Our Beginnings
Since 1952, the Bay Area Funeral Consumers Association has been providing services to people in their time of need such as:
- Monitoring funeral industry trends and practices and advocating for ways to curb abuses
- Providing members with guides to facilitate making end-of-life decisions
- Surveying and maintaining a list of cooperating funeral homes that offer member discounts, abide by their wishes, and expedite their wishes without sales pressure to their families
Key Milestones
2022: Celebrating 70 years as the SF Bay Area funeral consumer advocate
2002: Celebrated 50th anniversary
2001: Gained our 501(c)(3) benefit status, making donations tax deductible
2000: Launched our first website and email communications with members
1997: Completed first price surrey of all funeral homes in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
1966: Became a tax exempt non-profit organization
1952: Individuals from the Friends Society and Unitarian denominations, plus some members of the Co-op Grocery Store in Palo Alto, CA, banded together to investigate lower-cost, simpler, and more dignified funeral alternatives for families who wished to avoid the excesses then promoted by the funeral industry