OGR is proud to welcome Passages International as its newest Endorsed Supplier. Endorsed suppliers must meet exact requirements and complete an in-depth review process before an endorsement is granted by OGR. The products awarded an endorsement are identified with the OGR Endorsed Supplier logo. 

"We are so pleased that Passages has chosen to become an Endorsed Supplier with OGR. We value our members and want to give them the best possible experience with our association. In choosing to become an Endorsed Supplier, Passages has allowed us to support them in ways that bring us closer together as partners in our shared mission of making independent funeral homes exceptional,” said Wendy King, Executive Director/CEO of OGR. 

The International Order of the Golden Rule (OGR) is proud to announce that Rafael (Raffy) Jose is the winner of the 2023 Golden Light Award. The award was presented on May 3, 2023, at the Golden Circle Celebration Awards Dinner held a in Indianapolis. 

Get ready to mark your calendars because the event of the year is just around the corner! OGR's Annual Conference is the ultimate gathering of like-minded individuals who are passionate about the funeral profession. It's the perfect opportunity to reconnect with fellow colleagues and suppliers, and the best part is, it's happening in person! With an innovative educational program and exclusive networking opportunities, you won't want to miss out on the 2023 OGR Annual Conference. Here are five top reasons why you need to be there.

It feels like forever that we have been heads down, mired in the day-to-day tasks of running our business. We are all exhausted. We hear a lot about self-care, but who has the luxury to do that? And what does that mean anyway? Yoga, meditation, sleeping in? You’re probably thinking, “I don’t have time for that. I have a business to run.”

OGR will have three vacancies on its Board of Directors to fill this year. Voting opened in January and the winners will be inducted as part of the Golden Circle Celebration Dinner at the Annual Conference in Indianapolis this May. Below are the three employees of OGR-member funeral homes who have been nominated to fill those vacancies.

What would change if you could see the cremation process through your customer’s eyes? What if you had an unlimited budget and plenty of staff? What would your cremation offerings look like if you had no limits to what you could do? Find out by attending this facilitated problem-solving event based on the IDEO Human Centered Design Thinking approach.

OGR Study Groups are one of our most valuable member benefit programs. As COVID travel restrictions eased, two of our groups met in the fall of 2022. The East Coast Study Group met at Hummel Funeral Home in Akron, Ohio, and the West Coast Study Group met at Thomas Miller Mortuary & Crematory in Corona, California.

How many calls are you missing out on by ranking one spot lower than your competitor on Google?

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.