Thirty years ago, Warren Kantor sat down with his widowed mother and a lengthy application for the Pennsylvania Rent Rebate program. Although Warren knew that his mother, who was struggling financially as a salesperson at Gimbels department store, was eligible for this valuable benefit, it seemed as though she might never receive it. The application forms were cumbersome, the requirements extensive, and the submission instructions unclear. Warren never forgot her early experience. For the next two decades, Warren continued to assist his mother with benefit applications such as these, taking the time to help her understand the process.

Warren later encountered great success as vice chairman of the credit card company Advanta and later with other financial services companies. He recognized that many of the strategies his company utilized to identify people eligible for credit cards could also be employed to identify individuals eligible for public benefits. In 2005, Warren founded Benefits Data Trust to pursue the mission of helping low-income individuals access the state and federal aid programs for which they are eligible.

Six years, 50 employees, and a dozen campaigns later, BDT has submitted hundreds of thousands of applications on behalf of these individuals. By emphasizing high returns on investment and quantitative results, Warren has positioned BDT as a true high-impact not-for-profit that will continue to assist hundreds of thousands across the nation in securing the benefits for which they are eligible.