Funeral home working with charities to simplify donation process

A Charlottetown funeral home is trying to make it easier for charities to accept memorial donations in the name of a deceased loved one.

Making donations in lieu of flowers or gifts has grown in popularity over the years, says Jodi Swan, funeral director of the MacLean Funeral Home Swan Chapel.

But it can be a challenge to collect the donations, especially for smaller charities that don't have much staff or resources and aren't set up to receive online donations.

"Oftentimes people will make the bulk of their memorial donations here at the funeral home and pay with cash or cheque at that time," Swan said.

Staff at the MacLean Funeral Home Swan Chapel recently created an infographic to help local charities and simplify the process.

It includes reminders to make sure their contact information that is linked to the funeral home website is correct so donors can contact the charity directly.

And it suggests linking to a service like Canadahelps.org that allows them to establish an online donation portal.

"Our charitable organizations on P.E.I. do so much for the community and if we can do something to support them, then all the better," Swan said.

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