Brookfield, Wis. – What families want from a funeral is changing, and how funeral directors guide them through those conversations must evolve, too.
More than ever, families are looking for services that are personal, authentic and reflective of the life being honored. To help funeral professionals meet that moment with confidence and creativity, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), in partnership with InSight Institute, has opened registration for its 2026 Certified Celebrant Training. The three-day, hands-on program will take place June 24 through 26 at NFDA headquarters in Brookfield, Wisconsin.
Certified celebrants play a unique and increasingly essential role in today’s funeral experience. They help families move beyond templates and traditions they may not fully connect with, guiding them instead toward services that feel meaningful, inclusive and true to the individual being remembered.
A Skillset Built for Today’s Families
Led by InSight Institute’s Glenda Stansbury, MA, CFSP, the training blends instruction, practice and real-world application to help participants strengthen both their communication and creative planning skills. Participants will learn to:
- Facilitate more open, effective conversations with families
- Translate stories, values and memories into meaningful ceremonies
- Integrate music, readings and personal elements with intention
- Deliver services with confidence, presence and authenticity
- Position celebrant services as a valuable offering within their communities
Whether working with families who prefer a traditional service with personal touches or those seeking something entirely different, celebrants are uniquely equipped to meet people where they are.
Registration is now open. Visit NFDA.org/Events to learn more and reserve your place.
Expanding Access Through Scholarships
The Funeral Service Foundation continues to support professionals who are committed to serving families in deeper, more personalized ways.
Recognizing that meaningful memorialization often involves a broader circle of care, scholarships are open not only to funeral directors but also to hospice and healthcare professionals, clergy, chaplains, educators, counselors, social workers and others who collaborate with funeral homes. Applicants must be verifiably affiliated with at least one funeral home and interested in becoming a Certified Celebrant.
Ten scholarships are available for the June 24 through 26 training. Each scholarship is valued at up to $2,000 and includes registration, two nights of hotel accommodations and up to $500 in travel reimbursement.
The application period runs through April 16. Candidates are required to submit responses to six short-answer questions, a brief video (no more than two minutes) and a letter of recommendation. To apply, visit FuneralServiceFoundation.org/Scholarship-Opportunities.
NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org.
