Funeral Women Lead Foundation, the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation dedicated exclusively to advancing, developing, and supporting women and those who identify as women in funeral service and deathcare, announced the launch of its Leadership + Wellness Community. Designed to connect and support women across the profession year-round, the new membership experience premiered at a sold-out Unleashed Summit held September 28 through 30 at Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
The community and its dedicated mobile app debuted to 106 women attending the summit from 29 U.S. states and Canada, including 11 scholarship recipients. Summit attendees were among the first to explore the app and enroll in membership. By creating a continuous online space for women to connect, learn, share resources, and grow as leaders, the new community extends the organization’s mission beyond traditional conferences and educational events.
“Leadership doesn’t develop in a single conference, conversation or moment. It grows through continued learning, meaningful relationships and having people you can turn to through both the wins and the challenges,” said Erin Wilson, senior director of education + program strategy at Funeral Women Lead. “That’s what we’re building with this community: a place where women across funeral service and deathcare can find their people, learn from one another and have access to connection and support throughout every stage of their careers.”
Mobile App Features and Membership Benefits
The Funeral Women Lead mobile app serves as the central hub for the community. Members can participate in discussion questions and polls, access resource drops and mini-lessons, build mentor and mentee connections, celebrate professional milestones, and find encouragement while navigating industry challenges. The platform also provides centralized access to educational tools, exclusive programming, and member networking.
Annual membership is available for $225, or $20 on a monthly basis. Subscription includes full access to the Leadership + Wellness Community and future foundation networks, four complimentary educational webinars per year, premier access to the Resource Hub, early event registration, an optional member directory, partner discounts, official membership recognition, and exclusive opportunities at select Funeral Women Lead events.
Founding Leadership Academy Class Graduates
The inaugural Women’s Leadership Academy cohort of 16 professionals celebrated their graduation prior to the official app launch. Concurrently, a new cohort of 25 members—including five scholarship recipients—began their 18-month leadership journey. Over the next year and a half, these participants will engage in monthly leadership development sessions, one-to-one mentorship, peer community networking, and wellness-integrated programming. The Academy’s enrollment grew by 56 percent in its first year, while attendance at the Unleashed Summit increased 66 percent over its debut event, rising from 66 to 106 participants.
“The graduation of our first-ever Women’s Leadership Academy cohort, the expansion and success of our second Unleashed Summit, and the launch of our community are powerful indicators of the passion of the women of our profession, and how needed these types of programs and experiences are to support them,” said Lisa Baue, founder of Funeral Women Lead. “We exist to unleash the greatness in the women of our profession and thanks to the support of our partners, our board and every woman in this community, we’re making big strides.”
About Funeral Women Lead
Funeral Women Lead is a 501(c)(3) foundation that believes women are key to the future and sustainability of the funeral and deathcare profession. It pursues its mission to unleash greatness in the women of the funeral and deathcare professions through outreach, coaching and mentoring, a leadership academy, wellness initiatives, and scholarships for professional development. Bringing together leaders, sponsors, researchers, and supporters, Funeral Women Lead champions women as essential architects of next-era leadership in funeral service. To learn more about the organization, visit www.funeralwomenlead.org.
