About Us

DDI's mission is to move funds to individuals in need, at the time of crisis.

Why we exist

Philanthropy still runs on tools built for another era. A gift can pass through several organizations, wait in approval queues, and lose part of its value along the way before it reaches anyone. When a crisis hits, people need money in days, not months: for rent, food, transportation, medicine, or simply to get through the next few weeks.

We think that is the wrong way to help. Direct Digital Impact exists to prove the right way: modern, secure digital tools that move funds straight to the person in need, record every step, and show donors what their gift did.

Our goal is bigger than our own programs. We want to be the model that other nonprofits and foundations copy.

What we value

Direct
Help goes straight to the people who need it, without layers of red tape between a donor and a family.
Dignified
We treat every person who asks for help with respect, and we keep the process simple and private.
Transparent
Donors and partners can see where funds go and what they accomplish.
Accountable
We measure results and share them, so every dollar can be traced to real impact.

The model, built on EAN

DDI runs on the Emergency Activation Network (EAN). EAN is the engine: it takes each gift, sends the funds directly to the recipient, and records every step. DDI is the model: a working program that shows direct giving can be done, and done well.

Think of DDI as a builder's model home. Any nonprofit, foundation, or company can walk through it, see how it works, and build its own program on the same foundation.

Learn how the platform works on the EAN website (opens in a new tab), or talk to us about running your program this way.

Leadership

John Long
Chief Executive Officer
John Long leads Direct Digital Impact and its mission to prove that help can reach people in crisis quickly, directly, and transparently.
After 20 years in staffing, a people business, leading several companies including Avionté, which John co-founded, every team John builds runs on a positive, solutions-first culture and on trust, integrity, stability, and transparency: the values DDI is built on.
A lover of technology, especially software that connects people and brings them real value, John lives by a simple rule: take care of your customers and your employees, and you will be successful.
Andrii Koptiev
Chief Technology Officer
Andrii Koptiev leads technology at Direct Digital Impact, making sure every gift moves to the person who needs it quickly, securely, and with a clear record of where it went.
Andrii is also the lead developer of the Emergency Activation Network (EAN), the platform DDI runs on. That work covers EAN's payments to recipients by bank transfer, virtual card, and physical card, and the tracking that follows each donation from donor to recipient.
With a background in fintech and payment platforms, Andrii is focused on DDI's bigger goal: showing that modern tools can get help to people fast, so other nonprofits and foundations can do the same.

Board of directors

Brenda Long
Board member
Brenda Long brings more than a decade of marketing and staffing-industry experience to DDI's board, helping shape how DDI tells its story and builds partnerships.
As Director of Marketing at Avionté, Brenda directs the company's marketing and strategic planning: its brand, its presence across the staffing industry, partnerships, and new sales opportunities. Ten years at a staffing software company before that meant hands-on work in HR, support, sales, project planning, and marketing.
Brenda has long been active in state and national staffing and recruiting organizations, building awareness and partnerships across the industry.
Ameliea Dulaney
Board member
Ameliea Dulaney helps philanthropic organizations do good better, through strategic communications, creative media, and data-backed marketing.
As part of the marketing team at akoyaGO, a technology company serving foundations and nonprofits, Ameliea brings a marketer's eye for clear stories, strong visuals, and results that can be measured.
On DDI's board, Ameliea helps shape how DDI shares its work with donors, partners, and the people it serves, so every story shows the real impact of direct giving.
Jody Marie Williams
Board member
Jody Marie Williams is a brand strategist and business development professional with more than a decade of experience taking companies from concept to presence: the strategy, the story, and the systems that make a brand work in the real world.
Jody's background spans event marketing, insurance, staffing, hospitality, and philanthropic infrastructure, building marketing infrastructure, organizational voice, and partnerships for national companies. Today Jody does contract brand strategy work across industries from Greenville, South Carolina.
On DDI's board, Jody brings that strategy and a network of relationships spanning industries, sectors, and decision makers across the country.