Apply for Funding
Overview
The Community Fund helps make Recompose services accessible to people who could not otherwise afford them. The fund exists thanks to contributions from our community and is available after a death has occurred.
Funding is limited and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The amount available fluctuates throughout the year, so support cannot be guaranteed and depends on fund availability when you apply.
Community Fund Criteria
- Funding is reserved for people who could not otherwise afford the Recompose service at the time of death
- Recompose considers applications once a death has occurred
- Funding is not available for pre-planning or Precompose
- Support is available at two levels: 85% and 50% of Recompose service costs
- 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 to Recompose is complimentary from anywhere within our service area, including all of Washington State and the Portland metro area.
If you are outside our service area, we will coordinate with our transportation partners or a local funeral home of your choosing to ensure your person is safely brought into our care. Transportation costs from outside our service area are determined and billed by the transportation provider.
Please contact anytime our Services team to discuss transport options, costs, and coordinate arrangements 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. Our team 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 team 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 offers two packaging options: our standard packaging in 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
The Community Fund offers two levels of support for people who cannot afford the full price of our service. Applicants self-identify their financial circumstances and available resources so we can determine the appropriate level of support.
50% Support Level
With the 50% support level, the client’s out-of-pocket cost for Recompose’s human composting service is about the same as aquamation or select cremation and burial options.
This level is intended for people who:
- Have no savings or assets and no family or friends with significant financial resources
85% Support Level
With the 85% support level, the client’s out-of-pocket cost for Recompose’s human composting service is about the same as direct cremation.
This level is intended for people who:
- Have no savings or assets and no family or friends with significant financial resources
- And receive food stamps or SSI, or have been impacted by state violence, including unhoused individuals, refugees, and asylum seekers
The money in our Community Fund is limited. Support levels are determined based on each applicant’s circumstances so the fund can support as many people as possible.
Based on the information above, does the person who will be receiving services from Recompose self-identify as a candidate for the Community Fund?