People's Memorial Association

SEATTLE, Washington, 98109 United States

Mission Statement

People’s Memorial Association (PMA) is the trusted resource and thought-leader for funeral choice, education, and advocacy in Washington State. We envision a future where everyone has access to after-death arrangements that reflect their personal values and resources.

About This Cause

Founded in 1939, Peoples Memorial Association was founded by consumer advocates wanting to wrestle control back from the funeral industry. Our non-profit predates all other such associations in our nation and all legislation governing end of life practices. In 2019 we successfully lobbied for two new disposition methods to be made legal in Washington state: alkaline hydrolysis (aka water cremations) and natural organic reduction (aka human composting). Washington became the first state in the nation to make these more environmentally friendly options available. In 2018 we launched the Funeral Financial Assistance fund to help cover the cost of end of life services for those unable to afford them. To date, we've distributed $75,000 to over 120 families. In 1980, before marriage equality was legal, we legalized a process to elect a Registered Agent to oversee end of life care, creating a pathway for gay and LGBTQ+ people to choose unmarried companions as the authority on how someone wants to be celebrated instead of forcing marriage or blood relations to have exclusive authority over end of life plans. Our values are: Respect: Serve the residents of Washington State with dignity and care. Honor the diversity of those we serve. Compassion: Seek to understand the circumstances and needs of families at time of loss. Provide professional services that are appropriate, supportive, and caring. Innovation: Affect positive change to benefit funeral consumers with accessible, efficient, and quality services. Cooperation: Work together with consumers, industry, and government to strengthen the rights and expand the choices for end of life. Advocacy: Support and promote legislation that protects the rights and needs of all funeral consumers at the state and federal levels. Sustainability: Conserve resources and respect the environment to ensure affordability and long-term viability. Ethics: Maintain the highest standards. Be democratic, transparent, and accountable in all aspects of our operations.

People's Memorial Association
2011 1St Ave N
SEATTLE, Washington 98109
United States
Phone 206-325-0489
Unique Identifier 680621888