Category: Uncategorized

Tribute Foundation Expands Partnership with National Alliance for Children’s Grief

Tribute Foundation Expands Partnership with National Alliance for Children’s Grief

NACG logo

In the Spring of 2022, the Tribute Foundation Board approved a partnership with the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG). The NACG is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them. Through their members’ and partners’ collective voices, they educate, advocate, and raise awareness about childhood bereavement. The NACG is a nationwide network comprised of professionals, institutions, and volunteers who promote best practices, educational programming, and critical resources to facilitate the mental, emotional, and physical health of grieving children and their families.

As part of the partnership, the NACG has provided a resource toolkit for professionals and families. The toolkit includes:

  • Grief is an intricate collection of emotions that can weave through the fabric of our lives. While grief is often associated with adulthood, it is important to acknowledge the presence of grief within the hearts of children. End of life memorials and rituals can be difficult for a child to fully understand or participate in, but there are ways to aid them through this process.
    Download Children and End of Life Memorials/Rituals for more.
  • Attending a funeral can be a profoundly challenging and emotionally charged experience for people of all ages. However, when it comes to children, the weight of grief and the unfamiliarity of funeral homes can make the process even more overwhelming. Therefore, it is crucial to create a safe and supportive environment for children within funeral homes. Download Creating Space for Children in a Funeral Home for more.

“We’re pleased to continue this partnership,” said Michael J. Gorton, Jr., CFSP, NYS Tribute Foundation Chair. “The partnership started with a session at Convention and then an educational webinar in the fall, both receiving tremendous feedback. This toolkit is just another resource designed to help our members effectively provide grief support for children experiencing loss.”

AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support NYS Tribute Foundation, every time you shop. Activate AmazonSmile on your web browser and in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. When you shop with AmazonSmile, 0.5% of your eligible purchases will be donated to the Tribute Foundation.

Get started today! Visit AmazonSmile

Donate Now

Donate Now

You may donate online

Or mail in a donation form to:

New York Tribute Foundation, Inc.
1 South Family Drive
Albany, NY 12205


New York State Tribute Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Individual contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
All contributors will be recognized as part of the Tribute Foundation’s donor recognition program.

Build a Legacy

Build a Legacy

As you look for a unique and memorable way to remember a loved one, mark an occasion, or honor a person, consider a Tribute Gift to the Tribute Foundation.

Our Tribute Program was established to help you recognize those people who have touched your life in a special way.

Choose either a Gift of Remembrance or Gift of Honor and Celebration as a unique way to honor someone special while demonstrating your belief in the Tribute Foundation’s work.

The NYS Tribute Foundation is your opportunity to build a legacy and to share the good work accomplished daily by those in the funeral service profession.

With your help, the Foundation will act as a resource supporting educational programs, financial scholarships, industry research and special projects that advance the understanding of end-of-life issues. Please consider supporting the Foundation at the level most appropriate for you. Your tax-deductible contribution may be made in one payment, quarterly, or as part of your estate planning. Through your contribution, you can be confident that you have touched other lives and made a positive difference in your state and the funeral service profession!

The NYS Tribute Foundation 501(c)(3) charitable, non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating a better understanding of death, dying and bereavement for all New Yorkers. The NYS Tribute Foundation fulfills its mission by advocating education, research, and public policy programs, thus embracing its core values of charity, knowledge and education.

Your support of the Foundation’s efforts benefits individuals and communities across New York State, both in everyday situations and during times of community crisis.

  • Tribute Legacy Society | $10,000 or more
  • Cornerstone Benefactor | $5,000 to $9,999
  • Medallion Circle | $2,500 to $4,999
  • Keystone Contributor | $1,000 to $2,499
  • Tribute Pioneer | $500 to $999
  • Foundation Fellow | $250 to $499
  • Friend of the Foundation | $100 to $249

New York State Tribute Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Individual contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
All contributors will be recognized as part of the Tribute Foundation’s donor recognition program.

The Premier Society Planned Giving Program

The Premier Society Planned Giving Program

Providing for future generations is as important as the significant work done today. Planned giving will maintain long-term support to preserve the vision and goals of the New York State Tribute Foundation. Bequests, life insurance, trusts, or other planned gifts qualify individuals for membership in the Premier Society.

