Winter is officially here, and with the winter season comes the inevitable roller coaster of weather forecasts, winter storms and energy costs.

Andi Schmidtgall is a 34-year-old funeral director and embalmer at Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown, South Dakota.

One of the most important changes we’ve seen in recent years is the shift from physical to virtual events. This shift has changed expectations for what “attendance” means for a funeral service. Now, more than ever, families are looking for ways to connect with their loved ones, even if they cannot physically attend a funeral.

When you’re eligible, claiming tax deductions can be an effective way to reduce your tax burden. If you don’t know certain tax deductions exist, you can find it challenging to identify their available deductions. Surprisingly, certain costs related to your insurance and health care may lower your tax bill. Many times, there is a possibility to deduct your medical expenses, insurance premiums and other health-related costs from your taxes. There are many other things to consider for potential deductions. Working with a financial advisor is best when it comes to all the tax options to find the right strategy for your situation.

Scott L. Green is the president of George Irvin Green Funeral Home Inc. in Munhall, Pennsylvania. He shared his experiences with running a successful funeral home that has been around for more than 80 years.

OGR’s most used member benefit is the Family Contact Survey Program. For years members have relied on the honest feedback they receive from the families they serve through this program. In 2023 this program has been updated to provide better information to you and make it simpler for the families you serve to fill out the survey.

Media, PA—This year, ASD – Answering Service for Directors, the leading call support center for funeral professionals, is celebrating the company’s 50^th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, ASD will be holding a client cocktail party during the 2022 NFDA Convention. The party will take place on Monday, October 10th from 6:30 until 8:30p at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

It’s only September and November may seem like a long time away, yet for busy funeral professionals Veterans Day will arrive before you know it, so start planning now and be prepared when November 11 arrives. Here are some ideas to get you started:

AUBURN, Ind. – The Messenger Company, the leading provider of funeral stationery, personalization solutions and insurance funding, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Thumbies® Fingerprint Keepsakes located in Woodstock, Illinois. This new addition to the Messenger family of companies will allow the Messenger team of sales reps to offer the complete line of Thumbies jewelry in their portfolio of products, supporting the needs of funeral home partners across the country. 

The Order of the Golden Rule's board of directors wants to congratulate the 12 OGR members that were recognized for their excellent work by NFDA's annual Pursuit of Excellence Awards.

KINGSTON, Ontario - YourSocialStrategy.com is announcing a new brand in the funeral industry, FuneralClicks. FuneralClicks is an agency that provides marketing services to funeral homes across North America.

Starmark Cremation Products is pleased to announce that its Nature’s Way® Natural and Terra green burial and cremation containers have been certified by the Green Burial Council.

Inflation is up, the stock market is down and your 401(k) is feeling every bit of that stretch. So how do you keep calm and hold steady when everything around you is spinning out of control? 

Made in the USA. American-made. Made in China. What does it mean to you? What does it mean to your business? What does it mean to your customers? And how is it impacting buying decisions?

S. Chase Lewis is a 39-year-old funeral director at Lewis Funeral Home and Crematory in Milton, Florida.

Kevin Watts is a funeral director and embalmer at Allen- Beyer Funeral Home in Key Largo, Florida. He shared his experiences with running a successful funeral home that has been around for more than 50 years.

The process of cremation has existed for thousands of years and became officially recognized in the United States in 1876. That year, the first U.S. crematorium was built in Washington, Pennsylvania (and not without some controversy, mind you). Although it was official, cremation struggled to gain hold within the general population for 90 years. By the 1970s, cremation rates were just around 5 percent. But in the decades that followed, that rate began to rise at a steady rate. So much so that it has now become the most popular way to memorialize the deceased in the United States.

Have you been keeping up with the 12 Months of Marketing campaign that OGR has been emailing to you every month? If not, then you are missing out on ways to get your funeral home’s name out into the public, invite people into your funeral home for events and gain media attention. Best of all, none of these ideas will bust your budget. 

• Front page article in the newspaper
• Story on the evening news
• Calls coming into your funeral home months and years after an event

OGR's monthly feature previewing education, events and other opportunities coming up over the next three months.