by PIDCphila
June 29, 2020
Benefits Data Trust (BDT) was founded by Warren Kantor in 2005 as a response to a challenging and common experience – confusion and frustration faced when applying for public benefits. As he sat down with his widowed mother to help her complete a lengthy application for a benefit program that would help her better afford her shelter expenses, he found the application forms to be cumbersome with extensive requirements and confusing submission instructions. After repeatedly assisting her, and through his experience in the financial services industry, he realized he could use the same technologies his company used to identify finance clients for the greater good by identifying low-income individuals eligible for public benefits and helping them apply. That’s when Benefits Data Trust was born. It is a national nonprofit that connects people in need to public benefits that help them afford groceries, medication, and healthcare, among other critical expenses.
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Benefits Data Trust makes accessing benefits easier by using data analytics and technology, human-centered service, partner engagement, and policy and practice solutions. During these unprecedented times, more people are, indeed, in need of help. Remote services have been, and continue to be, critical while people shelter in place, and even as businesses slowly reopen. CEO of Benefits Data Trust, Trooper Sanders, advises business owners and workers in need to seek access to public benefits until things turn around. “Business owners need to know that whether it’s the neighborhood grocery store ringing up sales from customers on SNAP, local hospitals and nursing homes relying on Medicaid and Medicare to stay afloat and continue providing care, or utility companies benefiting from low-income energy assistance funds, public benefits play a vital but underappreciated role in stimulating and sustaining the economy,” said Trooper. He hopes that these types of programs and services will economically help ease some of the pain of the current health, economic, and civic emergency.
“Ensuring we meet people where they are and doing our best to connect everyone eligible for benefits to these programs and services will hopefully help ease some of the pain of this economic emergency.” -Trooper Sanders, CEO, Benefits Data Trust
Local Impact
According to Benefits Data Trust, last year, Philadelphians left over $450 million in benefits on the table because they didn’t know they were eligible, or they were deterred by the complicated enrollment process. The nonprofit has been working diligently over the years to prevent anyone in need from going without the critical public benefits for which they are eligible. Since 2005, Benefits Data Trust has submitted over 900,000 applications and secured over $7 billion in benefits and services that help individuals and families reach financial stability.
In 2019, BenePhilly –a joint initiative of Benefits Data Trust and the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Community Empowerment & Opportunity, with funding from the city, state, and other philanthropic sources — helped 6,500 households secure an average of $4,000 in critical benefits, which translates to $26 million in benefits for Philadelphians citywide. BenePhilly is a free program that helps low-income Philadelphians enroll in up to 19 critical benefits and services, in 170 languages. The program has enrolled over 119,000 low-income Philadelphians in public benefits since 2008. Philadelphians can call the BenePhilly Hotline at 833-373-5868 and those outside of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania can call 833-373-5869. “Ensuring we meet people where they are and doing our best to connect everyone eligible for benefits to these programs and services will hopefully help ease some of the pain of this economic emergency,” said Trooper.
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Business Expansion
As demand for Benefits Data Trust’s services grew, so did its need for expansion to accommodate its growing staff in Philadelphia. The nonprofit was able to receive a loan from PIDC in 2016 to move into a new office space in Center City in the Centre Square building. “Many upgrades resulted from this move, as we were able to design a space that provided our organization with room for growth by including more meeting spaces, along with amenities like a café,” said Trooper. “This space has allowed for staff growth, and, in turn, it enables us to serve more clients in Philadelphia, and throughout the country.” In addition, in 2019, Benefits Data Trust received grants from Ballmer Group, the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and The Rockefeller Foundation which have allowed the nonprofit organization to enhance its use of technology and scale its impact using a combination of digital products, machine learning, policy, research, and new partnerships, positioning it for extraordinary growth in 2020 and beyond.
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Benefits & Rewards
Trooper believes all the hard work he and his staff have done since inception – as well as to make remote assistance possible during COVID-19– has been a lot of work, but worth it. “Everyone at Benefits Data Trust draws energy from knowing that we are making a difference at the micro and macro levels,” said Trooper. “We know that individuals who woke up this morning hungry or cut off from health care will go to sleep less burdened because we were able to help them get key benefits. And the sum of our work across direct service to clients, policy, and data and technology is a stabilizing force unlocking billions of dollars in previously untapped benefits during these unprecedented times of economic turmoil. That is a very satisfying way to earn a living.”
PIDC is glad to fund Benefits Data Trust and other nonprofits working to better the lives of Philadelphians. PIDC offers a wide range of loans, tax-exempt financing, and technical assistance to businesses, developers, and non-profits of all shapes and sizes. Click here to learn how we can connect you to the capital you need to grow.
Photo Source: Benefits Data Trust // All photos were taken before Covid-19.
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