What is the Funeral Consumer Alliance?

We are a non-profit, non-sectarian, all volunteer organization dedicated solely to providing information on end-of-life decisions. We are affiliated with the national Funeral Consumers Alliance, which coordinates over 150 State and local groups.  We were incorporated in December of 1997, and received our 50l(c)(3) status in 1998 (which means donations are tax deductible).  We cover all of Connecticut, and our goal is to help our members and the general public to make informed, affordable choices in accordance with their personal beliefs.

We are not in the funeral business, we do not merchandize anything, we do not sell "pre-need" insurance, and we do not stress a particular approach.  We do not use "cooperating" funeral and cremation establishments.  Instead, our goal is to help members and the general public make end-or-life choices reflecting their own philosophy and purse.

We do encourage everyone to plan ahead.  Although people frequently express a desire for simple, dignified services, and inexpensive disposition of the body, these requests are often forgotten or ignored.  Grief, social custom, and the need to make immediate decisions without sufficient information often cause survivors to agree to arrangements that neither comfort the bereaved, nor reflect the wishes of the deceased.  As a result, survivors may spend more than necessary.

FCA has forms to deal with issues including living wills, financial organization, and body, organ and tissue donation.  We also have a variety of pamphlets on burial, cremation, funeral and memorial services and costs.  Members receive a funeral/cremation price survey of establishments in their area, as well as newsletters and special mailings (some of our articles are available online).  FCA also offers speakers on end-of-life decisions for meetings and workshops.

AmazonSmile helps FCA of CT 

FCA of CT has just been approved by the AmazonSmile Foundation to receive a donation of 0.5% on the price of eligible purchases that a member (or anyone) makes when signing in using the following special address:  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/06-1497863 
 
While the address is different, the products, prices, and shipping features are the same as always; there is no extra charge to buyers, and no cost to FCAofCT either.
 
Jim Evans, our Treasurer, writes: "I have used this for several purchases and it works! If you already have an Amazon account, you can use the same ID and password that you use for your current account. You'll note that the opening Amazon page is all most the same one you're accustomed to, except for a notation at the top concerning the Amazon Smile Program and the FCA donation. Finding the item you wish to buy works the usual way and the purchasing process works the usual way. There is no extra cost to you for the donation and no cost to FCA. Each quarter, AmazonSmile Foundation will make donations by electronic transfer to our bank."
 
We hope you'll remember FCAofCT  and use our address  - https://smile.amazon.com/ch/06-1497863 - when you buy from Amazon. 
 
Once you have told Amazon your preference to donate to FCA of CT, then you simply shop through https://smile.amazon.com and Amazon's webpage will reflect that you are shopping through AmazonSmile and supporting Funeral Consumer Alliance of Connecticut Inc.

2019 Price Survey

For the 2019 survey, FCA of CT wrote to the approximately 300 Connecticut funeral homes and cremation services requesting their current price lists. As in previous surveys, we then turned to volunteers to contact funeral establishments that did not respond. Members can get the full survey, a summary is available here.

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