With wise and thoughtful planning, the Foundation has the power to continue to positively affect the funeral service profession. And, we look to you, as one who shares our values and beliefs in this profession, to stand with us. With a planned, charitable gift to Tribute, you can make a strong personal statement about the value of the funeral service profession and help to ensure that these values – your values – endure into the future. As we look ahead, it is our hope that by planning today, you will make a gift tomorrow that will impact the future of the funeral profession.

We at the Tribute Foundation believe that if you’re going to give, you should give wisely. You should give in a way that helps protect your family; give in a way that ensures your values will live on through the institutions you trust; and give in a way that helps you achieve your own financial and estate goals.

Planned giving or gift planning are terms often used by lawyers, financial advisers and charities. It is the process of strategically integrating your charitable-giving plans into your financial, tax and estate plans. It is a process that allows you to make donations in ways that not only benefit the charities you value, but also helps achieve your personal financial goals.

Planned giving is a win-win strategy

A planned gift to the NYS Tribute Foundation can help improve your future and ensure ours as well. The easiest and quickest way to make a planned gift is through a bequest in your will. Your bequest to the NYS Tribute Foundation will also “give” you:

A significant contribution without affecting your current income or assets

A reduction or elimination of your federal estate taxes

A guarantee that your values and belief in the funeral service industry will live on.

How can it work for you?

Done correctly, planned giving can help you minimize your taxes and maximize your income and assets. For many, planned giving is a way to reduce or even eliminate tax liabilities (income, capital gains, or estate taxes). For some, a planned gift means you can make a larger donation than you could otherwise afford during your lifetime. For others, a planned gift might even provide an income stream or a higher investment yield. But for everyone, planned giving is a way to achieve your philanthropic goals in a way that also benefits you and your loved ones. Of course, your own financial needs and those of your family come first. With planned giving, everyone wins because you provide for your needs now and the needs of Tribute in the future.

Tribute’s Charitable Gift Planning Guide will facilitate your understanding of the basics of planned giving and how this strategic-giving process can assist you in achieving both your philanthropic and financial goals. It will help you explore the many possibilities for creative planned giving and develop a plan that blends your philanthropic goals and desires with your financial needs and tax planning.

Email tribute@tributefoundation.org to receive your complimentary copy.

Your tax adviser can provide more information about these and other charitable-giving strategies and can help you determine which methods are most appropriate for your situation. The Tribute Foundation recommends that you consult with independent tax, financial, and legal advisers before making any planned gift.

For more information about the Premier Society Planned-Giving Program please call 800.291.2629 or email tribute@tributefoundation.org.

Donate Now!

Upcoming Program

Upcoming Program

Certified Celebrant Training

In-person session offered October 10-12, 2023!
6 CEUs available (NYS)

Back by popular demand! The Tribute Foundation is again hosting a multi-state Certified Celebrant Training at the NYSFDA headquarters in Albany. This training is specifically designed for anyone interested in understanding the process of the funeral service and learning how to personalize and design meaningful funerals or tributes. Professionals from CT, MA, NJ and PA are also invited to attend. Registration is open!

A successful celebrant is one who enjoys working with people, has writing and public speaking ability, as well as listening and consulting skills.

Curriculum Covered:
• Articulating the Value of the Funeral
• Listening Skills
• Family Meetings
• Service Planning
• Music and Readings Resources
• Eulogy Writing
• Closing Ceremonies
• Master of Ceremonies
• Presentation Skills
• Developing the Celebrant Concept in the Community

Who should attend?
• Funeral Directors
• Preneed and Aftercare Specialists
• Hospice Professionals
• Clergy
• Chaplains
• Business-people
• Students

Register today!

Registration Rates: NYSFDA Members/Students – $800 | Non-members – $950

Nearby Lodging:

Hilton Garden Inn – (518) 464-6666
Hotel Trilogy – (518) 869-9100
Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel – (518) 869-8100


New York State Tribute Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Individual contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
All contributors will be recognized as part of the Tribute Foundation’s donor recognition program.

Ways to Give

Ways to Give

The Gift of Remembrance

Throughout our lives we encounter people who touch our hearts and souls. They change us in many ways and out lives are forever enriched by their presence.

When death takes these special people from us, we take comfort in finding a way to honor their lives.

