Benefits Data Trust

Benefits Data Trust (BDT) was a national nonprofit organization founded in 2005 in Philadelphia with a mission to improve health and financial security by streamlining access to public benefits. The founder, Warren Kantor, a former credit card executive, was inspired to start the organization after personally experiencing the complexities of the benefits application process while helping his widowed mother. He recognized that the data-driven marketing techniques used in the financial services industry could be repurposed to identify and reach individuals likely eligible for assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

BDT operated on a model that combined data analytics, technology, and direct service to connect people with billions of dollars in untapped public benefits. The organization's business model was a hybrid, relying on fee-for-service contracts with government agencies and philanthropic funding to cover costs that government reimbursement rates did not. BDT would partner with state and local government agencies to gain access to data, which it would analyze to identify households likely eligible for, but not enrolled in, various benefit programs. Following identification, BDT conducted outreach via mail and text messages and provided personalized application assistance through its contact centers, where trained staff would help individuals navigate the complex application processes for multiple benefits at once using proprietary software. This approach aimed to reduce the burden on applicants and increase enrollment rates, which studies showed could lead to better health outcomes and lower healthcare spending.

In addition to direct services, BDT developed technology solutions to scale its impact, including tools for eligibility screening and a text-based chatbot named Wyatt, created in partnership with the College Board, to help high school students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The organization also engaged in policy advocacy, working with government partners to promote systemic changes like data-matching and simplified applications to make the benefits system more efficient and user-centered. Over its nearly two decades of operation, BDT secured over $10 billion in benefits for more than one million households. However, despite significant philanthropic support, including a $20 million gift from MacKenzie Scott in 2022, the organization faced financial challenges. Its operational costs, driven by a push to innovate and scale its technology and consulting services, consistently outpaced revenue from government contracts and grants, leading to a structural deficit. In mid-2024, after terminating its CEO Trooper Sanders, who had led the organization since 2019, Benefits Data Trust announced it was shutting down its operations.

Keywords: public benefits access, social services data, government assistance, SNAP enrollment, Medicaid application, financial security, data-driven outreach, nonprofit technology, policy advocacy, poverty reduction, benefits enrollment, human services, application assistance, food security, economic mobility, social impact, benefits administration, FAFSA help, civic tech, safety net