What a Legacy Statement Is
The Legacy Room — Your Identity & Legacy
More Than a Mission Statement
Let's be honest about something: most funeral homes have a mission statement somewhere. It might be framed on a wall. It might live in a dusty employee handbook. It probably says something about "serving families with dignity and compassion."
There is nothing wrong with that. But there is nothing specific about it either. A family reading that statement could not tell whether it belonged to your funeral home, the one across town, or a corporate-owned location three states away.
A legacy statement is something entirely different.
Definition: Legacy Statement
Legacy Statement: A declaration of identity -- not from a corporate handbook, but from the heart of who you are. It captures your history, your values, and your relationship to the community in a way that is authentically yours. A legacy statement is something a family could read and feel, not just understand.
The Difference You Can Feel
Consider the difference between these two statements:
Generic mission statement: "We are committed to providing compassionate funeral services to families in our community with dignity and respect."
Legacy statement: "For three generations, the Hartwell family has sat with this community through its hardest days. We were here when the mill closed in 1987 and families did not know how they would pay for a service. We were here through the flood of 2003, when we opened our doors as a shelter before we opened them as a funeral home. We are still here -- not because this is a business, but because this is where we belong."
The first one could be anyone. The second one could only be them. That is the power of a legacy statement.
Spectrum
Visualize scales and ranges from "What a Legacy Statement Is" with interactive spectrum
The Small Business Administration and SCORE both offer templates for business identity statements, but the best ones are written from the gut, not from a template. Templates give you structure. Your story gives you soul.
The Core Question
A legacy statement answers one question: "Why should a family in this community trust us with one of the most important moments of their life?" That single question is the flame at the center of everything you do. If you can answer it authentically, you have something no corporate acquisition can replicate.
Why Feelings Matter More Than Facts
Notice we are not talking about what a family should think when they read your legacy statement. We are talking about what they should feel.
Families choosing a funeral home are not making a purely logical decision. They are making one of the most emotional decisions of their lives, often under enormous stress, often within hours of losing someone they love. They do not want a list of services. They want to feel that the people they are entrusting with this moment understand what it means.
Your legacy statement is how you communicate that understanding before you ever meet them face to face. It is the warmth of the hearth reaching out to them when they need it most.
Key Takeaways
A legacy statement is not a generic mission statement -- it is a declaration of identity that captures your specific history, values, and community relationship. It answers the essential question: "Why should a family in this community trust us with one of the most important moments of their life?" The best legacy statements are felt, not just read.
Scenario
Imagine Sarah Chen and Marcus Williams both attending the same community event -- a memorial day ceremony at the local veterans' hall. Someone approaches each of them and asks, "Tell me about your funeral home." Sarah defaults to the generic response: "We have been serving families with compassion and dignity for over fifty years." Marcus says something different, something specific, something only he could say. Which response do you think the person remembers the next morning?
Legacy Statement vs. Mission Statement
What is the key difference between a legacy statement and a generic mission statement?
The Central Question
What is the central question a legacy statement should answer?
Feel, Not Just Understand
Why does the lesson emphasize that families should 'feel' your legacy statement rather than just 'understand' it?