Our FCAWM board received the following notice from the national Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) about some changes in their organization. We are a separate nonprofit organization, affiliated with FCA. This message was sent to all their Affiliates.
Dear Funeral Consumers Alliance Affiliates:
We know you have been watching and waiting for news from your FCA Board of Directors. A lot has changed at the FCA in the past few months—and in the world the past few years—so we have been taking a good look at what needs doing and how we can do it more efficiently and effectively. Yes, this has taken time because we have been methodical and deliberate as we prepare for this new chapter in the life of the FCA.
Based on our organizational review, we must reduce costs while increasing our effectiveness in serving affiliates. We will do this by restructuring our organization so that each board member shares essential roles, and our website and other organizational tools do more of the work (such as networking on legislative issues, sharing best practices, and offering more ways to collaborate). We are grateful that with today’s technology, success with restructuring and a new virtual office is possible. Your board of directors is now a WORKING, rather than ADVISORY, board.
From April 24th through April 28th, 2023, our Board Secretary, Joyce Mitchell and Board Member, Gary Sherck, will be helping our Office Manager, Nastassia Strackbein, clear out more than 20 years of records, books, magazines, and supplies from the office in South Burlington, Vermont. Thanks to the FCA of Western Massachusetts we have made a connection with Archivists at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst who are enthusiastically interested in receiving the historic records of the FCA, so that transfer is underway.
We will be unable to take care of any physical book orders during our restructure and please know that this is at the top of our list of things to do.
Our main goal is to keep providing top quality advocacy services and affiliate support. In the coming weeks, you will be receiving a survey so that you can tell us your needs and your ideas as we continue to work together to strengthen the FCA’s reputation for being the longest running alliance of funeral consumer advocates in America.
Thank you for your continued support of the FCA mission!
Sincerely,
Your FCA Board of Directors:
| President, Sara Williams FCANC Secretary, Joyce Mitchell FCA of UT Treasurer, Kristin Mouton FCA of CO Director, Phyllis Croisant FCA of Champaign Co, IL Director, Dianna Repp FCA of AZ Director, Gary Sherck Cleveland Memorial Society Advisor, David Morrison FCA of PA |
Update as of May 18, 2023: “Would you like to write to us while we are restructuring? Please send correspondence to: Funeral Consumers Alliance, 629 Paris Street, Graham, NC 27253-3222.”