If you came here about a gift to a charity in your will: in fundraising, “legacy gift” often refers to a gift left in a will (a bequest). Talk to the charity and an estate attorney about that. This page is about the other meaning: a gift to your family that passes on a story, a voice, a recipe or a lesson so it outlasts the occasion.
Below are ten ideas, what goes into each and roughly how long each takes. The time estimates are approximate and assume you’re doing the work yourself.
Quick comparison
| Idea | Best from / for | Rough time |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded life interview | Grandparent or parent, for the family | An afternoon, plus a few hours of labeling |
| Letters for each grandchild | Grandparent, for each grandchild | A weekend |
| Family recipe book with stories | Anyone who cooks, for the whole family | A few weekends |
| An heirloom with its story | Owner of the object, for whoever receives it | An evening per object |
| “Open when” letters | Parent or grandparent, for a child | A weekend |
| Life timeline | Adult children, for a parent’s milestone birthday | A weekend |
| Family history book | One organizer, for the whole family | Several months |
| A skill on video | Anyone with a craft or tradition | An afternoon |
| Annual family yearbook | One organizer, every year | A few evenings a year |
| A letter of values | Parent or grandparent, for the family | A few evenings |
1. A recorded life interview
What goes in: one or two hours of conversation, recorded on a phone, with a short written list of what was covered and roughly where in the recording each topic starts.
Sit down with a parent or grandparent and ask about their childhood, how they met their partner, work, hard years and what they’d like the family to remember. Ask follow-up questions, such as “What happened next?” or “Who else was there?” The interview guide covers preparation and the voice notes guide covers recording.
Give copies of the audio file to each branch of the family. Keep the original in two places.
2. Letters for each grandchild
What goes in: one handwritten or typed letter per grandchild, a page or two each, with a specific memory of that child and something the writer hopes for them.
Generic advice reads the same to every grandchild. A line like “I remember the day you caught your first fish and wouldn’t let anyone else hold it” is theirs alone. Put each letter in an envelope with the grandchild’s name.
3. A family recipe book with the stories
What goes in: ten to thirty family recipes, each with who made it, when it was served and a short story or memory. Photograph handwritten recipe cards rather than retyping them, so the handwriting is kept too.
Ask relatives which dishes they think of first. Where a recipe has competing versions, include both and say whose is whose.
4. An heirloom with its story attached
What goes in: the object itself, plus a card or letter that says where it came from, who owned it, what it was used for and any stories about it.
A watch, a quilt, a toolbox or a set of dishes means far less to the next generation without the story. Write down what you know and mark what you’re unsure of. The family heirloom guide has a simple way to record it. Who inherits an object is a legal decision; keep that in the appropriate documents.
5. “Open when” letters
What goes in: a small stack of sealed letters for a child or grandchild, each labeled for a moment: “Open on your 18th birthday,” “Open on your wedding day,” “Open when you have your first child.”
Write each one for that moment. Store them with someone who’ll be around to hand them over, and tell them where they are.
6. A life timeline for a milestone birthday
What goes in: a timeline of a parent’s or grandparent’s life, decade by decade, with photos and a story from family members for each period. It can be a printed poster, a short book or a slideshow at the party.
This is a good gift from adult children for a 70th or 80th birthday, because the person can still correct and add to it. The life timeline guide has a worksheet.
7. A family history book
What goes in: a family tree, stories of the people on it, photos, documents and maps. This is the biggest project on the list and usually takes months.
If you want to try it, the family history book guide walks through structure and research. If time is short, pick one branch or one generation and leave the rest for later.
8. A skill or tradition on video
What goes in: a short video of someone doing something they’re known for: making bread, tying a fishing fly, playing a song, carving the holiday turkey. Ask them to explain what they’re doing and where they learned it.
It takes one afternoon and needs only a phone on a stand. For ideas, see family traditions.
9. An annual family yearbook
What goes in: each year’s best photos, a short note on what changed in the family (moves, births, new jobs) and one story from each household.
One person collects in December and makes a short book or PDF. Over ten years it becomes a family record nobody had to sit down and write in one go.
10. A letter of values
What goes in: a letter, sometimes called an ethical will, that sets out what the writer believes, what they learned the hard way and what they hope for the family. It isn’t a legal document.
The legacy letter template has a fill-in outline and an example.
Making any of these easier to finish
- Start with one person and one audience. “Grandpa’s stories for the grandchildren” is easier to finish than “our family history.”
- Ask one or two helpers, not everyone. One person for dates and names, one for photos.
- Label as you go. Write who, when and where on every photo and recording while someone can still answer.
- Keep the originals. Give copies, and store original recordings and documents in two places.
- Let the person decide what to share. Some stories are private. A gift doesn’t need to include everything to be worth giving.
For more ideas from grandparents specifically, see grandparent gift ideas.