Humana Foundation Quarterly Newsletter

Edition: Q3 | 2024

A Word From Our CEO, Tiffany Benjamin

Humana’s commitment to community is part of its DNA and after completing a successful Humana Community Day, my heart is filled with joy and I’m so proud of how Humana showed up for the Louisville community. Humana and its Foundation launched Humana Community Day on August 21, 2024. Six thousand employees worked together to make a tangible impact in Humana’s hometown.

Employees dressed in dark green T-shirts blanketed downtown Louisville. It was amazing!Humana employees contributed over 10,000 volunteer hours while packing over 1 million meals that went to community-based organizations in Louisville and surrounding areas. We also celebrated our culture of belonging at DEI Day with record attendance!

Along with Humana Community Day, we launched a nationwide “Month of Impact” with a goal of generating $10 million of collective impact to local communities where Humana’s employees live and work. The 30-day initiative ran through Sept. 21 and included financial donations, local service projects, food drives and Humana Foundation grants to the Louisville Urban League, Metro United Way and more.

While this year’s Humana Community Day was focused on Louisville, we hope to expand to other markets in the future. Stay tuned! I am so proud of my colleagues, especially Ebony Skinner and Layne Taylor, for their leadership and making our Day a remarkable success.

Speaking of being proud, I’m appreciative of Humana and the Foundation's enduring legacy of uplifting Louisville.

For over four decades, the Foundation has partnered to create a healthier, more resilient future for all, especially our underserved and most vulnerable neighbors. Because of our work, we recently received a Partners in Philanthropy Award for our philanthropic support in Louisville. We couldn’t do the work we do without the amazing people and partners we have in our hometown. And, with the support of Humana employees, we’ll continue to advance health equity in Louisville and beyond.

Beyond Louisville, the Humana Foundation team recently visited South Florida where we met with Humana employees, community partners and spent time at Miami Senior Planet, a fascinating technology hub for seniors from our partners at Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP. Throughout our visit, we listened and learned new ways to support seniors and advance health equity for our stakeholders.

As we move into the cooler months for some, continue to enjoy time with family and friends. I’ll be exploring the Kentucky landscape and getting to know new friends!

--Tiffany Benjamin

CEO, Humana Foundation

2023 HNC Aging Mental Health Sleep Landing Page Weave Border Humana Green

Our Impact in Action

The Humana Foundation team recently huddled to speak with community leaders in South Florida to learn how we can more effectively engage Florida employees and better serve the diverse communities in Florida

Our team also visited Senior Planet Miami where we helped seniors navigate technology issues and we all learned about advancements on topics like AI.

We invite you to watch this inspiring video from our visit, which highlights both our and Humana Inc.'s commitment to advancing the health equity needs of members, patients and communities in South Florida

Partners in Philanthropy Award

Humana Inc. and the Humana Foundation were awarded for their financial support of charities and philanthropic enterprises in 2023 at the Louisville Business First’s annual “Partners in Philanthropy” awards ceremony in downtown recipients honored based on categories of small, medium and large companies.

Humana and the Humana Foundation ranked first among all award winners with Louisville, KY.

Thirty organizations were invited to the luncheon to receive awards, with an approximate $25 million in cash contributions in 2023.

Creating Change Starts with Intergenerational Work

There are currently six living generations that make up the U.S. population, from the Greatest Generation to Gen Z. While many may see these generations as distinct, at the Humana Foundation, we’ve seen firsthand how bringing these groups together – and having our own multigenerational team – can create meaningful change. After all, our goal of achieving health equity isn’t about a single generation – it’s about achieving equity for all individuals – which means we must give Gen Z an equal seat at the table with their Baby Boomer counterparts. Here are a few ways we’re working intergenerationally here at the Humana Foundation:

Generations United Grant. The Humana Foundation provided a $100,000 grant to Generations United, an organization committed to improving the lives of children, youth and older adults through intergenerational collaboration, public policies and programs. As part of the grant, Generations United supported the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Information Center of Louisiana to improve access to mental health services for caregivers and children in grandfamilies. This included implementing a “caregiver self-care check-in” as a standard practice in support groups and establishing new support groups across Louisiana.

The Humana Foundation Senior Council. In 2023, the Humana Foundation established the Senior Council, a voluntary group comprised of seniors 65+ alongside high school seniors, to help ideate on how to advance health equity in their local communities. The seniors come from Humana Foundation’s focus geographies – Kentucky, Texas, Florida and Louisiana – and are brought together for quarterly meetings to provide their input on Foundation programs and focus areas, as well as bring ideas to the forefront for consideration by the Foundation for future investments.1 grant winners were as follows:

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Research Grant. Earlier this year, the Humana Foundation awarded researchers from the University of North Carolina a $250,000 research grant to test a pilot program that integrates both a meal delivery service and social engagement for older adults. The program includes in-person visits and wellness checks at the time of meal delivery, along with follow-up calls from college student companions to offer intergenerational social interactions. This is critically important as one in four seniors are considered socially isolated and 43% suffer from loneliness.

There is still much work to be done to bring together different generations to problem solve and advance health equity. We are more than our differences and have much to learn from each other.

