We Want Your Feedback!

Have you consulted our Home Funeral Guide? We want your feedback!

About the Home Funeral Guide

This labor of love was created by the NHFA Board with the help of our community volunteers. 
​
Our Home Funeral Guide is available on a pay-what-you-can basis. Any donation you can make supports our ongoing work to provide education and outreach services that help people care for others at home, after death.

Topics covered include: 
  • Planning a Home Funeral
  • ​Building Community
  • Bodycare at Home
  • Disposition After a Home Funeral
  • Grief & Vigils​

As of Fall 2023, the Home Funeral Guide has been downloaded or purchased in paperback over 1,000 times, across twenty countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Aruba, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Sample some of the material featured in the NHFA Guidebook here: Bodycare & Cooling.
​​Read testimonials below!

Get Your Copy in Digital or Paperback

There are now two ways to receive a copy of the Home Funerals Guide!
  1. Register to immediately receive a copy of the Guide available on a pay-what-you-can basis. You will receive two pdf versions -- a version formatted for digital use for a computer, tablet, or phone, and a high-quality version formatted for printing (including spiral bound professional printing, if desired).
  2. Order an Amazon paperback copy of the Guide, available for the cost of printing (USD $20). The NHFA receives a $0.20 royalty on each Amazon copy. PLEASE NOTE: This version's text is approximately 10 pt font and may be difficult for readers who need large print. 

Do you need larger print?

If you need a larger print version of the Guide, we recommend either using the digital use version (which can be enlarged on your screen using the zoom function) or downloading the high-quality PDF for printing (at home or at your local print service). 

Testimonials

Carin M. Bonifacino

Excellent Resource. I have many books and materials related to home funerals but this one is now top of the list. It's all here. Everything you need to know, consider, plan, and prepare for. Get a copy, read through it, and then keep it nearby. It has everything you need to carry out a beautiful, intimate, and community affirming home funeral. Thank you to all the contributors. Well done!

Anne & Paul

We were able to peacefully care for Grandma's body following death - in large part because we had this guide. ​
We felt empowered by your guide and loved the emphasis on tapping into our community support systems. The bodycare at home section was so practical and our total favorite part! It helped us get prepared in advance with materials we might need at the time of death - from Techni Ice to dimensions for a simple homemade shroud. The tips on how to keep Grandma's mouth and eyelids closed were simple - with photos and clear instructions. 
So grateful for all the care and time that went into creating this awesome resource!

Corrections & Updates

Last Updated: January 2024

  • The Guide was updated for readability and print quality in January 2024.
  • An error on p. 104, corrected to read: “Providers of disposition services, such as cemeteries and crematories, are not often used to working directly with the public.”
  • An error on p. 114 in the "Did You Know" Section about Embalming, corrected as follows: It previously said that organs were removed during embalming, but this is actually only done in very special circumstances and is not routine.
  • Page 138: Correction - Photo is by Sarah Crews.​