The Funeral.com Journal

Resources to help you create tributes as unique as the people (and pets) you love. Learn how engraving, photos, colors, and symbols add meaning; discover scattering rituals and at-home memorial ideas. We focus on the details that matter—because small choices can carry a lifetime of comfort.

Planning a Memorial Walk/Run or Sports Tournament: An Annual Tribute That Builds Community

Planning a Memorial Walk/Run or Sports Tournament: An Annual Tribute That Builds Community

A memorial event starts the way so many meaningful things do: with a small group of people realizing they miss someone in the same place, on the same calendar day,...

What to Bring to a Funeral: A Simple Checklist (Cards, Flowers, Donations & Helpful Gestures) - Funeral.com, Inc.

What to Bring to a Funeral: A Simple Checklist (Cards, Flowers, Donations & Helpful Gestures)

If you are reading this because you have a funeral, wake, or visitation on your calendar, you are not alone in the question that follows: what to bring to a...

Venmo for Funeral Donations: Etiquette, Notes, and Privacy Settings - Funeral.com, Inc.

Venmo for Funeral Donations: Etiquette, Notes, and Privacy Settings

When someone dies, many families experience a strange mix of urgency and fog. There are calls to make, decisions to sign, and costs that arrive before grief has even had...

“In Lieu of Flowers”: How Memorial Donations Work and What to Write in the Card - Funeral.com, Inc.

“In Lieu of Flowers”: How Memorial Donations Work and What to Write in the Card

When you are trying to show up for someone in grief, it is normal to reach for what you know. Flowers. A casserole. A card that says, “I’m so sorry,”...

Funeral Thank-You Cards: Who Should Receive One (Gifts, Meals, Flowers, Donations, and Help) - Funeral.com, Inc.

Funeral Thank-You Cards: Who Should Receive One (Gifts, Meals, Flowers, Donations, and Help)

When you’re grieving, thank-you notes can feel like a chore you didn’t volunteer for. You may be staring at a stack of cards, a list of names, and a calendar...

How Much to Donate to a Funeral GoFundMe: Etiquette, Typical Ranges, and What Matters Most - Funeral.com, Inc.

How Much to Donate to a Funeral GoFundMe: Etiquette, Typical Ranges, and What Matters Most

When you see a funeral fundraiser in your feed, the urge to help is immediate. The uncertainty comes a beat later: “What is a normal donation?” If you’re asking how...

How to Verify a Funeral GoFundMe Before You Donate or Share: Simple Checks to Avoid Scam - Funeral.com, Inc.

How to Verify a Funeral GoFundMe Before You Donate or Share: Simple Checks to Avoid Scam

You’re scrolling, and a message lands in your inbox with a link and a sentence that makes your stomach drop: “Can you please share this? We’re trying to help with...

How to Plan a Memorial Service in Idaho (2026): Venue Options, Timing & Checklist - Funeral.com, Inc.

How to Plan a Memorial Service in Idaho (2026): Venue Options, Timing & Checklist

If you’re searching how to plan a memorial service Idaho, you’re probably carrying two things at once: love for the person (or pet) you’re honoring, and the very practical question...

Body Donation and Cremation: What Families Should Understand - Funeral.com, Inc.

Body Donation and Cremation: What Families Should Understand

In many families, the conversation begins quietly. Someone mentions they want to contribute to medical learning, to help future patients, to make their final chapter meaningful in a way that...

How to Write a Memorial Program: What to Include and What to Skip - Funeral.com, Inc.

How to Write a Memorial Program: What to Include and What to Skip

A memorial program is one of those small details that ends up doing big work. It gives people something steady to hold in their hands when emotions are high. It...

Donations in Lieu of Flowers: Environmental Charities to Honor a Life (With Wording Scripts) - Funeral.com, Inc.

Donations in Lieu of Flowers: Environmental Charities to Honor a Life (With Wording Scripts)

Flowers have a way of arriving before you are ready. They are beautiful, traditional, and comforting in the first raw days of grief—but they can also feel temporary when what...

GoFundMe After a Death: Are Crowdfunding Donations Taxable and Do They Affect Benefits? - Funeral.com, Inc.

GoFundMe After a Death: Are Crowdfunding Donations Taxable and Do They Affect Benefits?

A death has a way of turning ordinary life into a stack of urgent decisions. You might be choosing dates and writing an obituary, but you may also be trying...

Choosing a Memorial Charity: Turning “In Lieu of Flowers” into a Living Tribute - Funeral.com, Inc.

Choosing a Memorial Charity: Turning “In Lieu of Flowers” into a Living Tribute

The little line near the bottom of an obituary can carry a surprising amount of weight. You read, “In lieu of flowers, please donate to…,” and suddenly a quiet but...

Memorial Donations in Lieu of Flowers: How to Request and Manage Gifts in Someone’s Honor - Funeral.com, Inc.

Memorial Donations in Lieu of Flowers: How to Request and Manage Gifts in Someone’s Honor

When someone dies, flowers often arrive before the words do. They are beautiful, comforting, and traditional. But more and more families are choosing memorial donations in lieu of flowers, asking...