2022: A Year of Opportunity

Dear Friends of BDT, 

As we enter a new year, BDT is taking time to reflect on the extraordinary challenges so many of us faced in 2021, the strides we made nonetheless, and the road ahead in 2022. BDT made its mark in many ways over the last year, including helping to secure nearly 90,000 benefit enrollments that provided $147 million in assistance for families and individuals. Helping families heat their homes, put food on their table, and pay for healthcare is no small feat in such uncertain times, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless work of our staff and partners and the generosity of our funders. 

From an increased interest at the federal, state, and local levels in making it easier to apply for benefits and services, to the historic opportunity for broadband access to transform the lives of millions of people, 2022 is shaping up to be a year of great potential — and we vow to continue our mission to help people today and build better systems for tomorrow. I invite you to watch this video as we celebrate some highlights and unveil plans for the year ahead. 

We look forward to the next chapter of BDT’s work. Thank you for being a part of this journey as we envision and cultivate a brighter future for all. 

With sincere appreciation,

Trooper Sanders 
CEO

In case you missed it, here are some noteworthy highlights of BDT’s work in 2021.

Building Policy Tools for Better Systems

• Developed the “Medicaid Churn Toolkit” to guide strategies for Medicaid agencies and their partners to reduce churn and help protect the health of individuals and families. 

• Collaborated with the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University to author the “Using Text Message Outreach to Reduce SNAP Churn” guidebook. 

• Published three reports in partnership with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities to promote increased enrollment in WIC: 

  • Using Data Matching and Targeted Outreach to Enroll Families With Young Children in WIC 
  • Matching Data Across Programs Can Increase WIC Enrollment 
  • Targeted Text Message Outreach Can Increase WIC Enrollment

Bringing Healthcare to the Forefront

• Provided data for a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, which found that SNAP reduces hospital and ER visits, lowering Medicaid costs by $2,360 per person annually and that BDT’s outreach and application assistance increased SNAP participation more than seven-fold.  
• Launched a partnership with the Community Outcomes Fund at Maycomb Capital to expand work in delivering innovative solutions to Medicaid plans and their members.  
• Announced with UPMC Health Plan a new initiative to improve the health of Pennsylvanians. 
• Created with Blue Cross NC new and innovative programs to boost health outcomes across North Carolina. 

 Expanding Into New States

• Launched the new Michigan Benefits Center to conduct outreach and offer public benefit application assistance for eligible folks in need, increasing access to healthy food for families and individuals. 

Achieving Top Workplace

• Received the 2021 Top Workplace USA Award, recognizing not only our dedication to organizational culture but also the results of our efforts at continuous improvements to promote organizational health.