Educational Standards
Education remains a foundational priority. IFDA provides guidance on the educational requirements for funeral director licensure, as well as standards for removal technician certification.
By promoting high-quality training and consistent professional expectations, we help ensure that individuals entering the profession are well-prepared, highly skilled, and aligned with the values of compassionate care.
Continuing Education
Each continuing education course is FREE to take! That’s right! If you paid for and/or attended this year’s convention, you will receive a ConEd card for the course(s) of your choosing upon passing the quiz accompanying each course and completing the course. If you did not pay for/attend convention, there will be a fee ($10.00 per course per member or $25.00 per course per NON-member) for the creation of your ConEd card.
Please contact the office by emailing us at admin@iafda.org.
A Fresh Look At The Funeral Consumer
What Will You Learn?
- Understand Generational Perspectives on Funeral Service.
- Identify Trends in Funeral Planning and Disposition Preferences.
- Adapt Funeral Service Approaches to Changing Consumer Expectations.
Duration: 39 Minutes and 42 Seconds
CE Credit: One
Donating 101 and Connecting with Purpose
What Will You Learn?
- Navigate the donation process with sensitivity and professionalism.
- Empowers individuals to responsibly guide families through the donation journey while connecting them to the meaningful impact of organ and tissue donation.
Duration: 38 Minutes and 3 Seconds
CE Credit: One
Engaging Your Community: Why it Matters and Practical Strategies
What Will You Learn?
- Identify key factors that influence a family’s choice of a funeral home beyond price.
- Explore and implement innovative community engagement strategies that align with their funeral home’s brand and values.
Duration: 44 Minutes and 2 Seconds
CE Credit: One
Funeral Service Loss Exposures and Risk Management
What Will You Learn?
- Risk management and professional liability that includes coverages in the marketplace.
Duration: 43 Minutes and 24 Seconds
CE Credit: One
Helping Children Navigate Loss
What Will You Learn?
- Develop an understanding of EveryStep’s grief and loss services and the support they provide.
- Explore the developmental stages of children and how their comprehension of death and grief evolves with age.
- Learn effective communication strategies for discussing children’s participation in funerals with families.
- Analyze common challenges that may arise when working with families navigating grief and funeral decisions.
- Engage in open discussion and Q&A to address specific scenarios and concerns related to children and funerals.
Duration: 49 Minutes and 1 Second
CE Credit: One
IOSME
What Will You Learn?
- Responsibilities of the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner, and an update on the Office’s plan for expansion.
Duration: 51 Minutes and 5 Seconds
CE Credit: One
KEYNOTE: From the Ashes: Surviving the Station Nightclub Fire
What Will You Learn?
- From Gina Russo: My objective is to let people understand what it’s like to survive something that should have killed me. To go on and live a very fulfilling life while 100 people lost theirs. I want to educate people about what went wrong and what has changed since the Station Night Club Fire. My journey took a turn I never expected but my goal is to live a meaningful life and to give back to so many who helped save my life.
Duration: 49 Minutes and 22 Seconds
CE Credit: One
Medicaid and Estate Recovery
What Will You Learn?
- This program is intended to continue a long-standing relationship between Iowa funeral directors and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Estate Recovery Program
- Assist with day-to-day issues that may arise in the fulfillment of our mutual responsibilities in serving the people of Iowa.
Duration: 1 Hour 2 Minutes and 31 Seconds
CE Credit: One
Practical Self Care Strategies and Managing Burnout for Compassion Fatigue in Funeral Service
What Will You Learn?
- Funeral service is unlike many other professions. It can be isolating and taxing on your body. It is around the clock and many funeral homes lack the staffing. These challenges create roadblocks in funeral service and burn people out that want to create significant change and a meaningful difference. Because you want your career to be a marathon and not a sprint, this information will be critical to ensuring you longevity.
Duration: 53 Minutes and 29 Seconds
CE Credit: One
Preneed Motivators
What Will You Learn?
- Examine the demographics and behaviors of individuals who choose to prearrange their funerals, providing insight into who is most likely to take this step and why.
