There are estimated to be 2.6 million deaths every year in the US alone, resulting in over 13 million grievers annually. Losing a loved one can be one of the hardest things we ever have to deal with in life. It is a time when we need understanding and a strong support system around us. Fortunately, many charities offer vital services and advice to help people get through these tough times. So we had to ask: What are the best charities that support grieving families?

The best charities that support grieving families are OUR HOUSE, Evermore, and Compassionate Friends. Other charities such as the COPE Foundation, Judi’s House, and the National Alliance for Children’s Grief advocate for parents, siblings, and children dealing with bereavement.

Whether you want to improve access to support for grieving families, or you are someone grieving the loss of a family member and don’t know where to turn, there is a charity for you. Keep reading to learn more about what the best charities for supporting grieving families are all about, how they work, and what your best way would be to make a contribution.

Here’s What All the Best Charities That Support Grieving Families Have in Common

The charities on this list were chosen based on their mission, impact and transparency ratings, and achievements. 

They operate all over the world, from North America to Europe. And they all share the same goal of supporting grieving families. 

All of these charities believe that families should have resources and support networks while going through the process of grief. 

Yet, whether they support families through education programs, advocacy, or community groups, these charities work towards spreading awareness on familial grief, and providing aid for those that need it.

These Are the 9 Best Charities That Support Grieving Families in 2024

Below are our favorite charities for supporting grieving families (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

Best Charities That Support Grieving Families

OUR HOUSE

Evermore

The Compassionate Friends

The COPE Foundation

National Alliance for Children’s Grief

Good Grief 

Eluna Network

Bereaved Parents USA

Judi’s House

(At the end of this article we’ll also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.)

OUR HOUSE: A Grief Support Centre for Children, Teenagers, and Adults

OUR HOUSE was founded in 1993 by Jo-Ann Lautman to provide more services for grieving families in the Los Angeles area. Today, the charity is the most recognized grief support center in California, providing people with grief support groups, education, resources, and hope. 

OUR HOUSE has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“To provide the community with grief support services, education, resources, and hope. Since 1993, OUR HOUSE has helped thousands of grieving children, teens, and adults as they embark upon their journeys to hope and healing.”

OUR HOUSE

OUR HOUSE offers grieving support groups in West Hollywood and online. They have meetings for those who have lost either a partner or spouse, a teen or adult child, a parent, a sibling, or someone close (such as a friend, colleague, or other family member.) They conduct their meetings in both English and Spanish. Furthermore, these groups have fees on a sliding scale from $1, making them accessible to lower-income families. Moreover, OUR HOUSE holds awareness events, such as social mixers, and sponsored walks, to help fundraise for more support services in the area.

Since their founding, OUR HOUSE has remained dedicated to providing vital support for grieving families, reaching over 6600 grieving people a year with their online and in-person services. For example, between 2020 and 2022, they offered grief support to 1,187 adults, 180 children, and 178 caregivers through their workshops and support centers. Furthermore, their annual Camp Erin program invites hundreds of children to a free weekend-long camp, which featured in Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary, ONE LAST HUG. 

You can donate directly to OUR HOUSE through their website. You can also support the charity by buying a personalized memorial brick. In addition, you can sign up to their newsletter to stay up-to-date, and if you are local to West Hollywood, you can also volunteer. 

Evermore: The Nation’s Voice in Advancing Bereavement Care

Evermore was founded in 2014 by Joyal Mulheron to improve bereavement services after she found little support while grieving the death of her daughter. Today, Evermore is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit, working to improve bereavement support in the United States.

Evermore has a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“We are accelerating lasting social change using data and science to drive policy and practice change for all bereaved children and families.”

Evermore 

Evermore has developed 51 state fact sheets for lawmakers to understand childhood bereavement in their jurisdiction. They also fight for consumer rights and price transparency in the funeral industry and hold private briefings with key U.S. Department of Health & Human Services agencies to advocate for better bereavement support. For example, Evermore’s report, ‘America’s Forgotten Orphans’, calls for the White House and Congress to address childhood bereavement.

