Fund the Goalie Gear, Not the Overhead | Greg Keele of Direct Impactus

What we talked about.

Sunny Ray talks with Greg Keele, founder of Direct Impactus, about a different model for corporate giving. Keele explains how the idea grew out of an earlier venture, Make Sense, a coupon fundraising app for sports teams, which he wound down after making costly mistakes. He describes building the Direct Impactus platform through vibe coding. Teams submit real vendor quotes for items like hockey goalie gear, create a Direct Impact Community Project, and receive funding from companies that get impact reports with photos and videos. Keele argues that big checks to large nonprofits obscure where money goes, and that small, traceable projects deliver more impact per dollar. He also reflects on caring for his mother through dementia, his ten years as a teacher, and why he believes people with the capacity to help have a duty to do so. Keele is now validating demand through a podcast with corporate giving managers, and he shares where listeners can find his work, including his appearance on Next Level CEO with Daymond John.

What if corporate giving funded the actual goalie gear, with quotes, photos, and proof, instead of vanishing into overhead?

The questions, and the answers.

Where did the idea for Direct Impactus come from?

It started with my earlier company, Make Sense, a coupon app teams could sell to supporters. I kept finding that companies had no coupons to give, which exposed the real problem: teams need things funded. After winding Make Sense down and resting, I returned to what both companies shared, supporting the community, and built Direct Impactus.

What is broken about the way most companies give today?

Companies write giant checks to big nonprofits and run TV ads about it. Critical thinkers should ask where that money actually went. With a massive organization, how much reaches equipment or community needs, and how much goes to overhead, administrators, and marketing? I wanted complete transparency for teams, small nonprofits, and the companies funding them.

Can you walk me through the goalie gear example from quote to photo?

A hockey team needs $5,000 for goalie gear and apparel. They get a real quote from a real vendor, upload it, and create a campaign called a DICUP, a Direct Impact Community Project. A company funds it, then the team uploads milestones like photos and game videos, which flow into the company's impact report.

Why do you require a real quote for every project?

I don't let teams pick their own number. The amount has to come directly from an actual quote from a business that will sell them the gear. That keeps the ask grounded, not arbitrary, and lets everyone viewing the project see exactly what the money is for and how it will be spent.

How are you validating demand before raising money?

We're running a podcast over the next couple of months and talking with the people who handle corporate giving. I want to know whether this works for them and whether they can pitch it to their boss as a way to fund microgrants. Figuring out whether the bureaucracy allows for it is the first goal.

If a founder wants to give back this year, what should they do differently?

Start with what matters to you and the people who work for you. Finding projects is the easy part, because every community has people with needs beyond what they can provide. Take money you might send to a big nonprofit and focus it on something specific, maybe five to ten thousand dollars toward causes that improve your community.

After caring for your mom, what does it mean to you to make sure people get what they need?

Caring for my mom with dementia was one of the most rewarding things I've done. As an only child I had no choice, and that turned into the greatest thing I've ever gotten to do. To me, when we have the capability to help people, we have the duty to do it, especially for people in our own communities who will be grateful.

Years from now, what do you hope Direct Impactus made possible?

I hope we can show where giving actually went, with thousands of Direct Impact Community Projects as proof. As a former teacher, I think about teachers paying $600 out of pocket for classroom materials. Large companies could never find a thousand $600 projects before. I built a place where funding one is a click of a button.