One Billion Legacy Letters

Legacy Letters — a feature in our FamilyOS — allows families to write letters either in general or to specific people. These letters can be delivered on a specific date or by a designated legacy contact.

We love when people write about their family history, share pride in their children, or express gratitude. But truthfully, we’re happy when they write anything at all.

The Power of a Legacy Letter

One client once shared that after her father passed away, she discovered a handwritten letter he had written to her. She created a digital copy and keeps the original in her jewelry box. Every year on his birthday, she re-reads it. 

She says it is one of the most valuable things her father left behind.

That story captures the essence of legacy planning — connection, reflection, and meaning that lasts beyond a lifetime.

The Advisor’s Role in Legacy Work

This is why we work so closely with wealth advisors. 

Advisors are already on the periphery of legacy work, and sometimes all it takes is a gentle nudge in a check-in meeting to get a client started. 

One advisor told us about a client who had been reluctant to write a letter to his daughter. The advisor suggested he write about gardening, a shared love since she was a little girl. That letter became a treasured moment between them.

Clients rarely walk into meetings asking to write a legacy letter. 

But when prompted, many realize it’s something they’ve been meaning to do for years. 

The best advisors don’t wait for permission to bring up something valuable.

Helping Clients Begin

Advisors don’t write these letters for their clients — they encourage the behavior. They meet clients where they are. 

Not every letter needs to be perfectly emotional or profound. 

The most important thing is simply to begin. 

The first letter is always the hardest.

Legacy letters change both the people who receive them and the person who writes them. The act itself brings clarity, connection, and perspective. 

It creates a window into what matters most.

How FamilyOS Makes It Simple

Inside FamilyOS, clients can begin writing right away. They can:

• Save drafts and come back later
  

• Schedule future deliveries
  

• Store letters securely for safekeeping
  

Our FamilyOS platform is secure and private — unlike many email providers, your client’s data isn’t sold to advertisers.

But the truth is, the most important thing is that these letters get written — in whatever way possible.

It’s always too soon until it’s too late.

The Vision: One Billion Legacy Letters

There are roughly 300,000 wealth advisors in the United States.

If each advisor serves 100 households — and across those households there are 200 individuals — imagine if every one of those individuals wrote one legacy letter per year for 20 years.

300,000 advisors x 200 individuals x 20 years = 1.2 billion legacy letters.

That’s:

• 1.2 billion moments for someone to feel remembered, seen, or loved.
  

• 1.2 billion connections from someone who is no longer here.
  

That’s the kind of change we want to make — doing legacy work better, together with Visionary Advisors.