Since their founding, Evermore has campaigned for bereavement support across the United States. For example, their grief directory is one of the nation’s leading resources for grieving children. This charity has also been featured in global and national news, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and CBS News. Furthermore, their advocacy efforts resulted in the passing of Bea’s Law in Seattle, which extends paid bereavement law.

You can donate directly to Evermore through their website. You can also support the charity by advocating or you can sign up to their newsletter to keep updated with their work.

The Compassionate Friends: A Support System After the Loss of a Child

The Compassionate Friends was set up in 1969 by two grieving families, Joe and Iris Lawley, and Bill and Joan Henderson, after both families lost their sons. While supporting each other through their grief, they formed this charity to help other grieving families worldwide. Today, The Compassionate Friends is an international organization offering hope, friendship, and understanding to people suffering from bereavement. 

The Compassionate Friends has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Silver Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope, and support to every family experiencing the death of a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, or a grandchild, and helps others better assist the grieving family.”

The Compassionate Friends.

The Compassionate Friends have local chapters that hold in-person meetings and support groups for grieving families. Once a year, they also hold a national conference and have an annual Worldwide Candle Lighting, where hundreds of thousands of families light a candle in memory of lost ones. In addition, they hold virtual gatherings, have a quarterly national magazine called ‘We Need Not Walk Alone’, and have a number of online resources for grieving family members. Their online community live chats and private Facebook groups allow for 24/7 support.

Today, The Compassionate Friends reaches grieving families through their 600 chapters, in more than 30 countries and all 50 states. Over one million bereaved family members access their services every year, with around 200,000 people attending their support groups on a monthly basis. In addition, their Worldwide Candle Lighting is thought to be the largest candle lighting event in the world.

You can donate directly to The Compassionate Friends through their website. You can also support the charity by volunteering or signing up to their newsletter to keep updated with their work.

The COPE Foundation: A Grief and Healing Non-Profit Organization

The COPE Foundation was founded in 1999 by Lillian Julien after the loss of her 20 year old daughter in a car accident. Today, the charity supports grieving family members through healing activities like yoga, music, art, and journaling. 

The COPE Foundation has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“By providing help and support, we enable grieving individuals to find strength from within to face the difficult journey that lies ahead.”

The COPE Foundation

The COPE Foundation holds support groups for grieving parents, siblings, and young adults in New York City and Long Island. They also hold regular workshops, some of which have included ‘Supportive Grieving Loved Ones’, ‘Moving Forward as a Surviving Family’, and ‘Healing through Music’. Furthermore, they offer peer support through their COPE Line, which is a phone line for anyone who wants to speak to a volunteer about their grief.

The COPE Foundation holds over 100 support groups a year to support grieving families. For example, in 2022, they reached over 1100 people with their support groups and their unique 26 healing workshops reached over 1000 people. In the same year, their annual COPE Walk raised over $35,000, and their Annual Golf Outing raised over $200,000 for grieving families. 

You can donate directly to The COPE Foundation through their website. You can also support the charity by regularly volunteering with them, or signing up to be a volunteer at Camp Erin. 

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief: Supporting Children Going Through Grief

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief was founded in 1996 by a small group of individuals, including ​​Mary Ann and Jim Emswiler to provide tailored support to grieving children. Today, they are a national charity offering education and resources to support the mental, emotional, and physical health of grieving children. 

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief has a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“No child should have to grieve alone. All bereaved children, no matter where they live or their circumstances, should have the support and resources they need to positively adapt to a loss in their lives.”

National Alliance for Children’s Grief

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief includes thought leaders, researchers, and professionals in the childhood bereavement field to raise awareness and create new research into grief in young people. For example, they hold an annual National Symposium on Children’s Grief, an in-person conference and webcast, and weekly online events to train and educate professionals and adults supporting grieving children.

Since their founding, The National Alliance for Children’s Grief has fought to spread information and compassion to young people going through bereavement. Today, they have nearly 1,400 members across 3 continents. For example, in partnership with the New York Life Foundation, they have committed $1,250,000 in direct support to bereavement programs across the United States. 