By remembering someone with a Gift of Remembrance – a memorial donation made in the name of someone you have lost – you will formally and perpetually express your esteem for that special person.

That person’s memory will live on through the valuable work of the NYS Tribute Foundation.

Gift of Remembrance donations will be recognized with:

Acknowledgement: The NYS Tribute Foundation will send a written acknowledgment to the individual(s) or families you designate, notifying them of your thoughtful gesture. The acknowledgment card will highlight the name of the person for whom the gift was given and the name(s) of the person(s) who made the gift. The amount of your tax deductible contribution (as provided by law) will not be stated on the card unless specifically requested.


Recognition: All gifts, donors and the person(s) being honored will be highlighted in the “Tributes” section in the NYS Funeral Directors Association’s newsletter.


Tribute Display: As donations (either individual or group donations) made in the name of one individual reach the $500 level, the honoree’s name will be prominently displayed at the offices of the NYS Tribute Foundation. This display is a beautiful and lasting remembrance of your loved one.

Donate Now!

The Gift of Honor and Celebration

A Gift of Honor and Celebration is appropriate when you would like to recognize someone you love and respect. Gifts of Honor and Celebration help us express our gratitude for someone’s support, encouragement, patronage or help us to recognize an anniversary, birthday or other special event. Gifts of Honor and Celebration are meaningful ways to demonstrate your esteem for that important person in your life and clearly express your admiration, compassion or gratitude. Gift of Honor and Celebration donations will be recognized with:

Acknowledgment: The NYS Tribute Foundation will send a written acknowledgment to the individual(s) or families you designate, notifying them of your thoughtful gesture. The acknowledgment card will highlight the name of the person for whom the gift was given and the name(s) of the person(s) who made the gift. The amount of your tax-deductible contribution (as provided by law) will not be stated on the card unless specifically requested.


Recognition: All gifts, donors and the person(s) being honored will be highlighted in the “Tributes” section of the NYS Funeral Director Association’s newsletter.


Tribute Display: As donations (either individual or group donations) made in the name of one individual reach the $500 level, the honoree’s name will be prominently displayed at the offices of the NYS Tribute Foundation. This display is a beautiful and lasting remembrance of your loved one.

Donate Now!


New York State Tribute Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Individual contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
All contributors will be recognized as part of the Tribute Foundation’s donor recognition program.

Donor Recognition

Donor Recognition

Information About General Donation Giving Levels and Recognition:

Tribute Legacy Society

A group of individuals and organizations whose support will ensure the Foundations is able to continue its work into the future. Donors at this level contribute $10,000 or more and receive:

  • Permanent name recognition on the Foundation’s Tree of Distinction located at the New York State Funeral Directors Association (NYSFDA) headquarters in Albany, NY
  • Recognition at the annual NYSFDA convention
  • A custom Tribute Legacy Society pin
  • A framed NYS Tribute Foundation donor certificate
  • Recognition in the Foundation’s annual report
  • Recognition in the NYSFDA newsletter and annual report

Cornerstone Benefactors

Individuals or corporate donors who support the Foundation with contributions of $5,000 to $9,999. Donors at this level will be recognized as follows:

  • Permanent name recognition on the Foundation’s Tree of Distinction located at the NYSFDA headquarters in Albany, NY
  • Recognition at the annual NYSFDA convention
  • A custom Cornerstone Benefactor pin
  • A framed NYS Tribute Foundation donor certificate
  • Recognition in the Foundation’s annual report
  • Recognition in the NYSFDA newsletter and annual report

Medallion Circle

Contributors are individual or corporate donors who support the Foundation with contributions of $2,500 to $4,999. These contributors will be acknowledged with:

  • Recognition at the annual NYSFDA convention
  • A custom Medallion Circle pin
  • A framed NYS Tribute Foundation donor certificate
  • Recognition in the Foundation’s annual report
  • Recognition in the NYSFDA newsletter and annual report

Keystone Contributors

Individual or corporate donors who support the Foundation with contributions of $1,000 to $2,499. These contributors will be acknowledged with:
Recognition at the annual NYSFDA Convention

  • A custom Keystone Contributor pin
  • A framed NYS Tribute Foundation donor certificate
  • Recognition in the Foundation’s annual report
  • Recognition in the NYSFDA newsletter and annual report

