Phaneuf Family Foundation taking part in NH Gives 2023

The 501c3 nonprofit Phaneuf Family Foundation is participating in NH Gives on June 6 and 7, 2023. NH Gives is a statewide online 24-hour campaign from the NH Center for Nonprofits to raise awareness about and connect donors to NH nonprofits. Donations during the 24-hour campaign may be made to the Phaneuf Family Foundation here.

What is the Phaneuf Family Foundation?

The Phaneuf Family Foundation launched in fall 2019 to provide funds for New Hampshire and Vermont residents who can’t afford the full cost of a funeral. Here are stories from two  families: 

1. The foundation provided $1,000 to a local funeral home on the Seacoast, helping a mother cremate her daughter and hold a small, private service. The daughter died of an addiction, and the single mother did not have the funds to pay the funeral home balance. The donation bridged the gap between the funds the mother had, what friends provided and what the funeral home discounted.
2. A woman was strangled to death by her husband and in front of their adult daughter, who was also assaulted. The foundation provided $1,000 for the mother to have a viewing, casket, flowers and a proper burial in Blossom Hill Cemetery. The foundation also helped the daughter apply for victim’s assistance to help pay for the funeral.

How the foundation works

Financial assistance has long been available through city, town and state welfare departments to New Hampshire and Vermont families who cannot afford the total cost of a cremation or funeral service. Welfare departments will typically pay an average of $750, and the cheapest service at funeral homes in New Hampshire averages $1,000, meaning that families still need help.

Donations made to the foundation cover a range of costs, from a transportation fee for a service to a complete cremation for deceased residents of New Hampshire and Vermont.

Requests for distributions for a cremation or funeral may be made by a family member, friend, funeral director, social worker, hospice or nursing home employee, or other interested party.

Foundation performance highlights

• By the end of 2023, the Foundation will have provided more than 130 families with grants 
• In its first full year, the foundation granted 41% of the requests it received; in the past year, we granted 67% – an increase of 62%
• The number of requests for grants grew from 40 in our first year to 63 in the last year, an increase of 57%
• In our first year, 15 requests were granted, totaling $3,395. In the last year, we increased that 173% and were able to fulfill 41 requests, totaling $19,028
• The average grant in 2020 was $264. That has grown to $447 in 2023 
• The maximum grant is $1,000

These statistics point to two things: a growing awareness of the foundation’s mission and a growing need for funeral funds for NH families. The future of the foundation depends on an expanded awareness of its mission and amplified donations to fulfill the burgeoning number of requests. 

Program Highlights

The Phaneuf Family Foundation acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the hospice care professionals in New Hampshire and Vermont. That’s why we created the new Caregiver Superstar of the Year Award. 

What is the award?: $500 for the caregiver and $500 for the caregiver’s organization

Scholarships awarded

The Phaneuf Family Foundation also awards $1,000 scholarships annually to future funeral professionals. Scholarships awarded: 

• Nicole Judge of Peterborough, NH, in 2020
• Jennifer Roberts of Concord, NH, in 2021 
• Kora Michaud of Concord, NH, in 2022 

The foundation’s motto is, “Everyone deserves a dignified farewell.” You can donate to the foundation during NH Gives here.