HISTORY

In 1969, spurred on primarily by some members of the Unitarian Church in Urbana, a group of local residents formed a branch of the Chicago Memorial Society. These were the times when Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death was widely read and discussed. In 1975, the organization established itself as the Champaign County Memorial Society, the only such organized, independent group downstate. Initially, its main objective was to contract with a single funeral director who would provide dignified, inexpensive funeral and burial services. When the first (and only) willing provider could not afford to continue, the Society re-focused its action on providing vital information on variety of topics enabling members to make well-informed decisions among end-of-life choices. The Champaign County Memorial Society was part of a nationwide alliance known as Funeral and Memorial Societies of America, FAMSA.

Among the topics addressed by experts, both within and outside the Society, were: hospices, final arrangements check lists, funerals and memorial services, cremations and burials, fees and services of local funeral homes, crematories and cemeteries; advanced medical directives including living wills, durable powers of attorney for health care, patient directives re withholding, withdrawing or terminating life-sustaining treatments, polices and practices of local health care providers, organ and tissue donation; self deliverance and assisted suicide; information about relevant legislation.

Several years ago the national organization changed its name to Funeral consumers Alliance and urged all of its member organizations to change their name to Funeral Consumers Alliance of ______. In our case, following the urging of the national group, we voted, on April 23, 2001, (with reluctance on the part of some members), to change our name to Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County. When we did that, we also decided to apply for 501 (c)(3) status with the federal government. In going through this process, with the help of the Law Clinic at the University of Illinois, we discovered that for a few years, a form required by the State of Illinois had not been filed and our incorporation had been terminated. By paying a small fee, we were able to regain our incorporation retroactively and change our name. Also, we were granted 501 (c)(3) status by the IRS, so donations made to the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County may be deducted on one's federal tax return.

Over the last many years, a biennial survey of local morticians, crematoria and cemeteries has been conducted by our organization and is printed in the annual newsletter. As the population ages and people have more options, candor increasingly characterizes considerations of end-of-life choices, and both membership and attendance at annual meetings have seen a large increase as people seek reliable information. By whatever name, the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County will continue to provide important information to the membership. ~ Hiram Paley & Susan Stone

WHO WE ARE

No one wants to talk about death, yet it remains an unspoken concern for many of us. Memorial Societies and Funeral Consumer Alliances do talk about death and provide vital information enabling people to make well-informed decisions that can bring them and their families peace of mind.

Beginning early in this century, these societies were created throughout the United States to offer simple, respectful, and affordable funeral arrangements. The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County (formerly The Champaign County Memorial Society) is an affiliate of the Funeral Consumer Alliance, a Federation of Non-profit Funeral Information Societies. The FCA—CC is the only such organized society in downstate Illinois. We were formally established in the early 1970’s to help members plan for death with dignity, to promote simplicity in funeral and memorial services, to acquaint them with options, and to avoid unjustified costs.

WHAT WE DO

In recent years, the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County has broadened its interests to provide members with information about a spectrum of end-of-life planning decisions applicable in the state of Illinois. Among the topics we have investigated, updated and reported to the membership are:

(1) hospices
(2) final arrangements check lists for families of decedents
(3) funerals and memorial services
(4) cremations and burials
(5) fees and services of local funeral homes, crematories and cemeteries
(6) advance medical directives
    (a) living wills
    (b) durable powers of attorney for health care
    (c) patient directives concerning withholding, withdrawing, or terminating life-sustaining treatments
    (d) policies and practices of local health care providers
(7) self deliverance and assisted suicide
(8) information about relevant legislation which affects the concluding part of life.

HOW WE FUNCTION

The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County operates with a nine member Board of Trustees who serve without compensation. These trustees maintain this web site and publish a yearly newsletter which reports on local board surveys and other timely topics. We also organize the annual spring meeting, which features expert speakers and offers informative publications. The board welcomes suggestions from members for future meetings and areas of investigation. There are increasing numbers of options concerning end-of-life planning. As people live longer, at some point they may lose their ability to make these decisions. All of us, young and old, face the inevitability of death and should have plans and directives which reflect our wishes. We invite you to join the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County and explore these important matters with us.

Any resident of the east central Illinois area, without regard to race, creed, or national origin, who is in sympathy with the purposes of the organization, shall be eligible for membership. The organization shall be supported by voluntary contributions.

There is no set dollar amount for membership, though a one-time contribution of $25 would be appreciated. The voluntary donations that come in are enough to cover the cost of producing and mailing an annual survey and bulletin, and pay for renting a space for the annual meeting. click here to learn how to make a donation

I wish to join the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County. Enclosed is my contribution of $_______ to help defray ongoing expenses of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County.

Name_____________________________
Address_____________________________________________________________
Phone_____________________________

Please make your tax-deductible check payable to:

Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County
309 West Green Street
Urbana, IL 61801.

This organization needs only a small amount of money to keep doing its work. All members of the Board of Trustees, and all Officers, are volunteers. However, some contributions are needed each year. You will notice that there is no set dollar amount for membership. The voluntary donations that come in are enough to cover the cost of producing and mailing an annual survey and bulletin, and pay for renting a space for the annual meeting. Many other affiliates of the Funeral Consumers Alliance charge annual dues. We do not! But if you would like to make a gift to the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Champaign County,
please send to:

309 W. Green Street
Urbana, Illinois 61801

Your gift is tax deductible, since we are an officially recognized 501(c)(3) organization.

We spend money each year to support the FCA, our national organization, and locally on printed materials, including newsletters, mailings, brochures, and reprints of pamphlets from the FCA. Some of the budget may go towards this web site as we try to share information on local types of funeral services and costs that are available.

This may be the most low-key request for financial assistance you have ever seen, and we are happy to keep it this way.

Thank you for your support!
FCA-CC Board of Trustees