Penned November 5, 2025
Dear PMA Member,
Through dedicated consumer advocacy initiatives starting in 1939, People's Memorial Association has improved access and quality of funeral services for all Washingtonians. 2025 has been no exception, with ever more progress in our legal advocacy, educational, and resource efforts. Last year, 42% of all PMA revenue came from individual donors like you. Another 40% of revenue came from new membership dues. We are proud to be supported by the members we serve – and we are requesting your help to continue our mission.
What makes PMA so meaningful to me is that we walk beside you through the bureaucracy and confusion, answering your questions honestly because we're here for you – not corporate profits. Everyone deserves someone in their corner and I'm honored to be that advocate for you. Please help make sure PMA is there when you need us by donating today at PeoplesMemorial.org/Donate.
Our legislative efforts in 2025 pushed forward with our Board signing a letter addressed to local government agencies advocating for expanded crematory capacity and increased support for the eco-friendlier funeral methods legalized in 2019 – natural organic reduction and alkaline hydrolysis (aquamation.) If you’d like to read our letters and find how you can lend your voice to support our goals, please visit PeoplesMemorial.org/FuneralAdvocacy2025.
Expanding access to our education and planning resources, in 2025 we conducted and recorded our “Ducks in a Row” series into English, Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin, in partnership with Seattle Public Library, with plans for Vietnamese in 2026. This vital program serves attendees with information for advance directives, funeral options, and estate planning. We now have a live phone translation service available to ensure we’re ready to serve any member of our community regardless of the language they speak.
We also spent 2025 advertising the results of our most recent Funeral Home Price Survey, the bi-annual project where we investigate and report on pricing trends for services across all funeral homes in the state. This vital report helps funeral consumers learn their options to make informed decisions within their budgetary means. We’ve received much positive response from professionals like social workers who advise hospice patients. To read our findings or investigate funeral homes in your area, please visit PeoplesMemorial.org/PriceSurvey.
We keep our office staffed and ready to answer your questions by phone, post, or email. Our motto: “No questions unanswered.” We remain the only memorial association in the country with paid staff, and we provide the only hotline of its kind in Washington to answer funeral-related questions. We want to continue providing that level of service for every PMA member now and in the future.
Our median donation is typically $20 with thousands of invested individuals making donations each year. Providing a contribution within your means helps ensure we’re able to continue being a champion for you and every funeral consumer in our beautiful state. Since we don’t charge our members annual dues, we’re reliant on the generosity of our donors.
It has been 86 years since our founding members first collectively negotiated for simple, affordable, direct cremations. As the nation’s oldest memorial society, outstanding progress has been made in the name of funeral consumers thanks to the PMA members who came before us and the PMA members who continue to support us today and into the future. More work remains to be done. Will you join us in maintaining this vision and send your support to People's Memorial Association today?
Casey Husseman Brandt
Executive Director
P.S. There are more ways to give than pulling out your checkbook. Bequest giving – including PMA in your will – is a tax-efficient way to give a portion of your estate to our nonprofit. You can assign a percentage or set amount to give at the time of your passing as a final thank you to PMA for our service over your lifetime. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), gifts of stocks, and even car donations are also means of giving with tax exemptions, meaning your money goes farther. To learn more about your options and instructions on how to set it up, go to PeoplesMemorial.org/LegacyGiving.
P.P.S. You can always support PMA by giving a Gift Membership to someone who needs it. Sign up your friend or family member and we’ll send them a packet of information and planning documents plus our negotiated 15% discount on funeral services ready when they need it. Visit PeoplesMemorial.org/Gift today to sign them up.
