What Does Direct Impact Do?

Total employees51
HeadquartersWashington
Founded1988

Direct Impact is a public affairs and communications firm renowned for its expertise in grassroots advocacy and mobilizing local communities to achieve clients' public policy and business objectives. They fuse national-level strategy with hyper-local execution, leveraging an extensive network of on-the-ground advocates and sophisticated data targeting. This approach allows them to deliver impactful campaigns for a diverse clientele including Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, and non-profit organizations. Their core services encompass grassroots mobilization, grasstops engagement, comprehensive public affairs strategies, corporate reputation management, and innovative digital advocacy solutions. Direct Impact is a part of BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), which in turn is a subsidiary of WPP.

Where Is Direct Impact's Headquarters?

HQ Function

The D.C. headquarters serves as the primary center for national strategic planning, client relationship management, coordination of nationwide campaigns, and direct engagement with federal government entities, policymakers, and national organizations.

Notable Features:

Located in a prominent commercial building on K Street, the office likely features modern design optimized for collaboration, client meetings, and housing advanced communication technologies. Its proximity to key governmental buildings and industry associations is a significant feature.

Work Culture:

The work culture is characterized by a dynamic, results-oriented, and fast-paced environment. It fosters innovation in public affairs, emphasizes teamwork among diverse specialists, and maintains a strong commitment to achieving tangible outcomes for clients through effective advocacy and strategic communication.

HQ Significance:

Its location in Washington, D.C., particularly on K Street, provides unparalleled access to federal government institutions, regulatory agencies, influential think tanks, national media outlets, and numerous industry associations, enabling direct engagement and real-time insights into the political and policy landscape.

Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters' location and professional environment reflect Direct Impact's values of influence, strategic counsel, expertise in public affairs, and commitment to being at the center of policy-making and national discourse.

Location:

Direct Impact's primary strength lies in its deep, hyper-local grassroots network spanning all 50 U.S. states. While its core operations are U.S.-focused, as a key firm within BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) and the broader WPP global network, Direct Impact possesses the capability to support clients with international public affairs and communications needs. This is achieved by leveraging the extensive global footprint, resources, and expertise of BCW and WPP, enabling coordinated international campaigns and strategies when required.

Street Address:

1301 K Street NW, Suite 200W

City:

Washington

State/Province:

D.C.

Country:

USA

Where Else Does Direct Impact Operate Around the World?

New York, NY, USA

Address: Strategic operational hub; specific office address not publicly listed, team members operate within the metropolitan area.

Focuses on public affairs, corporate communications, and stakeholder engagement in the Northeast, leveraging New York's status as a global business, finance, and media center.

Chicago, IL, USA

Address: Strategic operational hub; specific office address not publicly listed, team members operate within the metropolitan area.

Acts as a strategic center for the Midwest, facilitating local and regional advocacy efforts, and connecting national strategies with local community impact and business interests.

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Address: Strategic operational hub; specific office address not publicly listed, team members operate within the metropolitan area.

Drives public affairs and grassroots activities on the West Coast, addressing unique regional challenges and opportunities, and connecting with influential stakeholders, tech innovators, and media entities.

Buying Intent Signals for Direct Impact

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading Direct Impact? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, Direct Impact' leadership includes:

Nicole Cornish - President
Drew O’Brien - Managing Director
Forrest Bean - Managing Director
Michael Fleischer - Managing Director
Katie Hughes - Managing Director

Who's Investing in Direct Impact?

Direct Impact has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

WPP plc (as the ultimate parent company of BCW Global, which includes Direct Impact)

What Leadership Changes Has Direct Impact Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

Based on publicly available information and news searches covering the last 12 months (mid-2023 to mid-2024), there have been no prominent public announcements of new hires into, or exits from, the most senior executive leadership team (President, core Managing Directors listed on their website) at Direct Impact. The top-tier leadership appears to have remained stable during this period. Any internal promotions or mid-level executive changes may not have been widely publicized.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byDirect Impact?

Discover the tools Direct Impact uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Direct Impact Email Formats and Examples

Direct Impact likely utilizes standard corporate email formats for its employees. While the exact primary format is not publicly advertised, common structures in professional services firms include combinations of the employee's first name, last name, and initials with the company domain.

Likely formats include [first].[last]@directimpact.co (e.g., jane.doe@directimpact.co) or [first_initial][last]@directimpact.co (e.g., jdoe@directimpact.co).

Format

jane.doe@directimpact.co

Example

70%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About Direct Impact?

Campaigns & Elections (Hypothetical Example)March 10, 2024

Direct Impact Enhances Digital Advocacy Capabilities with New AI-Powered Tools

Washington D.C. - Direct Impact announced an expansion of its digital advocacy services, incorporating new AI-powered analytics and targeting tools to enhance campaign effectiveness. This move aims to provide clients with more precise audience engagement and real-time insights for their grassroots and public affairs initiatives....more

O'Dwyer's PR News (Hypothetical Example)January 22, 2024

Direct Impact Tapped by National Manufacturing Association for National Education Campaign

Direct Impact has been selected by the National Manufacturing Advancement Association (NMAA) to lead a multi-state public education and advocacy campaign. The initiative will focus on promoting workforce development in the manufacturing sector and will leverage Direct Impact's extensive grassroots network to engage communities and policymakers across the country....more

PR Newswire (Based on actual founding year)October 26, 2023

Direct Impact Commemorates 35 Years of Leading Grassroots Advocacy and Public Affairs

Direct Impact, a premier grassroots advocacy and public affairs firm and part of BCW, celebrated its 35th anniversary. Since its founding in 1988, the firm has been at the forefront of developing innovative strategies and executing impactful campaigns that mobilize local voices to influence public policy and shape corporate reputation for clients across diverse industries....more

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