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Humana Foundation Scholarship Program

The Humana Foundation in August announced 80 winners of college scholarships awarded through the Humana Foundation Scholarship Program.

Scholarships provide up to $3,000 for postsecondary education for children of Humana employees. Annual awards are renewable for up to three years or until completion of a degree or program with a total possible award of $12,000.

Since 2001, the Humana Foundation has awarded more than $15 million to assist 1,700-plus children of Humana employees in their pursuit of higher education.

Celebrating A Successful Humana Community Day!

Humana and the Humana Foundation celebrated the first-ever Humana Community Day on Aug. 21, 2024 in the organizations’ hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. More than 6,000 volunteers participated in the day-long day of service to promote well-being for our neighbors and communities. The incredible event brought our team together for three in-person events of Healthy Nutrition (packing 1 million meals), Healthy Environment (Outdoor cleanup at Waterfront park and fishing at Falls of the Ohio park) and Healthy Activity (“In the Kitchen” Nutrition Festival at Norton Sports & Learning Center). We are excited to share some of our favorite photos from the first ever Humana Community Day:

ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT

Ebony Skinner

Tenure at Humana: 6 years, 9 months

Current Position: Senior Project Manager

Location: Birmingham, AL

Ebony’s Initiative:

Ebony organized Humana's inaugural Community Day on August 21, 2024, in Louisville, KY, promoting well-being and volunteerism. The event engaged 6,000 associates who packed 1 million meals, cleaned Waterfront Park, and connected locals to nutritional resources. Ebony also supported the launch of Humana’s Month of Impact, which is a month-long, nationwide initiative of volunteerism and giving.

ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT

Layne Taylor

Tenure at Humana: 5 years, 9 months

Current Position: Chief of Staff to the CMO

Location: Louisville, KY

Layne’s Initiative:

Layne oversaw the design, planning and execution of Humana’s inaugural Community Day on Aug. 21. More than 6,000 Humana associates participated in the event, contributing over 10,000 volunteer hours to the local community across five locations. He is particularly proud that data from the fishing activity will be used to inform future conservation and water advocacy efforts for the Ohio River.

Older Americans are Not Alright. What Should Philanthropy Do About It?

By Tiffany Benjamin, CEO, Humana Foundation

As featured in “The Chronicle of Philanthropy”

There has been much deserved attention to young people’s declining mental health. Far less has been focused on the poor mental health and loneliness experienced by many older adults. While the number of Americans with a mental health diagnosis has increased among all age groups in recent years, the largest increase has been in those 65 and older, rising more than 57% between 2019 and 2023, with anxiety and depression being the most prevalent. Older adults are also more isolated and lonely than people of other ages - with one in four considered socially isolated and 43% suffering from loneliness.

Despite the clear need for programs and interventions that foster social connectedness among seniors, there is a glaring gap in grant dollars directed their way. In fact, according to data from Grantmakers in Aging, less than 2% of philanthropic funding goes toward aging-related programs and services.

One reason for that lack of philanthropic support is the misguided assumption that government programs cover older adults’ needs…

(Read the article in its entirety on The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s website, linked below.

Read the full article

Grand Opening for Pickleball Courts

The Humana Foundation celebrated the opening of 12 pickleball courts at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center on Sept. 19.

The Foundation invested $217,000 in the Urban League of Louisville with the funds providing opportunities for physical activity through pickleball to area residents.

This investment highlights the Humana Foundation’s commitment to creating health equity and advancing equitable access and outcomes for diverse communities by eliminating the social and structural barriers to good health and healthcare.

Partner Highlight: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Hillsborough

BACKGROUND: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Hillsborough provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

THE NEWS: Through six months of a partnership with the Humana Foundation, NAMI Hillsborough has launched several projects for Hillsborough county’s underserved populations to offer specialized support services and acquired key personnel to staff and support these projects. Projects have served more than 700 individuals with services aimed at increasing mental health awareness, improving help-seeking behaviors and bolstering community support for mental health.

WHY IT MATTERS:

The organization launched the first Young Adult NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group, laying the foundation for future peer-led or certified facilitator support groups for underserved populations.
NAMI also developed key community partnerships to establish agreements with local educational institutions to begin delivering mental health programs, ensuring sustainability and outreach.

WHAT’S NEXT: After recruiting programming leaders, NAMI is seeking to establish and offer Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) training to the community through public sessions hosted by NAMI Hillsborough and partnerships with both mental health and wellness organizations or programs throughout Hillsborough County.

Tiffany Benjamin Featured in Authority Magazine

Humana Foundation CEO Tiffany Benjamin was featured in Authority Magazine’s “Women Philanthropist” series in an interview with Vanessa Morcom.

The article, “Tiffany Benjamin Of Humana Foundation On How To Leave A Lasting Legacy With A Successful Nonprofit Organization,” touches on Tiffany’s passion for health equity in her work, impactful stories from grantmaking and advice on creating a lasting impact and legacy. Read the full Q&A here.

“Life’s persistent and most urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”

-- Martin Luther King Jr.

Philanthropy Resources

Resource for Parents of School-Aged Children

Resource for Veterans

Resource for Seniors

Additional Resources