The Black Tie Coalition, founded in February 2024, is a purpose-driven non-profit that has taken on the responsibility to care for those who have yet to find a place of eternal rest. The organization, founded by licensed funeral director Matthew Mazzuchelli, offers direct financial assistance for burial and cremation to families who cannot afford the cost. As a nonprofit, the organization provides burial space, caskets, and direct payments to funeral homes, while also advocating for change. At its core, The Black Tie Coalition is a compassionate movement helping to release a loved one from the morgue with dignity and care.
According to a recent report, Massachusetts is among the top 5 states in the US in terms of unresolved unclaimed person cases. "The number of unclaimed bodies, often contributed by families unable to afford basic cremation fees, and overflowing morgues, point to a pressing social issue," he says.
Perhaps one of the most crucial matters, funeral poverty, has become a defining crisis for many families. "Even the bare minimum, such as cremation expenses, can often be out of reach," he says. "Without payment, hospitals may not be obligated to release a body, leaving the deceased in a morgue for weeks, months, and in some cases, over a year." In his experience, he has witnessed instances where families spend their final days with a dying parent while simultaneously wondering whether they will be able to give them a proper funeral.
"I often come in and comfort them, telling them they don't need to worry about finances and instead make the most of the moments they have left," he explains. For many, that reassurance can be the first moment of relief in an otherwise arduous chapter of life.
The Black Tie Coalition also covers cremation costs, navigates funeral paperwork, and mediates between the hospital, funeral homes, the coroner's office, and families. Mazzuchelli spends much of his time meeting people personally, in ICUs, at hospitals, or in homes, to verify genuine need and to understand the deeper story behind each case. "It gives me the chance to see if this person genuinely needs it," he explains. "Most do. And they have no one else."
Mazzuchelli also highlights that he often receives calls from pastors who have parishioners with no family, from relatives entangled in long-standing animosity, and from hospitals trying to free morgue space, indicating the increasing demand. According to him, poverty is only one part of the issue. Isolation, fractured families, and aging populations with limited support may converge into what Mazzuchelli believes could result in a detrimental impact on society. "If there's a potential influx of unclaimed and abandoned decedents in the future, certain states may not be equipped with the knowledge to react to it," he notes.
Beyond its direct service, the Coalition's work raises deeper questions, ones that stretch far beyond Massachusetts. His views on funeral abandonment touch on ethics, public policy, the structure of families, and the shifting nature of community.
As baby boomers age, Mazzuchelli highlights a pressing matter. "When families have strained relationships, or senior citizens do not have anyone to speak for them, how can they determine what will happen to them?" he asks. "We just might enter a future where we won't know what will happen to the people we now love." In the business world, where compassion may not be guaranteed, Mazzuchelli emphasizes that one way to reach people is through moral clarity. "The reality is simple: the way a society treats its dead reflects the way it values its living," he says.
The Black Tie Coalition is preparing for what the future may demand: greater capacity, broader outreach, and a sustained effort to ensure no one is forgotten after death. The organization's mission is rooted in one unyielding belief: dignity in death is a basic human right. As the organization grows, it's inviting foundations, community members, and policymakers to bolster its impact on larger communities.
As Matthew Mazzuchelli puts it, "Who will stand for us when we are gone? Who will stand for those who have no one? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves more, and within those answers, we might just find how society understands the importance of compassion."
