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Overview
The Community Fund exists thanks to generous contributions from our community. The fund helps provide the Recompose service to people who could not otherwise afford it. Access to this funding is first come, first served, and is awarded only once a death has occurred.
The amount available in the Community Fund fluctuates throughout the year. Distributions are dependent on the funding available at the time of application.
Community Fund Criteria
- Funding is reserved for individuals who would otherwise be unable to afford the Recompose service at the time a death has occurred
- Recompose considers applications once a death has occurred or is imminent
- Funding is not available for pre-planning or Precompose
- Applicants may receive up to $6,700 towards the $7,000 price of our service
- Ceremonies or events are not included in the services covered by the Community Fund
- Shipping of soil is not included in the services covered by the Community Fund
- Out-of-state transport (except for the Portland metro area) is not included in the services covered by the Community Fund
The Following Services are covered by the Community Fund:
Our Services team is knowledgeable and responsive throughout the 8 to 12 weeks your person is in our care. Our licensed funeral directors have decades of experience providing personalized care and guidance.
Transportation of the body to Recompose is complimentary from anywhere within our service area, which encompasses all of Washington State and the Portland metro area.
If you are outside our service area, we will coordinate transportation with a funeral home in your area. The cost of transportation to Recompose from outside our service area is determined and billed by the local funeral home you choose to work with. Learn more about transportation here.
We are available to discuss transport options and coordinate arrangements. Please contact our Services team at (206) 800-8733 or services@recompose.life.
If needed, Recompose offers onsite cooled storage for up to four weeks.
The death certificate is a mandatory legal document that registers each death with the appropriate local authorities. Recompose’s Services Specialists will handle the filing of the death certificate for residents Washington State.
If you need a certified copy of the death certificate for a bank or insurance claim, our staff can help you order as many as you need. In most cases, we can assist you in ordering copies from your local vital records office and have them mailed directly to you. Fees for each death certificate vary by county. For example, as of January 2021, King County charges $25 each.
County fees such as Medical Examiner reviews and disposition approval fees are included as a part of the cost for our composting services. Before a death certificate is certified, country registrars and some District Attorney offices review information such as cause of death identified on the death certificate and grant approval for disposition to proceed.
You may choose to have an obituary published on our website and include multiple pictures in a photo gallery. The obituary can include links for guests to make a donation in honor of your loved one.
Our staff is available to assist you in writing your tribute. We also have a guide, Tips for Writing an Obituary, to help make the process more manageable and straightforward.
The transformation into soil will be tailored to your person and managed by the leading experts in human composting. Our Services team will communicate with you at pivotal moments throughout your person’s transformation into soil. You will be updated at key stages of the process.
Eight to 12 weeks after your person is placed into the vessel, they will become nutrient-rich soil ready to nourish the land and give back to the earth.
The amount of soil for each person varies. Typically about a cubic yard of soil is produced that weighs between 500 to 1,000 pounds.
You can choose how much soil to keep or donate to conservation efforts. If you choose to keep your person’s soil, it will be packaged in durable paper bags.
Note: while soil pick up from Recompose is included in the human composting price, the shipping of soil is an additional cost. See our Price List for more information.
Recompose currently offers two packaging options: our standard packaging in durable paper bags and a smaller specialty container available for purchase. Learn more about packaging options.
See our Price List for more information.
Access to the Community Fund
Access to the Community Fund is provided on a sliding-scale basis. We ask applicants to self-identify their access to income and assets. We trust our community to choose the level of payment that best represents their unique, individual situation and financial resources.
As you choose your level of support, please remember that the money in our Community Fund is limited. Recompose revenue is used to pay for staff salaries, client care, and the work of bringing this ecological death care option to the world. The fund is meant to support those with little savings or assets or who are otherwise struggling financially.
Here are a few ways to assess eligibility for the Community Fund:
- They qualify for Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI) asset requirements of countable resources not worth more than $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple
- They receive (or received prior to death) food stamps
- They have no savings or other assets
- They have been impacted by state violence (unhoused individuals, refugees, asylum seekers)
- They do not have family or friends with significant financial resources
Does the person who will be receiving services from Recompose self-identify as a candidate for the Community Fund?