Additional Resources For Home Funerals
SevenPonds suggests the following resources and experts for those interested in learning more about home funerals and natural deathcare.
Organizations and Professional Bodies
Home Funeral Alliance
The Home Funeral Alliance is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families and professionals who wish to care for their own dead at home. The Home Funeral Alliance offers a comprehensive website with state-by-state legal guides, a directory of home funeral guides, and free downloadable resources for planning a home funeral. For any family wondering, “Can we really do this ourselves?” the Home Funeral Alliance is the essential first stop.
Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA)
The Funeral Consumers Alliance is a national non-profit watchdog organization that has been protecting consumers’ rights in the funeral industry since 1963. The FCA provides free, unbiased information about funeral costs, legal requirements, and alternatives to traditional commercial services, including extensive resources on home funerals. For a family trying to navigate confusing regulations and avoid price gouging, the FCA is an invaluable ally.
The Order of the Good Death
Founded by Caitlin Doughty, this non-profit collective comprises funeral industry professionals, academics, and artists dedicated to making death a more accepted and discussed part of life. Their website offers a rich library of articles and videos on home funerals, green burial, and consumer empowerment in the funeral industry. For a family looking for accessible, engaging, and unflinching information, this is a treasure trove.
The Green Burial Council (GBC)
While primarily known for certifying green burial grounds, the GBC also provides resources and certification for funeral homes that support natural after-death care and home-based options. Their standards help families identify providers who are genuinely committed to environmental stewardship and family-centered care. For a family combining a home funeral with a green burial, the GBC offers trusted guidance.
Notable Thought Leaders and Advocates
Lee Webster
An internationally recognized writer, educator, and former president of the National Home Funeral Alliance, Webster has been a leading voice for grassroots funeral reform for over a decade. She has held key leadership positions across the Green Burial Council, Conservation Burial Alliance, and Funeral Consumers Alliance, tirelessly educating the public on the legal right to care for their own dead. Her articles and presentations offer practical, no-nonsense guidance for anyone intimidated by the logistics of a home funeral.
Jerrigrace Lyons
A pioneer of the modern home funeral movement, Lyons founded Final Passages over 25 years ago and has since trained thousands of families and professionals in home funeral guidance. She views caring for our own dead as a “final act of love” that restores the sacredness of the dying process. Her gentle, empowering approach helps families understand that they already have the skills they need to say goodbye at home.
Holly Pruett
A beloved home funeral guide, death doula, and former executive director of the Home Funeral Alliance, Pruett has supported hundreds of families in Oregon and beyond through home-based after-death care. She is known for her warm, grounded presence and her ability to translate complex legal and emotional terrain into simple, actionable steps. For families feeling overwhelmed, her work offers reassurance that they are capable of more than they realize.
Elizabeth Fournier
As the owner of a green funeral home in Boring, Oregon, Fournier is a hands-on practitioner who has become one of the country’s most well-known advocates for home-based and environmentally responsible burial. Her website offers resources from her memoir, The Green Reaper, which blends practical how-to advice with humor and heart. For anyone who needs a laugh while facing the daunting task of home after-death care, she is an unmatched guide.
Sarah Kerr, PhD
A ritualist and death doula who specializes in creating meaningful home funeral ceremonies, Kerr helps families transform the practical tasks of care into profound spiritual experiences. Through her Centre for Sacred Deathcare, she offers online courses and resources that guide families in washing, dressing, and honoring their loved one at home. Her work emphasizes that the rituals we create in the hours after death can become lifelong touchstones of healing.
Lisa Carlson (1943-2023)
A tireless consumer advocate and author of the groundbreaking Caring for the Dead: Your Final Act of Love, Carlson dedicated her life to exposing the funeral industry’s deceptive practices and empowering families to take back control. She served as president of the Funeral Consumers Alliance and was a fierce, persistent voice for the right to home funerals. Her legacy lives on through the thousands of families she helped reclaim their autonomy at the end of life.