Tribute Pioneers

Individual or corporate donors who support the Foundation with contributions of $500 to $999. These contributors will be acknowledged with:

  • A custom Tribute Pioneer pin
  • A framed NYS Tribute Foundation donor certificate
  • Recognition in the Foundation’s annual report
  • Recognition in the NYSFDA newsletter and annual report

Foundation Fellows

Individual or corporate donors who support the Foundation with contributions of $250 to $499. These vital gifts will be acknowledged with:

  • A custom Foundation Fellows pin
  • A NYS Tribute Foundation donor certificate
  • Recognition in the Foundation’s annual report
  • Recognition in the NYSFDA newsletter and annual report

Friends of the Foundation

Include that essential group of contributors who donate $100 to $249. These donors receive:

  • A custom Friends of the Foundation pin
  • A NYS Tribute Foundation donor certificate
  • Recognition in the Foundation’s annual report
  • Recognition in the NYSFDA newsletter and annual report

New York State Tribute Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Individual contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
All contributors will be recognized as part of the Tribute Foundation’s donor recognition program.

Research

Research

Research Funded by the NYS Tribute Foundation

Columbia University Explores Funeral Service Recruitment and Retention

Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health completed a national, Web-based survey of 42 questions to assess the pandemic preparedness in the death care profession in the United States.

The University received responses from 492 individuals – 77 percent of whom were funeral directors in 46 states – as well as professionals from all areas in the death care sector, for the School’s study, “Pandemic Influenza Preparedness in Funeral Service and Allied Professons.”

New York State Funeral Directors Association (NYSFDA) Board member, Martin D. Kasdan and New York State Tribute Foundation Family Assistance Commission (FAC) and NYSFDA member, Edward Mockler were presenters for the Emergency Preparedness in the Death Care Sector Conference’s panel discussion, facilitated by Dr. David Abramson, Director of Research for the National Center for Disaster Preparedness.

Also included were: Regina Smith, Academic Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service; and John Toale, President and CEO of the Woodlawn Cemetery.

Their discussion focused on preparedness planning challenges and current best practices, and sought to identify research gaps and opportunities for improvements in preparedness planning at multiple levels. Scheduled, but unable to attend to serve on the panel, was NYSFDA Board member and FAC Chair, Douglas R. Brueggemann.

Brueggemann had been activated earlier in the day for DMORT duties in Joplin, MO, following the devastating tornado that leveled the town, and took more than 120 lives.

Dr.Robyn Gershon, Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences, at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health shared their findings on May 24, 2011 during the Conference hosted by the Mailman School’s Department of Sociomedical Sciences and co-sponsored by the New York State Tribute Foundation.

The Conference brought together more than three dozen working in the field to discuss related issues.

Survey Respondent Highlights

  • 60% are on call 24/7
  • 87% are affiliated with a trade organization (such as NYSFDA or NFDA)
  • 9% are DMORT members
  • 12% are emergency response volunteers
  • 78% of death care professionals were willing to assist other sectors during an emergency
  • 87% of retired funeral professionals were willing to assist sector during an emergency
  • 96% of mortuary students were willing to assist sector during an emergency

According to researchers, the sample was highly motivated (with levels similar to physicians and EMS).

“The New York State Tribute Foundation was pleased to assist the University with this important research study,” said Richard J. Sullivan, Board chair of the New York State Tribute Foundation.

“The Mailman School of Public Health is a world renowned leader in education,” Sullivan said.

This study was generously funded by the New York State Tribute Foundation, the Funeral Service Foundation, and the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards.

Founded in 1922 as one of the first three public health academies in the nation, Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world.

Recruitment and Retention: The State of the Funeral Industry

February 2009 – Beginning in the summer of 2005, the New York State Funeral Directors Association, Inc. (NYSFDA), assembled a collaboration of six state funeral directions associations (FDAs), including the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts and New York for the purpose of engaging in a longitudinal study of both FDA members and non-members and their employees, by means of a web-based survey.

Between the summer of 2005 and early fall 2008, eight surveys were disseminated by NYSFDA. In each case the data was tabulated, analyzed, and presented to all Funeral Directors Associations and participants by the Siena College Research Institute of Loudonville, New York.

