About Us

Here you will find general information about the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts and what to expect from this website plus some occasional news items.

See index of About Us page topics in sidebar at right ➙

Advice You Can Trust

The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to helping our neighbors make funeral or memorial arrangements that are dignified, meaningful and affordable. 

We achieve this goal through consumer education outreach, including group presentations, funeral home price surveys, our newsletter and other printed materials, and individual consultations. …

Planning Ahead

Planning Ahead - THE NEED FOR ADVANCE PLANNING

Have you considered what immediate decisions must be made by your family when you die?


Have you and your family discussed these decisions and arrived at an understanding?


Do your present plans provide for memorial or funeral arrangements that you and your family would really want?


Facts and FAQs

Did you know . . . ?


• Most individuals never share their funeral or burial wishes with their family members. FCAWM members receive forms and instructions on how to communicate this information, sparing relatives from difficult, expensive decisions.


Speaker for your Group

We can supply a SPEAKER FOR YOUR GROUP

A volunteer from the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts will discuss:

- How to plan ahead for dignified yet affordable end-of-life services

- How to deal with the funeral industry

- What the consumer should know about the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule and other funeral related laws

Upcoming Projects/Events

Upcoming projects and events


- Newsletter, edited by President Sandy Ward, is published twice a year.

See our newsletter


Working to establish Green Burial options in Massachusetts

Carol Coan heads our Green Burial Committee

Check out their own website at

News Items

Watch an Interview On March 28, 2012, FCAWM President Sandy Ward was interviewed by Mary Wheelan for the "From the Center" program on Frontier Community Access Television (FCAT), South Deerfield, MA.

To watch the resulting video, go to FCAT website Video on Demand

Newsletter Page

Members receive a printed copy of each newsletter at their home address. 

See link below to an online version in pdf file format. Click here if you need to download the free Adobe reader for pdf files.

NEW Spring 2013 Newsletter Note: this large file may take a little time to download and open.…

Board Meetings

Board Meeting Schedule

All interested people welcome!


Please bring your ideas and join the volunteers who have stepped forward to help with the mission of this organization.

The Next Board Meeting is:

Monday, June 10, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.

The meeting will be at

Annual Meeting

OUR MOST RECENT ANNUAL MEETING WAS HELD
Sunday October 21, 2012

2:00 - 4:00 p.m. 
Clarion Hotel, Northampton One Atwood Drive, Northampton, MA (just off Exit 18 from Route 91)

SPEAKER:  Gail Rubin.
This nationally known author and speaker will give a humorous and informative presentation based on her book: 

Annual Meeting Archives