of the new book Final Rights: Reclaiming the American Way of Death.

NEW! - Our 2011 price survey of Vermont funeral homes is now available. Click It requires the free program Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't already have Adobe, click here to download it. Follow the program's simple instructions to install it.
TIP - You can enlarge the spreadsheet so it's easier to read. When you open it, look at the top menu of Adobe Acrobat. You'll see a + and - sign. Click the + sign to enlarge.

Because death is a universal experience and because it has a profound emotional and social impact on the survivors, the customs and practices associated with it are very important.

A memorial society, or consumers alliance, is an association of consumers from all walks of life who want a dignified alternative to the elaborate and increasingly expensive funeral services promoted by the funeral industry.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Vermont is one of 100 such societies across the U.S. and Canada. Our national organization, Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA), provides a structure through which these autonomous societies are affiliated.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Vermont—a nonprofit educational organization—was founded in May of 1967. The Alliance is governed by a Board of Trustees—serving without salary—which is elected annually by the membership.

What Will Membership Do for Me?

There are four main benefits of membership in the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Vermont :

  • 1. One-stop price shopping. The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Vermont does a state-wide funeral price survey, collecting the General Price Lists from all funeral homes in the state. For a donation to cover copying costs, we will send you the price lists for all funeral homes in a designated town or area. Get the 2009 price survey on-line.
  • 2. We have pamphlets available to send out to you free of charge. However, the current list of pamphlets is being revised. We will send you what we have, free,or you may download them, free, from the national web site at funerals.org . Advance Health Care Directives are also available, as is information on organ or body donation.
  • 3. The Before I Go, You Should Know funeral planning kit. This kit allows you to designate your preference as to the disposition of your body at the time of death—burial, cremation, or body donation. You can plan the service you wish. The kit facilitates the family's discussion of a difficult subject, which then leads to understanding and peace of mind.
  • 4. Membership in an Alliance is reciprocal anywhere in the U.S. where there are affiliates. As a member of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Vermont, you are entitled to the benefits of other alliances affiliated with FCA were you to die in another state while traveling. Some FCA affiliates may request a nominal donation to transfer your membership (usually $10 or less).

Are There Other Benefits?

Yes, there are many—some of a direct nature, some that contribute to the welfare of all Vermonters.

  • Through publicity and educational materials, our society acts to increase consumer awareness about funeral practices and problems. Over the years, the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Vermont has provided information to senior citizen groups, Agency on Aging advocates, nursing homes and retirement facilities, schools and colleges, churches and clergy, hospice and hospital staff, estate planners, fraternal organizations, business and professional associations, and veterans' organizations. Many of these groups receive a gratis subscription to our "occasional" newsletter, thanks to your support.
    (If you would like to expand the audience for funeral education, the Alliance can provide speakers, set up seminars or conferences—whatever best suits your interest group. )
  • The Alliance has a committee which monitors state and federal legislation, to foster consumer protection in funeral affairs. The Alliance serves as a resource for those with funeral complaints.
As you can see, your contributions and support ensure that others, including your survivors, will have a consumer advocate in funeral planning for years to come.

Join Today!

Download our membership and volunteer application here. Donation amounts are voluntary; please consider at least a $30 donation to support our work if that fits your budget.

Mail your membership application to:

Funeral Consumers Alliance of Vermont
PO Box 64
Grand Isle, VT 05458

Or e-mail us.

For immediate personal information or other questions, you may call the hotline at 1-802-223-8140.

Are There Rules I Must Follow in Planning My Funeral?

Absolutely not. However, most members believe money spent on elaborate funerals and expensive coffins could be better spent among the living. Most Alliance members prefer the following kinds of arrangements:

  • No embalming. Many feel embalming commits an indignity upon the body which they find repulsive. Undertakers almost invariably promote embalming, and thus people assume it is necessary. In fact, embalming does not protect the public health and is not required by law in Vermont. Laws in a few other states may require embalming if a body is being transported across state lines or by commercial carriers. Embalming serves primarily to permit the mortician to display the body for a short time. There is no lasting effect served by funeral-type embalming.
  • No cosmetic make-up or open casket viewing. Alliance members feel there is no need for a body to be made up to look "natural' and displayed in an open coffin. Family members who wish to say their "goodbyes" are encouraged to do so before the funeral.
  • A simple, low-cost coffin. Expensive caskets are only for "show" and serve no added purpose once they are buried.
  • A simple, personalized service. Many members prefer to have a memorial service in a church or other location without the body present. Some choose a simple graveside ceremony.

Go to Affordable options in Vermont.

Return to FCA home page.