Our goal is to promote the highest standards of funeral service to the public while enhancing the environment in which our members operate. The New York State Funeral Directors Association Inc., (NYSFDA), based in Albany, NY, is among the oldest associations of funeral directors in the United States. Founded in 1889, the NYSFDA assumed its current name in 1933 and now serves roughly 900 members and more than 3,000 funeral directors. NYSFDA members are funeral firms, owners and employees licensed to offer funeral services by the State of New York. Membership benefits include regional meetings throughout the state, a monthly newsletter, updated industry information and compliance materials, mandatory annual OSHA training, topic-specific seminars and other educational programs, and an annual convention and tradeshow. NYSFDA also features a library of published material to help educate consumers about end-of-life issues and to assist funeral directors helping families. The NYSFDA office is home to the NYS Tribute Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting education, outreach and research programs that advance the public's understanding of end-of-life issues. The Foundation uses its philanthropic resources to stimulate research, improve and support professional education, increase public outreach and sponsor forums to foster policy dialogue on important end-of-life issues. NYSFDA members are eligible to participate in PrePlan, a leader in preneed trust fund management offering complete security and flexibility for both consumers and funeral directors. Membership enables enrollment in the Directors Choice Credit Union, (DCCU) which provides banking for funeral association members nationwide. DCCU services are availed to national, state or local funeral service trade association members and their families, including many in livery services. NYSFDA maintains a blog, SympathyNotes.org, and several Social Media pages.