The Pursuit of Excellence Award is presented by NFDA annually to firms that have demonstrated a commitment to raising the bar on funeral service excellence by adhering to strict ethical and professional standards and providing outstanding service to families and communities.
To earn a NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award, a funeral home must demonstrate proficiency in key areas of funeral service, including compliance with state and federal regulations; staff participation in ongoing education and professional development; offering outstanding programs and resources to bereaved families; maintaining an active level of involvement in the community; active participation in and service to the funeral service profession; and promoting funeral home services through a variety of marketing, advertising and public relations programs. Participants are also required to adhere to a Pledge of Ethical Practices.
Information about the NFDA Pursuit of Excellence program can be found by visiting NFDA.org/PursuitOfExcellence.
Entry Deadline
Entries are due 11:59 p.m. CT on July 15, 2025. No exceptions.
Entry Requirements
- All funeral businesses that wish to qualify for Pursuit of Excellence recognition must submit a registration form and entry hat demonstrates their proficiency in six key areas of funeral service.
- First-time participants may describe programs and activities completed during the last three years (July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2025) in their entry.
- Returning participants may only describe programs and activities completed during the past year (July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025) in their entry.
- Please review each criterion carefully and note the specific information required in your description and any documentation that must accompany your entry.
- All descriptions of how a funeral home has fulfilled a particular criterion must be specific. Participants must provide names, dates, places, etc., indicating the "who, what, when, where," etc., as applicable.
- Most criteria do not require documentation; however, criteria descriptions can be supported by documentation (e.g., pictures, certificates, badges, etc.) if the entrant chooses. If documentation is required, it is noted in the criterion description.
- An activity may only be described once in a funeral home's entry (i.e., a single activity cannot be used to fulfill multiple criteria).
- Incomplete or unsatisfactory descriptions for any criterion from the "Basic Requirements" category, or more than three criteria from the remaining five categories of achievement, will result in immediate disqualification. Three or fewer incomplete or unsatisfactory criteria descriptions from the last five categories of achievement will be brought to the attention of the participant. The participant may resubmit items for further review when requested by the Pursuit of Excellence Task Force; if the participant chooses not to do so, they will be disqualified.
- Entries must be submitted in English.
- Please proofread your entry carefully. Spelling and grammar errors are not a sign of excellence and can reflect poorly on a funeral home. Consider having a colleague review your entry before you submit it to NFDA.
- Firms that submit Pursuit of Excellence entries grant NFDA permission to use their firm's name and any materials submitted as part of their entry to promote the Pursuit of Excellence program and in any other manner deemed appropriate by NFDA.
2025 NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Awards
The Pursuit of Excellence Award is presented by NFDA annually to firms that have demonstrated a commitment to raising the bar on funeral service excellence by adhering to strict ethical and professional standards and providing outstanding service to families and communities.
To earn a NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award, a funeral home must demonstrate proficiency in key areas of funeral service, including compliance with state and federal regulations; staff participation in ongoing education and professional development; offering outstanding programs and resources to bereaved families; maintaining an active level of involvement in the community; active participation in and service to the funeral service profession; and promoting funeral home services through a variety of marketing, advertising and public relations programs. Participants are also required to adhere to a Pledge of Ethical Practices.
Information about the NFDA Pursuit of Excellence program can be found by visiting NFDA.org/PursuitOfExcellence.
Entry Deadline
Entries are due 11:59 p.m. CT on July 15, 2025. No exceptions.
Entry Requirements
- All funeral businesses that wish to qualify for Pursuit of Excellence recognition must submit a registration form and entry hat demonstrates their proficiency in six key areas of funeral service.
- First-time participants may describe programs and activities completed during the last three years (July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2025) in their entry.
- Returning participants may only describe programs and activities completed during the past year (July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025) in their entry.
- Please review each criterion carefully and note the specific information required in your description and any documentation that must accompany your entry.
- All descriptions of how a funeral home has fulfilled a particular criterion must be specific. Participants must provide names, dates, places, etc., indicating the "who, what, when, where," etc., as applicable.
- Most criteria do not require documentation; however, criteria descriptions can be supported by documentation (e.g., pictures, certificates, badges, etc.) if the entrant chooses. If documentation is required, it is noted in the criterion description.
- An activity may only be described once in a funeral home's entry (i.e., a single activity cannot be used to fulfill multiple criteria).
- Incomplete or unsatisfactory descriptions for any criterion from the "Basic Requirements" category, or more than three criteria from the remaining five categories of achievement, will result in immediate disqualification. Three or fewer incomplete or unsatisfactory criteria descriptions from the last five categories of achievement will be brought to the attention of the participant. The participant may resubmit items for further review when requested by the Pursuit of Excellence Task Force; if the participant chooses not to do so, they will be disqualified.
- Entries must be submitted in English.
- Please proofread your entry carefully. Spelling and grammar errors are not a sign of excellence and can reflect poorly on a funeral home. Consider having a colleague review your entry before you submit it to NFDA.
- Firms that submit Pursuit of Excellence entries grant NFDA permission to use their firm's name and any materials submitted as part of their entry to promote the Pursuit of Excellence program and in any other manner deemed appropriate by NFDA.