Friends of Life Forest

The Friends of Life Forest Cemetery Revitalization Assistance Program is offered freely and without obligation to cemeteries that meet the following criteria. These qualifications exist not as barriers, but as a way of ensuring that the program’s resources are directed where they can do the most meaningful, lasting good.

1. Cemetery Must Be Inactive: The Friends of Life Forest program is designed specifically for cemeteries that are no longer accepting new burials. Active cemeteries with ongoing interment operations are not eligible for this program at this time.
2. Historical Cemetery, at Least 50 Years Old: Eligible cemeteries must be a minimum of 50 years old. The program is focused on historically significant burial grounds whose heritage, stories, and landscapes deserve preservation and renewed stewardship for future generations.
3. Community-Based Cemetery: The cemetery must serve or have served a broader community and no longer has perpetual care funding. Private family cemeteries are not eligible for this program at this time. Community-based cemeteries may include municipal, religious, fraternal, ethnic, civic, or other publicly-oriented burial grounds.
4. Identified Leadership Contact: Every participating cemetery must have a clearly identified point of contact who is actively engaged in the protection and future of the grounds and will take responsibility for following through on the strategic plan. This leadership role may be fulfilled by a board of directors or governing committee, a designated cemetery manager or caretaker, an ancestral or descendant representative, or a community advocate with demonstrated commitment to the cemetery’s preservation. Life Forest’s experience has shown that the single greatest factor in a cemetery’s revival is the presence of a committed human champion.
5. Vetting Process: All interested cemeteries will undergo a vetting process before being formally welcomed into the program. This consists of a guided series of questions and answers designed to give Life Forest a comprehensive understanding of the cemetery’s history, current condition, community context, and most pressing needs. The vetting process is not an obstacle; it is the beginning of the relationship.
6. No Size or Burial Density Requirement: Friends of Life Forest places no minimum or maximum requirements on the physical size of a cemetery or the number of individuals interred on its grounds. A small rural burial plot with a handful of graves is as deserving of care and protection as a large historic cemetery with thousands. Every sacred space has worth.