Start a nest for your grandbaby
Leave a letter they'll open at 18
And a gift toward their future to go with it. It stays sealed until they are grown (18 unless the parents choose a later birthday). The parents read it first. Send this to them, and they start the page.
Send this to the parents
The note says [name] so you can put the child’s name in before you send. Once their page exists, you can leave the letter and give.
GoodNest hasn’t officially launched yet. You can look around, but please don’t sign up or send a gift just yet.
A letter from you, waiting until they are grown
You leave it on the child’s page: a letter, a voice message, or a short video, sealed until they are grown (18 unless the parents choose a later birthday, up to 25). Once it is sealed, the parents can move that birthday later, never earlier, and your letter moves with it.
The parents read it and approve it first. Then it waits. You can also leave a story the child can hear right away.
Not sure what to write? Start with a keepsake of yours and its story.
A letter on its own is welcome. A gift toward their future can go with it, and it does not have to.
The parents can download the whole time capsule any time, and nothing in it needs GoodNest to open.
You can leave the letter once the parents have created the child’s page. Send this to them, and they will send you the link.
Still want to give them something to unwrap?
Do both: a small gift for now, and a gift toward their future. A present they can hold is a joy. The letter is still there when they are grown, and so is what you put toward their future.
Some grandparents would rather put money toward a child’s future than buy more stuff. That gift goes straight to the parents. They put it into the 529, custodial account, Trump Account, or savings they chose. GoodNest never holds the money and never chooses where it goes.
How it works
Three steps. The first one is a message from you.
Send this to the parents
The parents start the nest. Only they can create the page, because the gifts go to them, and only then can you leave a letter. It takes about a minute.
They send you a link
Open it in the browser you already have. There is no app to download, no account to make, and no password.
Leave the letter, and give
Leave a letter, a voice message, or a short video. The parents read it first, and then it waits until they are grown. You can also choose an amount and send it straight to them with Zelle, Venmo or PayPal. Give once, or come back and give again whenever you like. You always send the gift yourself.
A gift given early has more years
Some grandparents are thinking about the long run. A savings gift while a child is small has more years ahead of it than the same gift given later. GoodNest never holds the money. The parents put it into the account they chose, and whatever the years do happens there, not here.
These guides explain it. They are where the figures live.
For the parents, if they want words for that conversation:
What a gift costs: nothing
Starting the page is free. GoodNest adds no fee and takes nothing from a gift.
The money never passes through GoodNest. You send it straight to the parents by Zelle, Venmo or PayPal. They move it into the account they chose. Zelle is free. Venmo and PayPal are free from a bank or a balance, and can charge the sender if they pay by credit card.
The only thing that costs money is an optional keepsake book the parents can order: a print-ready PDF of the notes their child has received. It is $39. You do not have to buy it.
Questions
When does the letter open?
A letter, a voice message, or a short video is sealed until they are grown: 18, unless the parents choose a later birthday, from 18 to 25. Once it is sealed, the parents can move that birthday later, never earlier, and your letter moves with it. The parents read it and approve it first. Then it waits. The parents can download the whole time capsule any time, and nothing in it needs GoodNest to open.
Can I leave a letter before the parents have a page?
No. The parents create the child’s page first. Send this to them. Once the page exists, they send you a link, and then you can leave the letter and a gift.
Is this safe?
GoodNest is not a bank. A gift goes straight from you to the parents by Zelle, Venmo or PayPal, and never passes through GoodNest. The child’s page is private: only people with the link can open it, and there is no photo of the child on it. The parents read every letter and approve it before it is sealed. Nobody else sees it.
Do I need an app or an account?
No. The parents create the page and sign in. You do not. When they send you the link, you open it in the browser you already have. No password, and nothing to download.
Where does the money go?
Straight to the parents, by the Zelle, Venmo or PayPal they already use. They put it into the account they chose for the child, such as a 529, a custodial account, a Trump Account, or savings. GoodNest never holds the money and never chooses where it goes.
Can I still give them a present to unwrap?
Yes. Still want to give them something to unwrap? Do both: a small gift for now, and a gift toward their future. The letter is the part that waits until they are grown.
Why give while they are small?
A savings gift given early has more years ahead of it than the same gift given later. GoodNest never holds the money. The parents put it into the account they chose. These guides explain what the years can mean. They are the place for the figures, and this page does not repeat them.
How much can I give?
Give what feels right. There is no wrong amount, and GoodNest takes nothing from the gift. Tax rules for a large gift are a separate question.
Send this to the parents
They start the page in about a minute. Then you can leave the letter, and a gift toward their future to go with it.
The note says [name] so you can put the child’s name in before you send. Once their page exists, you can leave the letter and give.