Anyone working as a medium knows the question behind the question: "How do I know this is real?" An independent certification is one of the few ways to give a solid answer. The Forever Family Foundation (FFF) runs one of the best-known and most demanding evaluation procedures for mediums in the English-speaking world – and it is free. For mediums who want to take this path, this article explains what the foundation is, how the evaluation works, what the requirements are, how to apply – and, honestly, what the certification does and does not prove.
What is the Forever Family Foundation?
The Forever Family Foundation is a US non-profit (501(c)(3) status), founded in 2004 by Phran and Bob Ginsberg after the family lost a daughter. Its mission sits at the intersection of science and spirituality: it gathers and shares evidence that consciousness may survive physical death, while also supporting the bereaved. The foundation is run entirely by volunteers, with no paid staff, and has over 17,000 members worldwide. Alongside grief support, its "Afterlife Science" education work and the Signs of Life radio show, it runs its best-known project: the certification of mediums.
Why get certified at all?
The market for mediumship is hard to navigate, and self-descriptions are worthless – anyone can call themselves a "tested medium". An FFF certification is therefore above all a signal of trust toward the bereaved: it shows that an independent body has assessed accuracy under controlled conditions. Unlike many commercial "directories", this listing cannot be bought – the listed mediums did not pay for it, and the evaluation itself is free of charge. That is exactly what makes the listing valuable. Our guide "How do I recognise a serious medium?" describes the same quality markers from the client's point of view.
How does the evaluation work?
The procedure is called the Medium Evaluation Certification Process and is designed as a blinded, science-oriented examination. Its goal is to show that a medium brings forth information without resorting to fraud, research or cold reading. The key points:
- Online via webcam. Sessions take place over the internet, making it possible to involve participants from different countries.
- Several unknown sitters. The medium reads for a number of sitters about whom it has no prior information. Selection is controlled so that there is no previous contact and no background knowledge.
- Composite scoring. Hits are captured through a scoring system that measures the accuracy of the information given – structured, not by gut feeling.
- Blinding against cues. The setting is built so that the medium can draw as little as possible from reactions, appearance or small talk.
Methodologically this resembles the academic protocols with which, for example, Dr Julie Beischel at the Windbridge Research Center studied mediumistic accuracy – though not within the same multiply-blinded, peer-reviewed study framework.
Requirements
- At least three months of membership. Before applying you should have been an FFF member for at least three months and become familiar with the foundation's goals, mission and work.
- An established ability. The process is explicitly demanding and aimed at experienced mediums. Those who feel still in the developmental stage are expressly asked to wait until their mediumship is genuinely solid.
- Willingness to volunteer. Those who pass commit to donating part of their time to the foundation's work – for example sittings for the bereaved. This is, in a sense, the "consideration" in place of a fee.
What does it cost?
The evaluation itself is free ("conducted free of charge"). There is no fee for the test and – this is explicitly stressed – you cannot buy your way onto the list. The only indirect cost is the (modest) membership fee for the required three months of membership. Compared with course-based "certifications", where you essentially pay for the certificate, this is a fundamental difference.
How high is the bar, really?
High. The foundation describes the process as very rigorous, and the numbers bear that out: since it began in 2005, only about 27 mediums have been certified in total, with a pass rate on the order of 10–15%. This is not a formality you knock out on the side – it is a serious examination that the majority of applicants fail. If you want to judge realistically whether you are ready, our article "Can clairvoyance be learned?" offers an honest take on the usual developmental paths and timeframes.
How to apply
Getting started is straightforward: first become a member of the Forever Family Foundation and let the required three months pass. Then send an email with your complete contact information to the address responsible for the certification process:
mcp@foreverfamilyfoundation.org
Current details and the official process document are available directly from the foundation: foreverfamilyfoundation.org/certified-mediums. As requirements can change, it is always worth checking the original page before applying.
An honest assessment
With all due respect, fairness also means the fine print. The FFF is an advocacy organisation that explicitly holds the survival hypothesis – it is not a neutral research institute, and its procedure is not peer-reviewed or independently audited. The exact thresholds and the precise scoring methodology are not fully disclosed publicly. A passed certification is therefore not "scientific proof" of mediumistic ability, but it is considerably more than a self-description: a credible quality signal tested under blinded conditions. Communicate it that way – honestly, without overstatement – and you gain a genuine head start in trust.
Related paths
The FFF is not the only address. Closer to research and even stricter is the Windbridge Research Center (an eight-step screening, though now closed). In the UK the Spiritualists' National Union awards recognised practitioner qualifications (CSNU/DSNU), often via the renowned Arthur Findlay College. For a compact overview of serious evaluating bodies, see our overview of certifications.
Sources:
• Forever Family Foundation: Certified Mediums(link).
• Forever Family Foundation: Medium Evaluation Certification Process(link).
• Forever Family Foundation: Home / About(link).
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