Dick Sanford is known for his lifelong commitment to entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and community service. He started his career at Arthur Anderson before moving on to hold executive positions at Commodore International, where he served as Vice President of Finance and later as Executive Vice President. He then founded Intelligent Electronics, which grew into a $3.7 billion wholesale distributor of micro-products and services.

In 1998, Sanford established The Sanford Foundation to support disadvantaged children, a cause that has been close to his heart throughout his life. One of the early successes of the foundation was the establishment of the first charter school in Pennsylvania, The Chester County Family Academy, which still operates in West Chester, Pa. He has also served on the Board of the Brandywine Museum and Conservancy.

He founded Operation Warm in 1998, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing new winter coats and athletic shoes to children in need. Sanford recognized the need, not only to keep them warm but also to boost their confidence and self-esteem. Operation Warm has since served 5 million children across the United States and Canada, making a real difference in their lives.