Matching Gifts Program Helps Lift Festival to New Heights

For 12 consecutive years, the Geeva Arts Festival provided a vibrant celebration of classical Indian performing arts in Louisville, Kentucky. But funds were short in 2024, and the festival faced the reality there might not be a 13th iteration. 

With just months to go before the proposed opening date of the festival, a team of Humana employees came together and utilized the Humana Foundation’s “matching gifts” (donation to nonprofit matching) program for employees to breathe new life into the event and help lift the Geeva Arts Festival into its largest production to date.

The festival has since evolved from its inaugural year in 2012, expanding from 50 total attendees to a now two-day festival reaching its maximum capacity of 150 guests. What was once a fledgling program has grown into a widely celebrated event to celebrate Indian heritage.

“There were a few supporters among the many who said this festival will be a wash,” said Sunder Iyer, who works in the TechStrat team. “But today, after 13 years of surviving all kinds of criticism and low confidence, the Festival is a thriving cultural showcase and puts Louisville on the map of the cities where diversity and inclusion are foremost.”

While the growth and management of the program is largely thanks to Sunder’s wife, festival Director Akila Iyer, and his daughter, co-director Shyama Iyer, Sunder stepped in when funding for the 2024 festival was in question.

Sunder registered the Guru Vandana Academy nonprofit (which puts on the festival) in the Humana Foundation’s Matching Gifts program, Humana Together. By completing the registration process, donations to the nonprofit in support of the Geeva Arts Festival were matched by the Humana Foundation.

Additionally, donations during the Foundation’s special “Double Match Day” events each year offer twice the total impact to the nonprofit.

Sunder was the only person to donate to the nonprofit the first year he registered Guru Vandana Academy in Humana Together in 2023. He spread the word to friends and colleagues this year, with the arts festival in dire need of funding.

More than 20 employees donated to the nonprofit during Double Match Day on March 5, 2024 to provide a combined gift of $5,000 in support of the Geeva Arts Festival.

“The power of giving became obvious,” said Sunder. “We were pleasantly surprised that even the smallest of giving was compounded (to help reach $5,000 of impact). This matching program in many ways helped save the festival this year.”

What started as a passion project with uncertain support evolved to include employees from across different departments at Humana, as teammates came together in support of a shared cause. The movement and team-bonding experience even featured Humana SVP, Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, Carolyn Tandy, who attended the 13th annual Geeva Arts Festival and shared her wonderful experience on social media.

“I had the privilege of attending the Geeva Arts Festival at the invitation of my Humana colleagues this past weekend,” wrote Tandy on LinkedIn. “A huge thank you…for an incredible experience exploring themes of duality, dichotomy, and divergence. The performances were outstanding, with empowering and thought-provoking messages that my daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed.”

Tandy added she is looking forward to returning to the festival next year with additional members of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team.

The Humana Foundation is honored to provide employee programming opportunities like Matching Gifts to the team here at Humana. Last year, through a combination of employee contributions and the donation matching program, the Foundation donated $5 million to nonprofits.

As Humana and the Humana Foundation continue Month of Impact (a month-long initiative to create $10 million in community impact from Aug. 21 - Sept. 21), the Humana Foundation also announced a month-long window of the Double Match benefit. Employees who donate during the month are awarded an additional match bank of up to $2,000 for additional donation. Employees can donate to eligible nonprofits – like Guru Vandana Academy – during Month of Impact to receive a double match and create twice the impact for nonprofits.

“(The Matching Gifts program) is a great benefit and in many ways provides a lifeline to many nonprofits,” said Sunder. “I love Humana for this wonderful giving opportunity.”