Social Driver received People To People International’s Chairman’s Award for its charitable work through The Driver Foundation. 

Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for People To People International Teresa Loar said that Social Driver shares a common commitment to supporting youth across the globe. “Social Driver is one of the most outstanding young companies. It has such a philanthropic heart to it, giving to young people all around the world, which is the mission of People To People International,” Loar said.

Social Driver CEO and Co-Founder Thomas Sanchez and Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder Anthony Shop accepted the award at People To People International’s event last night. Other award winners included former Kansas Governor Jeffrey William Colyer and Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver. 

People to People International is a nonprofit that was originally established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and is responsible for the immersive cultural travel, the education of all age groups in global enrichment and the relevant humanitarian assistance for thousands of people every year.

“Social Driver is very focused on giving back to youth-serving organizations, such as The Trevor Project and LearnServe International. We harness the power of social and digital media for good, but recognize that it also has a negative side that impacts the most vulnerable among us, including young people. We are committed to supporting and investing in the lives of young people, to make them feel empowered online and off,” Sanchez said.

To that end, Social Driver has given to and helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people under 25. Sanchez serves on The Trevor Project’s Board of Directors, is Secretary of the nonprofit corporation, and has gotten many clients involved in the cause.

Social Driver also volunteers and donates to LearnServe International, which equips high school students from diverse backgrounds with the entrepreneurial vision, tenacity, confidence, and leadership skills needed to tackle social challenges at home and abroad.

"LearnServe empowers youth changemakers through social entrepreneurship and global learning. We are so grateful for all that Social Driver does to support youth-led social innovation across the Washington, DC area. Whether it's through coaching students on their social ventures, recruiting volunteers, or investing in our changemakers, we deeply value our relationship with Social Driver,” said LearneServe International Director and CEO Scott Rechler. 

Sanchez and Shop are also very active in other youth-serving organizations. Sanchez, a first-generation college student, serves on the nonprofit board of Northwest Missouri State University’s foundation as co-chair of the cyber subcommittee. Shop serves on the board of the American Youth Policy Forum, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, professional development organization that provides learning opportunities.

“At Social Driver, we believe that the future is bright and drivers make history. Supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs and professionals in reaching their full potential is something that we have always been committed to and will continue to invest in,” Shop said.