With one month left to submit entries for the 2026 Pursuit of Excellence Program, now is the moment to turn good intentions into action.

Pursuit of Excellence is about more than earning an award. It’s about recognizing funeral homes that consistently uphold the highest standards of service, ethics, professionalism, and care for families, staff and the communities they serve. The program encourages reflection on how that excellence shows up in day-to-day work, from staff training and community outreach to meaningful services and professional involvement.

Participants often find success by:

• Assigning different categories to different team members, allowing each person to highlight their area of expertise
• Setting internal deadlines to keep the process moving without feeling rushed
• Using specific examples, dates and details to clearly demonstrate impact

Many funeral homes discover that completing a Pursuit of Excellence entry is also a valuable internal exercise. It creates space to step back, recognize staff contributions and see how individual efforts come together to form a culture of excellence.

And for those who’ve provided especially personal and meaningful funerals or memorial services this past year, your entry also makes you eligible for the new Remembering A Life Award, which honors services that go beyond expectations to bring comfort, healing and meaning to families.

With one month remaining before the July 15 deadline, now is the time to log in to NFDA.org/PursuitOfExcellence, review the criteria and continue shaping your story.