You can donate directly to The National Alliance for Children’s Grief through their website. You can also support the charity by becoming a member or purchasing resources and merchandise from their shop. 

Good Grief: Free Support for Children, Teens, and Young Adults After the Loss of a Family Member

Good Grief was founded in 2004 by a group of volunteers, who believed there to be a lack of advocates for children going through grief. Today, they educate and advocate to support young people and families going through loss.

Good Grief has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

“Good Grief builds resilience in children, strengthens families, and empowers communities to grow from loss and adversity.”

Good Grief

Good Grief holds regular Nights of Support in their Princeton and Morristown locations, which offer children a safe space to play, share, and heal. In addition, their StoryCorps programme offers individuals and groups of people the chance to record their grieving story in a recording studio, which are then shared with the community. Moreover, their Whole Child Initiative creates advocacy materials, such as school kits and classroom tips to provide educators with resources to support grieving children. 

Good Grief has helped children across the United States by training professionals so that the future of child bereavement support is more comprehensive. For example, In 2021, they partnered with 242 schools, trained 7,649 professionals, served 14 states and 199 communities, and raised over $1.8 million. They also produced the award-winning MTV documentary, Beautiful Something Left Behind.

You can donate directly to Good Grief through their website. You can also support the charity by holding a sponsored event or by making a gift in tribute to a loved one.

Eluna Network: Supporting Children and Families Impacted by Grief or Addiction

The Eluna Network was founded in 2000 by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jamie Moyer and child advocate Karen Phelps Moyer to support young people through the grieving process. Today, they are a national charity supporting children suffering from grief or addiction within their families across the United States and Canada.

The Eluna Network has a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Our innovative resources and programs address the critical needs of children experiencing powerful, overwhelming and often confusing emotions associated with the death of someone close to them or substance abuse in their family.”

Eluna Network

The Eluna Network partners with charities to host multiple camps for grieving children, such as an in-person and virtual Camp Erin, and Camp Mariposa. They also provide online resources, a fundraising spring soiree, and the Champions for Children awards and scholarship event to empower children to understand and work through their grief.

Since their founding the Eluna Network has provided grieving children with much-needed respite and support. For example, Camp Erin is now the largest national network of grief programs for bereaved young people, which has helped support over 34,000 children. The charity has also partnered with 72 organizations and held over 600 free camps to bring joy to the lives of bereaving children. 

You can donate directly to the Eluna Network through their website. You can also support the charity by hosting a fundraising event, or volunteering.

Bereaved Parents USA: A Centre for Grieving Children

Bereaved Parents USA was founded in 1995 by Joe Rousseau, Mitchell Dudnikov, Mary Cleckley, Shirley Ottman, Chuck Saulisberry, and John Goodrich to set up a national bereavement service for grieving families. Today, they have 56 nationwide chapters, providing resources and support groups to grieving parents and siblings.

Bereaved Parents USA has a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“That every grieving parent and family receive the support they need for as long as they need it. Mission: Helping grieving parents and families rebuild their lives after the death of a child.”

Bereaved Parents USA

Bereaved Parents USA holds an Annual Gathering Conference to offer support for families across the United States. Furthermore, their local chapters have a diverse range of meetings for grieving parents and other family members, such as their Virtual Bereaved Sibling Chapter. Additionally, they have online resources to provide help for anyone grieving the loss of a family member.

Bereaved Parents USA informs and educates people from all walks of life on the grief of parents, siblings, and grandparents. For example, they reach over 100 people at each conference and have grown to include 50 chapters around the USA. Furthermore, they dedicate multiple national awards a year to chapter leaders and volunteers who have made a substantial impact. 

You can donate directly to Bereaved Parents USA through their website. You can also start your own local chapter or sign up to their newsletter to keep updated.

Judi’s House: Side by Side With Families in Grief

Judi’s House was founded in 2002 by Brian Griese, and his wife, Dr. Brook Griese. Brian lost his mother, Judi, at 12 years old, and realized he wanted to support other children going through grief. Today, they offer comprehensive grief care, as well as training, research, and education to grieving families.

