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Memorial Fundraising: Free Help With Funerals and Memorials

by John S
Last Updated 03/09/2023

The loss of a loved one is hard, no matter how it happens. Dealing with the coordination and expense of a funeral or memorial is an additional challenge that few are prepared to deal with. The financial burden can be overwhelming, and because it is often unexpected it can be close to impossible to handle in the way you would like. 

The average cost of a funeral is between $7,000 and $12,000. This creates a huge burden on family members who are already dealing with the loss of their loved one. Friends and family who feel the loss along with you would often love to help, which is why FreeFunder lets you create free fundraisers for covering your costs.

Our fundraiser pages are easy to set up, they look great on desktop as well as mobile, and friends and family can donate with only a few clicks. You can easily share the campaign throughout social networks, and we even donate to your campaign based on shares.

Not only does FreeFunder not charge any fees, but we will also donate. If you reach 100 shares on Facebook, we'll donate $20. If you reach 500 shares, we'll donate another $50. FreeFunder is the only crowdfunding platform that does this!

If you have lost a loved one and want to quickly and easily get help, start your free fundraiser today.

What Is Crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is one of the best memorial fundraising practices. You can raise funds to help pay for funeral costs by requesting donations from friends, family, and community members online. 

Because it is so simple to set up and use, crowdfunding is a popular method for raising money for funerals and memorials.

You just need to pick a fundraising target, make your crowdfunding page, and publicize your campaign. Then, tell anyone attending the memorial or funeral about the initiative and encourage them to spread the word about it to raise funds.

Why Set Up a Memorial Fundraiser?

The truth is that losing a loved one is hard, and not everyone is prepared financially for a funeral or memorial service. This is why setting up a memorial fund can be useful. Every situation is different, though, and funeral costs may not be the only reason to raise money after someone's passing. Let's explore some of the reasons to set up a funeral fundraiser.

Financial Support for the Family

If the loss was unexpected, the family might be placed under financial strain. This is particularly true if the bereaved was the family's main source of income. Raising money can help the family as they adjust financially to life without their primary provider.

Fundraising for Funeral Costs

The primary and most frequent motive for setting up a memorial fundraiser is to cover funeral or memorial costs. Funeral fundraising eases the financial burden on the family and ensures that the deceased gets a dignified send-off.

Scholarship

While the most common reason to raise money is for a funeral or memorial service, the family and community may contribute toward a child's education when their parent passes away.

Burial or Cremation Expenses

Like the memorial or funeral service, the cost of burial or cremation can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.

A Memorial Fund May Be Used for a Tribute

The family may want to donate a tree, park bench, etc., in memory of their loved one, and raising funds gives the extended family members and community a chance to contribute.

Donations in Memory of the Bereaved

Many families donate to memorial funds to pay tribute to the deceased.

Some Tips For Successful Funeral Fundraisers:

1. Share With Everyone, But Close Friends First

The very first thing to do when you publish your campaign is to reach out, personally, to your closest family and friends. Send an email to each one personally, and ask them to help in whatever way they can. Even if they can only share, ask them to do that. Once you have the first few donations you can do more wide-spread sharing through Facebook, Twitter and your other social networks. 

2. Explain The Goal

Along with being specific about your need, you should define a goal amount and explain why that specific amount of money is needed. If you have looked into the cost of the funeral or memorial and received a quote about the specific costs, be sure to explain that. People are often more willing to contribute when the amount of money you need is clearly defined.

3. Make Sure To Provide Updates And Thank-You's

Once you have things going, make sure to update people often! It helps for people to see the progress, and to see that you are grateful for what's been donated. Make sure you provide constant updates, and thank absolutely everyone for contributing to your fundraiser.

Memorial Fundraiser Ideas

Raising money doesn't have to stop at sharing your FreeFunder page and asking people to contribute to your fundraiser for funeral expenses. Here are a few creative fundraising ideas for funeral and memorial funds:

1. Create a Memorial Page

Making a memorial webpage to honor the deceased is a great way to invite friends, family, and community members to contribute to the cause.

Provide details about the deceased's life, pictures, videos, and tributes that tell a meaningful tale. Next, explain why you and your family are raising money and make it easy for people to donate to your funeral crowdfunding campaign online.

2. Plan a Tree Planting Event

This is a great fundraising idea if the reason for the funeral fundraiser is to set up a tribute for the deceased. You can encourage members of the public to donate toward the cause and then encourage them to join you for the event.

Alternatively, organize the event, and when everyone gathers, encourage family and friends to contribute to your funeral fundraising campaign.

3. Promote a Worthy Cause

To create a tribute in memory of a loved one, you can raise money for a donation to their favorite charity. Share your loved one's story together with the charity's if you're trying to raise money for it. Perhaps they were animal lovers or had a lifelong desire to work with kids as a volunteer.

4. Host a Virtual or In-person Memorial Dinner

Why not host a dinner party to raise money? After all, we all love to band together for a shared cause.

In exchange for a modest fee that goes toward the funeral expenses or memorial service, you can throw a fancy dinner party and host it online or in person. If you're hosting it online, give everyone a list of your family's favorite recipes to prepare on the big day.

The event can be used to honor the bereaved and share memories of your time together.

5. Sell T-shirts to Raise Money

Another great funeral fundraising idea is selling t-shirts. You can keep a portion of the revenue if you hire an online t-shirt printer.

This is a great way to raise money while supporting local businesses and extending your reach beyond friends and family. Plus, those who donate will get something out of it, making it beneficial for both parties.

6. Host a Bake Sale

Don't underestimate the influence of delicious baked goods! Make baked goodies for your neighborhood event or farmers market if you or a loved one like baking. The funds you generate from the bake sale can be used toward funeral costs.

7. A Movie Night

Organizing a movie night is another low-cost fundraising idea. A projector and a streaming service or DVD are all you require. Make sure you have lots of refreshments and snacks available for purchase and charge a small entrance fee.

8. Walkathon Fundraiser for Funeral Costs

Hosting a run or walk is one of the most well-liked peer-to-peer funeral fundraising ideas. Doing so can be a wonderful way to raise money in memory of a loved one. These fundraising events are so great because they truly unite the community. Participants have a variety of ways to participate, including forming teams or doing their own fundraising.

9. Create a Video Challenge

Social media is a simple, cost-effective way to spread the word about your cause. You can create a video challenge when fundraising for funeral expenses. Encourage people to:

Make a video that informs people about your cause and pays tribute to a loved one.

Use social media to collect money and promote it.

Make sure they use a specific hashtag and have clear directions on how to contribute to your cause.

Final Thoughts

A funeral crowdfunding campaign can help a grieving family afford the costs associated with burial, cremation, and hosting a memorial or funeral. No matter which fundraising idea you choose to raise money, you can use FreeFunder to set up your online donation page!

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FreeFunder Works!

Matt and Heather Sweetman needed help getting a part-time caregiver for their daughter, Finley, who has Quadriplegia Spastic Cerebral Palsy. Their friend Abby Peachey created a FreeFunder fundraiser to help raise enough money to cover a full year, estimated at $15,600.

With the help of friends, family, and the community, the fundraiser has raised more than $28,000 so far.

"We want to express our deepest gratitude. We are overwhelmed by the generosity we have received and the encouragements and kind words from so many. Thank you for bearing our burden with us. You have strengthened our faith and given us hope. Many, many blessings to you." - Matt and Heather Sweetman

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