- Analyzes how consumers move through the consideration process, from initial awareness to final decision-making.
Duration: 34 Minutes and 59 Seconds
CE Credit: One
Preparing Your Funeral Home for Sale: Key Considerations
What Will You Learn?
- Staffing and what it means to potential buyers.
- Things to consider a few years before you are ready to sell.
- How buyers see the impact of headwinds such as an increasing cremation rate.
- What to know and ask of potential buyers.
Duration: 46 Minutes and 11 Seconds
CE Credit: One
The Convergence Between Mental Illness and Criminal Justice
What Will You Learn?
- Outline our mental health care delivery system in Iowa, and many of its pitfalls.
- How we criminalize our state’s mentally ill and how we got “here”.
- Discuss my book, Anyplace but Here, and the reflections outlined in the book and allow time for questions and answers.
Duration: 1 Hour 1 Minute and 30 Seconds
CE Credit: 1.5
What Your Families May Not Tell You About Your Funeral Home…But the Hairdresser and the Clergy Would
What Will You Learn?
- This fun and upbeat lecture addresses some shortcomings, interesting and often over-looked issues pertaining to our facilities, how we conduct business, how we treat the public, how our bodies look, and what the public, hairdresser, clergy, sales reps, trade embalmers see and observe behind the scenes.
Duration: 1 Hour 28 Minutes 8 Seconds
CE Credit: 1.5
Interested in learning more? Click the link below for NFDA’s Continuing Education courses. These courses will not be eligible for IFDA CE credits.
Students
Congratulations on choosing a path that is both meaningful and essential: the field of mortuary science. As you embark on your educational journey and prepare for the rewarding role of caring for families during their most difficult times, it’s good to look ahead at both the opportunities and responsibilities ahead.
One of the most helpful resources you’ll find is the Iowa Funeral Directors Association (IFDA) and our many resources. We offer continuing education, professional development, scholarships, advocacy, and networking tailored to funeral service in Iowa.
Here’s how you can benefit through your relationship with us:
- Scholarships: As a student in mortuary science, you may be eligible to apply for scholarships offered through our IFDA Scholarship program. This opportunity is designed to help those intending to practice in Iowa after graduation.
- Networking & Mentorship: Joining the IFDA connects you to experienced practitioners, funeral home leaders, and peers who understand the unique demands of the profession in Iowa.
- Continuing Education & Resources: As you move toward licensure and beyond, the IFDA will have resources and events to keep you updated on rules, best practices, and emerging trends in funeral service.
- Advocacy & Professional Standards: By engaging with the IFDA, you align with a professional community that values ethics, dignity, and high standards of care for families—important pillars of your future work.
Again, you’ve chosen a career that matters. The role of helping families honor life and manage loss is profound—and we are ready to support you.
Scholarships
The Iowa Funeral Directors Association awards several scholarships each year at the Annual Convention. Scholarships are $500-$1000 and are awarded based on scholastic ability, leadership qualities, citizenship and interest in mortuary science.
Applicants must apply and provide all necessary documentation to the IFDA by March 1, 2026.
To be eligible, students must:
- Be a legal Iowa resident and intend to practice funeral service in Iowa upon graduation;
- Have completed two years and have accumulated 60 credits at an accredited college or university;
- Be enrolled in and attending a program in funeral service or mortuary science education accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education. Students in coordinated programs are only eligible for an award during a period of attendance at the American Board accredited program;
- Have at least one term or semester remaining in his/her program which will commence after the award date in order to be considered for an award.
A non-partisan judge contracted by IFDA will evaluate the applications. Final selection will be based on scholastic ability, leadership qualities, citizenship, and interest in mortuary science, as perceived in the application. The award must be applied to tuition for the following school year and recipients are not permitted to carry over the award from one school year to the next. The scholarship will be made payable jointly to the registrar of the school and the recipient.
IFDA strives to recruit the quality funeral service professionals that will be able to serve the communities of Iowa with professionalism and compassion. Please share this information regarding IFDA scholarships with any students you know who are going to pursue a career in funeral service.