Judi’s House has a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Our mission, vision, and core values lay the foundation for Judi’s House/JAG Institute to provide the highest quality care to grieving children and families while being thoughtful in our approach to expanding our reach through training, education, and research.”

Judi’s House

Judi’s House utilizes high-quality research to create the Comprehensive Grief Care® Model, connecting practice, community, and research. They also founded the JAG Institute to provide training and education for grieving families. Additionally, they provide webinars and workshops, grief resources, and a Childhood Bereavement Changemakers program to further support grieving families.

Since their founding, Judi’s House has supported grieving families in Aurora, Colorado, as well as across the nation. For example, they reach over 1,200 people a year through their courses and workshops. Since their founding, they have also achieved 57 grants, totaling over $2 million, including support from the Gates Foundation and the New York Life Foundation.

You can donate directly to Judi’s House through their website. You can also support the charity by hosting a fundraising event, or volunteering.

How Can You Select the Best Charities to Support?

The charities on the list are, we deem, the best charities for supporting grieving families. However, you may have a particular charity you want to support. Let’s look at what you can do to ensure your contribution has the most significant impact.

• Check out the charity website. Charities that are worthy of your donations are transparent in their mission and their figures. Familiarize yourself with their history, mission, and values. Their website usually is the best place to start.
• Identify the charity’s mission. Without a goal, the charity is likely to fail. If the charity’s mission isn’t clear, it’s probably worth looking for a charity that does have a clear mission. 
• Check if the charity has measurable goals. An effective charity has clear goals. You want to know your donation will help the charity reach its goals. But if it doesn’t have targets, it’s likely to fail or squander your gift. The charity should be able to account for its spending and supply evidence of the work they do.
• Assess the successes or goals the charity has achieved. You wouldn’t invest in a business if it kept missing its targets. In the same way, charities are like this too. If no one is assessing a charity’s progress in reaching its targets, the chances are they’re not making a substantial positive change.
• Check the charity’s financials and stats. Trustworthy organizations will publish financial statements and reports each year. Some might be exempt from having to do so, but they should be able to provide them to public members who are interested in donating.
• Locate sources who work with or benefit from the charity. Word of mouth and first-hand experience of a charity’s work lets you know the charity’s quality. If you’re able to do so, check out the charity for yourself or speak to someone familiar with it. This way, your donation will go to the right place. 

How Can You Best Support These Charities?

After you’ve made your decision, it’s time for you to decide on how you’d like to help the charities you’ve chosen. Check how you can help – each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims. Find out what the aim of such programs is and whether they are right for you. 

Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity:

• Donate money. You can find donation pages on the website of most charities. Your donation can be a one-time payment, or you can set it to be deducted regularly at different intervals. You can mostly pay via credit card, but some charities also take PayPal or Bitcoin payments.
• Buy their official merchandise. The charities can also raise money by selling merchandise. So, you can support them by buying the mugs, shirts, caps, pens, pencils, and any other such items they may be selling. Ideally, you should buy as much as you can to share and spread the word about the charity’s activities.
• Engage in volunteer work. As you’ve seen from our descriptions above, some charities engage in a lot of local and grassroots programs. You can help by taking on and organizing the program in your local area.
• Help their fundraising efforts. You can spread the word about the charity in your workplace, school, church, etc., and hold creative fundraising drives on social media or offline within your small circles.
• Share their stories. Most charities have compelling stories that you can share with your audience to attract more people to the cause.

Final Thoughts

Now it is up to you to select the charity that resonates most with you. And whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that they will immensely appreciate your support. Hopefully, the information within this article has made this selection process a bit easier for you to support charities dedicated to supporting grieving families – based on the causes that matter most to you.

Stay impactful,

PS: Finally, I want to leave you with a thought-provoking TED talk from Dan Pallotta, a leading philanthropic activist and fundraiser, about what is wrong with the way we think about charities – and what we can do about it:

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