Help Fund a Unique Bereavement Support Venture

Hi everyone, thank you for visiting my page and considering supporting my small business goals. Here is my story:

When my dad died, there was no will, no clear instructions of death wishes, and no money. My dad's body was stored in the morgue for around two or three weeks before his son could gather the funds for cremation. There was no funeral service and his one-year memorial was bleak with roughly six or seven people in attendance. This experience taught me that dying well requires support, resources, and a network of people who work collaboratively to serve the dying a bereaved.

Death and birth are the only two undeniably universal, share human experiences. We should be as open and confident in sharing death and grief, as we are with new life and birth.

I have finally reached a chapter in my life where I feel ready, knowledgeable, and have the confidence to start my own business in a field that I hold near and dear to my heart. The only thing holding me back right now is startup costs. So let me tell you about my business.

The state of Montana is funding my certification as a death doula. By the end of June, I will receive that certification and also, with funding, hope to complete a course in family conflict resolution for folx serving folx who are experiencing a significant lost. Additionally, I hope to complete certification to offer workshops in DEI for healthcare workers who serve the terminally ill.

In short, as a death doula, midwife, end of life advocate, or whatever term makes you feel more comfortable with my chosen path, I will be offering the following services:

*Liminal Showers, LLC does not provide licensed grief or groups therapy, or medical healthcare support.

I chose to start with an LLC because I need to make a living wage, which is rarely possible, in the first few years, with a nonprofit organization. I have also experienced so much discrimination, varying forms of micro and macroaggressions, and genuinely painful moments of betrayal in the nonprofit world. I need to work for myself. I am ready to work for myself. I have been working with Prospera who have offered free resources to help me succeed as a new business owner, and I have been referred to a CPA. We are exploring the possibility of a charitable LLC. In the future, I hope to be able to accept tax-deductible donations and grants to help build a pool of funding that can support low-income, Montana residents who need financial assistance to honor their loved one's dying wishes.

With all of these goals in mind, here is a breakdown of my budget for start-up costs that will allow me to successfully launch Liminal Showers, LLC. This budget reflects 6 months operating costs while I grow my brand and work to create partnerships in the community:

Insurance: $360.00

Laptop: $250.00

Website (w/ domain & workspace): $336.00

Trademark Registration: $20.00

Canva: $90.00

Retail: $500.00

Funeral Conflict Resolution training: $40.00

100 Business cards (vista print): $30.00

50 Trifold brochures (canva): $53.00

Printer: $250.00

Business Space Rent: $4,245.00

Event Banner: $50.00

Business Phone: $200.00

Office Supplies: $100.00

Total: $6,524.00

With your support, I will have the privilege of starting my own business in something that is driven by passion and experience. Not only will you be investing in my future as a business owner, you will also be investing my my academic career. I am currently pursuing PhD programs that will support me in a focus of study around Thanatology (study of death, dying, and bereavement). I hope to draw insight, data, guidance, and connections from this work that will help to normalize discussions around death and dying.

Thank you so much for your consideration in offering support. All of your donations will go directly towards my budget.