The Legacy Fund
preserving stories of strength—with your help
A Note from Our Founder
When I began Modern Heirloom Books 10 years ago, my hope was simple: to help people hold their stories in their hands.
Over the years, I’ve had the honor of preserving lives filled with courage, love, and quiet endurance in the pages of our privately published books. Again and again, I’ve been reminded that the stories that most need to be heard are not always the ones that are told.
I was raised by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to give my brother and me every opportunity she could. Her strength, humor, and love shaped the person I became—and also the deep respect I hold for others who give so much of themselves to their families. It’s because of her, and others like her, that I know how many remarkable stories exist in households that might never imagine commissioning a book like the ones I create.
In an ideal world, everyone would have access to a professional writer and designer to help capture their life stories with beauty and care. The Legacy Fund was created to bring us closer to that vision—to make it possible for families of great heart but limited means to see their legacies preserved in heirloom form.
The fund begins by honoring two groups whose lives exemplify courage and devotion: veterans, who have served our country with selflessness, and single parents, who serve their families with that same unyielding spirit.
My hope is that, through this initiative, every contribution—whether financial or through nomination—helps ensure that some of these extraordinary stories will never fade from memory.
Let’s save some lives together, one story at a time…
Whose Stories We’ll Tell
the courage to serve and the courage to nurture are threads of the same human story.
/ Honoring Veterans:
Veterans carry stories that often go untold—of courage and fear, of loss and camaraderie, of duty and endurance.
Through the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with families who have preserved the legacies of their loved ones who served in uniform. Each time, I have been deeply moved by the quiet dignity and humanity threaded through their recollections. Honoring veterans through The Legacy Fund is my way of ensuring that their experiences are not lost to time—that their families, and future generations, will always be able to turn the pages of a book and know the heart and heroism behind the service.
/ Honoring Single Parents:
I was raised by a single mother—strong, loving, and endlessly resourceful. She worked multiple jobs at times, filling our home with warmth, laughter, and the belief that we could become anything we dreamed of.
Single parents—quiet heroes—are often the keepers of stories. Honoring them through The Legacy Fund is both personal and universal—an acknowledgment that strength takes many forms, and that the courage to nurture, protect, and provide is as worthy of remembrance as any act of valor.
Preserving stories of strength.
Every family has a STORY WORTH REMEMBERING. But too often, the voices we most need to hear—the ones full of resilience, sacrifice, and love—go unheard. The Legacy Fund exists to change that. At launch, the fund will underwrite the creation of heirloom-quality books for two groups close to our heart: VETERANS, whose service and sacrifice shapes our nation; and SINGLE MOTHERS, whose courage and devotion shape families every day.
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The Legacy Fund is dedicated to preserving stories of resilience, courage, and love.
With the support of donors, sponsors, and community members, The Legacy Fund provides financial assistance for veterans and single parents who could not otherwise afford to capture their histories in an heirloom book.
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We review each nomination with care, considering both the depth of the story and the circumstances that make it meaningful to preserve now. While we are informed by criteria, the final selections are ultimately guided by heart: the stories that move us, that feel urgent to record, and that embody the spirit of The Legacy Fund.
Nominations are reviewed by a small advisory committee, including the founder of Modern Heirloom Books and selected creatives and family historians who understand the fund’s mission.
Recipients are notified personally once funding for their project has been confirmed. Because the fund can support only a limited number of books each year, nominations may be held for future consideration as funding grows.
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Make a gift to The Legacy Fund and help preserve a story of strength.
Sponsor a family’s book in honor of someone you admire.
Share the mission with your community and help us grow our Circle of Storykeepers.
Nominate a single parent or veteran to receive our services, free of charge.
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Dawn Roode, founder of Modern Heirloom Books, and a handful of early clients were the first to seed The Legacy Fund. Supporters like you are now its heart.
Your generosity directly underwrites the creation of heirloom-quality books for individuals and families whose stories deserve to be remembered but who could not otherwise afford this work. As a Legacy Fund sponsor, you become part of a growing community dedicated to honoring these lives, helping our team at Modern Heirloom Books extend our services with generosity, dignity, and care.
Our goal is to sustain the fund year after year, expanding the number of families whose stories can be told.
The Legacy Fund is an initiative of Modern Heirloom Books, LLC, a for-profit business. Gifts to the fund are not tax-deductible. All funds are reserved exclusively for underwriting legacy book projects for individuals who otherwise would be unable to afford them.A Legacy Fund impact report will be published annually.
