Edition: Q1 | 2023
© Humana 2026
In February, the Humana Foundation announced a new strategy to eliminate barriers to equitable health and healthcare. Our vison grew out of a year-long exercise of examining how we can be strategic in the work we do via grantmaking and how we can make measurable, impactful investments in the places where we have the credibility and integrity to be change agents.
The Foundation will invest in community-centered partnerships and evidence-based programs that support seniors, veterans and school-aged children in living connected, healthy lives.
Our efforts will focus on creating healthy emotional connections as part of a vital approach to care, and shaping a healthier approach to nutrition in order to support lifelong health and wellbeing.
The Foundation recently invested $5.5 million in regional mental health services in Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana and
Texas and announced new grants totaling over $8 million toward regional nutrition programs, including three-year grants to:
The Foundation jumpstarted its mission with the announcement of a $7.5 million Health Equity Innovation Fund, a fund that enables organizations to test and scale solutions addressing preventable, chronic diseases in populations facing inequities.
Additionally, to co-create more inclusive solutions, the Foundation announced its intention to form the “Humana Foundation Senior Council” that will serve as a perpetual focusgroup and advisory board.
The Humana Foundation has evolved over time – moving from focusing on general quality-of-life philanthropy in target communities to now work that focuses on specific, targeted issues where the voice of the people we serve can help drive programmatic systems and outcomes. Over the past year, we’ve considered the
Foundation’s 40-year history and how its efforts overlap with Humana Inc. and its work in healthcare and health equity.
Ultimately, we found that the Humana Foundation can leverage its research, community partners and programming to test and evaluate community wide solutions for those issues relating to the social drivers of health.
Collectively, we can take those learnings and better understand how systems work and the best opportunities for helping people achieve their best health.
--Tiffany Benjamin
CEO, Humana Foundation
LOUISVILLE, KY – The Humana Foundation, philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) for the past 41 years, announced a new strategy to advance health equity by eliminating unjust and unnecessary barriers in health and healthcare. The Foundation will invest in community-centered partners and evidence-based programs that support seniors, veterans and school-aged children in living connected, healthy lives.
This includes three-year grants to:
The Humana Foundation is also currently accepting applications for its Connected Healthy Lives grants. Applications may be submitted through the Humana Foundation's online grant portal,
2023 Application Periods:
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world”
- Desmond Tutu
THE NEWS – The Russell Storytelling Project, an intergenerational initiative to build healthy emotional connections between elders, neighbors and local artists, brought together a community of more than 100 people for a storytelling exhibit of the Russell neighborhood.
WHY IT MATTERS – This project helped families and diverse neighbors connect to each other through their shared experiences in the Russell neighborhood and opened the door for future activities with local residents.
THIS MEANS –
WHAT’S NEXT – Residents developed a tighter-knit community, a deeper sense of pride and appreciation of the rich culture of the neighborhood and motivation to work collectively to make it a better place to live. As one member of the Russell neighborhood said – “This project helped me grow closer to my community and artist that were involved. I was able to visually see how we all were different but had the same similarities of going through phases and hardships we encounter in life.”
ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT
Tenure at Humana: 22 years
Current Position: Director, Process Improvement
Location: Florida
Amanda’s Initiative:
Amanda volunteers with The United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, a congressionally chartered, Navy-sponsored organization that serves to teach youth about the sea-going military services, naval operations and training, community service, citizenship, discipline, and teamwork.
The Humana Foundation is actively recruiting members for the new Humana Foundation Senior Council, which will serve as a focus group and advisory board for the Foundation’s efforts to support seniors, veterans and youth in living connected, healthy lives.
This voluntary group of eight to 10 established and emerging community leaders – both seniors 65+ and seniors in high school – will have input in creating unique experiences that bring to life the Foundation’s health equity mission.
What’s the Commitment?
Are You or Someone You Know Eligible?
We’re looking for high school rising seniors/seniors and seniors 65+ in Florida, Kentucky (Louisville), Louisiana or Texas with:
Resource for Parents of School-Aged Children
Resource for Seniors
Additional Resources