It started personally

When I started building Winnowfi, I knew early on that I wanted the business to mean something beyond its product. The question was: what cause, and why?

The answer was personal before it was strategic. Autism has touched my family directly. I've watched brilliant, curious, extraordinary people navigate a world that wasn't built with them in mind — and I've watched them thrive anyway, with the right support.

The science of autism is still in its early stages. We know significantly more than we did 20 years ago, but there are still fundamental questions about etiology, co-occurring conditions, and optimal interventions that remain open. That research gap is where funding matters most.

The 20% pledge

From day one, Winnowfi pledges 20% of gross revenue — not profit, not a portion of net — to autism research organizations. Gross revenue means the pledge applies before operating expenses. It's the most honest form of the commitment.

Why 20%? It's meaningful enough to create real accountability — we can't waffle on it the way a "1% pledge" might be dismissed — and it's sustainable for an early-stage company. As the business grows, so does the donation.

Where the money goes

We currently split donations equally between two organizations:

SPARK for Autism (sparkforautism.org) — a research initiative led by the Simons Foundation that has enrolled over 300,000 individuals with autism and their families in the world's largest autism study. Their genetic database has already led to dozens of published findings identifying autism-related genes.

Autism Science Foundation (autismsciencefoundation.org) — funds early-career researchers and bridges the gap between basic science and clinical application. The ASF has a particular focus on research that directly improves daily life for autistic individuals and their families.

Full transparency

Every month, we publish our revenue, the donation amount, and a signed receipt from each organization on our Transparency page. No asterisks, no footnotes, no "up to" language. If you want to verify where your money goes, you can.

A word on why this matters for a subscription tracker

There's an obvious question: why is a subscription management app funding autism research? The connection is intentional, not incidental.

Many autistic individuals and families deal with financial complexity that neurotypical budgeting tools weren't designed for — variable expenses tied to therapy, equipment, and support services; the cognitive overhead of managing recurring charges; the anxiety that comes from financial unpredictability. Winnowfi tries to reduce one source of that complexity.

It's a small contribution to a large challenge. But it's a real one.

autism research

Why Every Dollar You Spend on Winnowfi Helps Fund Autism Research