No One Wants To Think About Death

Two weeks ago, we launched the BUILD Coalition. We have been overwhelmed by the support, donations, and kind words since. Thank you for supporting us, BUILDco, and America’s bereaved.

When we talked about starting a bereavement nonprofit, we wanted a philosophical guide that we could return to for years to come. The foundation of which is: collaboration secures more sustainable change than conflict.

We don’t proceed from the assumption America’s institutions have failed the bereaved out of malice. In recent years Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook and Tom Barklage of Johnson & Johnson have written about their experiences, after the death of loved ones, finding their companies were ill-equipped to handle the challenges of bereavement. When Sandberg and Barklage spoke up, their companies made improvements.

This raises a critical point. Resistance to change isn’t always the barrier to change. One of our greatest challenges is no one wants to think about death.

These experiences also highlight: the bereaved and institutions are not in a zero sum game. Many employers want to do what they can to alleviate the burdens the bereaved face. They just need to learn what those burdens are.

To learn more about our other philosophies, visit the Learn More page.

You can support BUILD at this time in a few key ways.

• Connect with us by signing up for our newsletter online and following us on Instagram and LinkedIn

• Share our website and socials within your network

• Know someone with expertise or experience that may help further BUILDco’s goals? Let us know!

In asking you to serve as the foundation for the BUILD Coalition, we believe we can bridge the gap between the bereaved and America’s institutions, to create a better tomorrow for everyone.