Everlasting Love Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving human stories through Digital Legacy Gardens, is reminding organizations in funeral service that applications remain open for its Memorial Modernization Grant. The company will be sharing more about the initiative — and its broader mission to redefine how communities experience memory — at the Everlasting Love booth (Booth 870) during the ICCFA Experience 2026 in Fort Worth. The selected grant recipient will be announced live on May 1.
Reimagining What Memorial Spaces Can Be
The Memorial Modernization Grant reflects Everlasting Love’s belief that memorial spaces should evolve beyond traditional design. Instead of remaining static, they should become places where people can visit, reflect, and reconnect in meaningful, living ways.
The selected site will receive a full modernization package, which may include:
- Landscape enhancements, such as butterfly gardens and layout refinements.
- Digital monument systems that allow families to access and contribute to long‑term legacy records.
- Legacy preservation infrastructure designed to protect personal histories across generations.
- A public unveiling and documentation of the transformation.
Leadership Perspective
“Memorial spaces shape how we remember — and how we continue to feel connected to the people who came before us,” said Marie Batten, executive director of Everlasting Love (pictured at top). “This grant allows us to partner with a community that’s ready to reimagine what remembrance can look like today. We’re not just preserving stories; we’re creating places where those stories can be felt, shared, and lived.”
A Mission Rooted in Preserving Identity
Founded in 2018, Everlasting Love began as a research initiative focused on memory loss in veterans. That work evolved into a national movement to ensure that stories, identities, and family connections are never lost to time. Today, the organization partners with cemeteries, funeral homes, municipal memorials, and veteran sites to bring long‑term remembrance systems directly into the communities they serve.
How to Apply
Memorial sites of all types — including cemeteries, funeral homes, municipal memorials, and veterans memorials—are encouraged to apply.
Grant application link: https://lnkd.in/eBe2ZG-V…