We're The Weeklys

How we give

Have you ever wondered how to start making an impact in your neighborhood? Wondered how to remind your kids how lucky they are? Felt overwhelmed by the ripple effects of illness in your family? Those questions kept circling our conversations, and after a lot of trial and error we found a giving rhythm that fits our values. We're sharing it here not to guilt anyone, but to help regular folks feel empowered to change the world around them.

In tech circles, folks swap startup advice nonstop but rarely compare notes on giving. New paychecks can hit before a giving habit forms. We want to normalize chatting about giving strategies, cheer on first-job donors who start small, and show how a simple plan keeps generosity from becoming another "someday" project.

We're not a formal non-profit; just a donor-advised fund. (These are very simple accounts to set up, scroll to the bottom to see how.) When we thought about what kind of impact we wanted to leave, we decided that a mix of local, national, and global causes was appropriate. You should find what works for you - the causes you are passionate about.

Impact highlights

These are a few stories that keep us fired up about sticking with our giving plan. They go way beyond one-off checks and show what steady partnership and local know-how can unlock.

Investing in education with JAAGO Foundation

We teamed up with the JAAGO Foundation to secure land for two new school sites in Bangladesh: Teknaf in Cox's Bazar District and a fresh campus in Dhaka. Together they will serve more than 1,500 kids each year with locally led, evidence-based instruction that keeps students on track toward secondary school and steady work.

What we've managed to help build: Teknaf School (Google Maps) | Dhaka campus (breaking ground 2025, opening 2026 for 1,100 students)

The Dhaka school lets JAAGO reach deeper into the capital where the waitlist is longest. Once construction wraps, it will welcome 1,100 students with wraparound support like nutrition, counseling, and after-school tutoring.

Backing pediatric brain cancer breakthroughs

Through the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health we help underwrite a postdoctoral researcher at the Monje Lab at Stanford. The team is chasing treatments for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and other pediatric brain tumors.

Recent nerdy reads that keep us inspired:

• Cell: Emerging therapeutic targets for pediatric high-grade gliomas (2025)
• Nature: Single-cell insights into tumor-microenvironment interactions (2024)
• Cell: Neuroimmune pathways in DIPG response (2025)

Backing researchers directly lets the lab chase bold, long-term studies and gives families real hope for better therapies. That visit with Dr. Monje also nudged our son Max toward biochemistry so he can pitch in on neuro-oncology breakthroughs someday.

Standing with families facing cancer

Cancer has taken a lot from our family--lung, prostate, and brain tumors in particular. We stand with national organizations that speed up research, guide patients, and close the gap between diagnosis and effective care. A few we back through the fund: the Lung Cancer Research Foundation, Lung Cancer Foundation of America, LUNGevity Foundation, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Zero -- The End of Prostate Cancer, and the National Brain Tumor Society. They report on things like trial enrollment and survivorship support hours, which helps us see progress year after year.

Our giving portfolio

We rebalance annually to keep one-third of our giving close to home, one-third focused on national systems change, and one-third supporting global equity. Each organization now includes a mission summary and diligence links; we note where our personal reflections are still being drafted.

How we give (and how you can, too)

We run everything through a donor-advised fund. It lets us automate contributions, invest charitably, and send grants when it works best for the orgs we love. These are the providers friends ask us about most when they're ready to try it themselves.

• Schwab Charitable: open a donor-advised fund -- step-by-step overview, contribution requirements, and investment pools.
• Vanguard Charitable: compare funds and onboard online -- a good fit for index-focused investors or existing Vanguard clients.

1. Open a DAF: Compare custodians (Schwab, Vanguard, Fidelity, or your community foundation) and skim the fine print on minimums, fees, and investment options before you commit.
2. Automate contributions: We auto-transfer a set percentage of income into the DAF each month. Payroll automation removes friction and keeps our promise from drifting.
3. Document your filters: We score potential grants on mission fit, leadership, evidence of impact, and financial health. A short checklist beats making decisions on the fly.
4. Rebalance annually: Every winter we make sure our one-third split still holds and adjust for new priorities.
5. Talk about it: Share your giving framework with friends. The goal is to swap ideas and celebrate impact--not to build a leaderboard.

"Imagine if everyone had a little giving page that listed their values, favorite orgs, and intentions. We'd talk about generosity as easily as we talk about product roadmaps."

We're tinkering with ways to turn this site into a template others can copy--maybe even a lightweight giving network where friends share their favorite orgs and intentions. If that sounds fun, give us a shout.

Questions we hear

Join the conversation

We love hearing how other folks shape their giving plans, which orgs light them up, and what questions they're wrestling with.

Dedicated email coming soon. In the meantime, ping us however you already reach David or Rebecca, or tag us on social when you publish your own giving roadmap.

If you build a page like this, please share it. We'd be thrilled to celebrate it with you.