You can put a small note in the card stating the cash is for anything needed during this difficult time. If you are enclosing the money in a card, you aren't offering it up to her, you are giving it to her.Just write a regular, heartfelt sympathy note and add a line or two about the money near the end. Gently used notes are preferred. The envelope can be handed over to a family member or placed in a designated collection box during the wake. Learn more about how to write meaningful acknowledgement letters to families for donations made in memory of their loved ones with this comprehensive guide. Giving cash is customary, as it symbolises your intent to help the mourning family with funeral costs. Losing a loved one is difficult, even without financial stress of paying for a funeral. A letter of last instruction is an estate planning document that simplifies the communication of instructions and desires following an individual's death. This document typically lays out your legal documents, important personal and financial information, and funeral wishes, among other items.