The Funeral Service Foundation as we know it today is established as a grantmaking organization. The Board of Trustees launches the Hand-in-Hand Endowment with a goal of $5 million. The endowment ensures the Foundation is supported into perpetuity to serve the funeral service profession.
The Foundation begins awarding scholarships to students of funeral service in 2004, funds the Hurricane Katrina Memorial in 2005, produces Screening & Hiring: An Expert Guide to Making the Right Hire, and begins making grants from mature endowment funds in 2006.
In 2011, the Foundation funds a ZMET research study called Breaking the Consumer Code. Focusing on consumer attitudes toward funeral service and deathcare, the landmark research study led to the creation of FAMIC’s Have the Talk of a Lifetime consumer education campaign. In 2013-15, the Foundation and NFDA provide lead gifts in support of the Have the Talk of a Lifetime.