Purpose of the study:

  • To understand the current state of the funeral industry by providing funeral owners and employees to be counted and to express their experiences, attitudes and opinions on significant components of the industry, including job satisfaction, salary, gender and racial dynamics, best practices, and future directions.
  • To investigate issues of recruitment and retention of funeral home owners and employees and, in so doing, provide useful feedback and recommendations to the industry.

This final report summarizes the eight studies. Additionally, this report comments on the state of the funeral industry and drawing from the data, makes recommendations about the future of the industry.

Specifically, this report calls for:

  • Enhanced recruitment of funeral industry employees based upon identifying appropriate candidates and providing them with opportunities for training, advancement, and ownership.
  • Renewed efforts to meet evolving client needs through innovation, modernization, and multi-cultural accommodation; and
  • Efforts to retain the family-like business model so prevalent in the industry while incorporating the growing diversity of employees by gender, race and ethnicity.
Grants

Grants

Advancing the Understanding of Death, Dying and Bereavement

The New York State Tribute Foundation awards grants to support projects, research and education. Below you will find information on the purpose of our grant and scholarship programs and details on how to apply.

To achieve greatest impact with limited resources, our Board of Directors has identified several priority funding areas that guide our funding decisions. These projects can take many different forms: lecture series, research programs, conferences, educational programs or materials and professional scholarships. The NYS Tribute Foundation is engaged in programs and initiatives that focus on three core principles:

Knowledge

Consumer education and outreach programs working to raise public awareness regarding death, dying and bereavement. Research grants may include scientific, cultural, anthropological, epidemiological and environmental research programs that relate to and advance general understanding of death, dying, bereavement and the changing professional and societal approaches to end-of-life.

Charity

The NYS Tribute Foundation seeks to support agencies and organizations whose mission includes activities that significantly enhance the understanding of death, dying and bereavement.

Education

Scholarships will be made with the goal of increasing the number of new funeral service professionals and encouraging previously licensed funeral directors to return to the profession. Scholarships will also be offered to help pay for ongoing professional education.

Grants will also be considered to encourage development of state-of-the-art educational programming and best practice curricula that can be offered to allied professionals in related human service fields.

The NYS Tribute Foundation gives highest priority to projects that are consistent with our organization’s overall guiding principles:

  • To foster a renewed and modern interest in scientific and educational programs for better understanding of death, dying and bereavement
  • To aid in the development of new and existing agencies and institutions that provide progressive educational activities and scientific programs
  • To aid in the study and the promotion of highest ethical practices within the funeral service profession
  • To encourage and assist qualified candidates who aspire to a career in funeral service
  • To encourage and support research and scholarly activities that help to advance the understanding of death, dying and bereavement
  • To foster collaboration and community-based partnerships between institutions, industry and government to enable the sharing of people, ideas and tools for both policy planning and times of crisis

The NYS Tribute Foundation provides support for the following types of grants:

Program Grants: Program grants support operational costs needed to underwrite specific programs or projects. Eligible programs may include (but are not limited to) publications, conferences, seminars, educational material development, or curriculum development.


Scholarships: Professional scholarships will be provided for individuals who aspire to careers in funeral service. These scholarships can be utilized for both college-level courses and ongoing professional development.


Seed Money: Seed money grants are provided to help new organizations get started. Organizations that will qualify for seed money grants must fall under the funding priorities developed by the NYS Tribute Foundation.


Research: Research grants are provided to cover the costs of investigations and clinical trials, including demonstration and pilot projects that specifically relate to, or advance the goals and objectives of the Foundation.

NYS Tribute Foundation grants range from $500 to $15,000. The Foundation will occasionally consider multi-year requests for funding of project costs, technical assistance, and collaborative activities that significantly enhance the understanding of death, dying and bereavement.

Grants that do not fall into the above noted funding priorities may also be considered at the discretion of the NYS Tribute Foundation Board of Directors. The Foundation does not provide support for dinners, dances, advertising, fundraising contests, raffles, booster clubs, endowments, capital campaigns, deficit financing, deficit financing, loans or political organizations.


New York State Tribute Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Individual contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
All contributors will be recognized as part of the Tribute Foundation’s donor recognition program.

NYS Tribute Foundation
2022. All rights reserved.