Our Mission to Fix Giving
A quiet afternoon by the sea and a vision for a better way to give. This is the story of how we’re fusing tech expertise with a non-profit model to ensure your generosity never feels like an unfinished story.
Inherited Wisdom, Modern Mission
The story of Legacy began with a quiet promise our founder Herbie made to himself when he turned 28; to give back 5% of everything he earned.
This wasn’t a calculated financial move or a search for a tax break; it was a deeply personal mission to ensure that his time here added something meaningful to the world. He was guided by an echo from his childhood, a philosophy passed down from his father, a lifelong canoeist who always told him to “leave only ripples.” On the water, it’s a lesson in humility, a reminder to move through the world with such respect that you leave the environment exactly as you found it.
But over the years, that sentiment evolved into a deeper calling. He realised that while leaving no trace is an act of quiet respect, leaving the world better than you found it is a legacy. The pledge of giving wasn’t just about the money; it was about honoring his father’s wisdom while proving that the greatest thing we can leave behind is a world that is better because we were here.
The Friction of the “Old Way”
By 2023, that simple commitment to give back had run into a frustrating reality. Supporting multiple charities had become a chaotic mix of Direct Debits, PayPal transactions and credit card payments hitting his bank account seamingly at random. There was no single place to see his giving, and no easy way to manage it. If he wanted to change a donation amount or pivot to a new cause, he was met with friction; phone calls, long emails, and outdated systems.
Beyond the logistics, giving had begun to feel like an unfinished story. He knew his contribution mattered, but he could never see where the narrative went once the money left his bank account. Without that connection, the joy of being a donor was being replaced by a sense of distance.
This disconnect peaked every tax season with a “treasure hunt” for receipts and Gift Aid declarations just to track his own footprint. It was a failure of transparency; while his heart was in the right place, the experience was frustratingly difficult.
A Vision by the Water
The answer surfaced quietly one afternoon by the sea. He realised that if he felt disconnected from his own generosity, thousands of others likely did, too. The idea for Legacy was born: a home for giving as intentional as the act itself.
The project lived as a side project for nearly a year around a full-time job but the vision finally found the space it needed to breathe in early 2025. Maria (his partner) decided to go on a sabbatical in Thailand for 3 months after a decade of high-pressure technical sales and he decided to join her for six weeks of unpaid leave. Away from the corporate noise, the vision for Legacy finally crystallised. Seeing the groundwork he’d laid, Maria didn’t just offer support, she saw the mission’s potential to change the landscape of giving. What had been “his” project officially became “theirs” when she joined as co-founder. Now, they share the weight and the win of every donation made. It’s no longer just a startup; it’s their shared legacy.
Built for Good, Not Gain
From the very beginning, the mission was clear: the tools we use to give shouldn’t take away from the gift itself. This led to a radical choice, Legacy would be a non-profit, designed to enrich the charitable system, not extract from it. While many platforms rely on “shady” UX or hidden fees to scale, Legacy was built on Radical Transparency. Every cost is shown, and the team made a permanent commitment: any surplus isn’t kept as profit, it’s donated back to the very charities the users support. It’s a lean, self-funded mission to prove that technology can be a force for good.
Living Your Legacy
In the traditional world of philanthropy, a “legacy” is usually something you leave behind in a will when you’re gone. Maria and Herbie are here to reclaim that word.
They believe your legacy shouldn’t be a final act, it’s a living, breathing experience that you should have the joy of building and seeing while you’re still here. By combining their lives and their expertise, they’ve built more than just an app; they’ve built a partnership dedicated to making generosity effortless and meaningful. Legacy exists because they believe that when people are given the right tools, their collective impact can change the world.