Empower Donates $100,000 to Launch Driver Support Fund

Press Release Dec 4

For Immediate Release: December 3, 2025

Empower Donates $100,000 to Launch Driver Support Fund

Washington, D.C. – Empower is pleased to share that it is donating $100,000 to the Driver Support Fund, a 501(c)(3) pending charitable organization dedicated to supporting private vehicle-for-hire drivers facing financial hardship due to injury, illness, or other unforeseen events.

For-hire drivers are a vital part of both our national economy and our local communities, ensuring that millions of people can safely get to work, attend school, access medical care, and visit with friends and family. Yet, despite their essential role, private vehicle-for-hire drivers often are forced to work for companies that treat them as expendable and that use algorithms designed to ensure they pay them as little as possible. And although these companies control their drivers like employees, they don’t provide them with benefits. This combination of low pay and no benefits leaves many private vehicle-for-hire drivers without a safety net when something unexpected happens that impacts their ability to work.

Drivers working for themselves are typically better positioned to handle temporary disruptions, however, events that result in them being unable to work for extended periods can put even the most secure drivers and their families at serious risk of homelessness and loss of basic necessities.

Empower created the Driver Support Fund to help private vehicle-for-hire drivers and their families through these difficult times.

Assistance is available to any driver whose primary income comes from private vehicle-for-hire driving, regardless of company affiliation or employment classification (i.e., employees, contractors, or self-employed drivers). The Fund provides eligible drivers with emergency financial assistance to cover unreimbursed medical expenses, rent, utilities, food, and other essentials. Larger grants may be available to drivers and their families in cases of catastrophic events.

To maximize its charitable impact, the Fund is operated by a volunteer staff overseen by a volunteer board of directors. The Fund is financed through a mix of individual and corporate donations and sponsorships. Donations can be made through the Fund’s Zeffy Campaign. Zeffy is free for nonprofits, so 100% of gifts go directly to the Driver Support Fund. For individuals or organizations interested in making a donation greater than $10,000, becoming a sponsor, or partnering with the Driver Support Fund, please send an email to admin@driversupportfund.org.

For more information, please visit the Fund’s website at driversupportfund.org.

About Empower:

Empower is disrupting companies like Uber with an innovative model: drivers set their own rates, get 100% of the fare, and pay the company a subscription fee in exchange for software and support services that help them run their own businesses. With Empower, drivers are neither employees nor contractors; they’re customers. Under this model, drivers are making thousands of dollars more per month working for themselves than they make working for Uber, which only pays them about 50% of what riders pay. Because drivers get 100% of the fare, they are able to charge riders about 20% less, on average, than Uber charges and still make considerably more money. Booking through Empower, riders save money. They also have more choices: they can request a same-gender or favorite driver, which many riders indicate provides them with a greater sense of safety. To learn more about Empower visit www.driveempower.com.