Humana Foundation Learnings: 2024 Philanthropy Southeast Conference "Leading Lights in Connection, Community & Courage"

Humana Foundation Communications Director Marvin Hill recently attended the The Philanthropy Southeast Conference, held in Nashville, TN from November 13-15. The conference brought together leaders and changemakers with the theme "Leading Lights: Connection, Community & Courage." At a critical time in the South and across the country, the annual meeting aimed to help attendees navigate the challenges ahead, embrace shared goals, and work toward a brighter future for the South and all its people.

One of the conference sessions, “Unveiling Southern Progress: Empowering Change Through Challenging Times,” highlighted the resilience and innovation of Southern communities, drawing on insights from a series of reports that lift stories from across the South. The reports, a collaboration between Grantmakers for Southern Progress and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, emphasized the beauty of the region and the unique strengths of Southern leaders among other things, with a goal of driving philanthropic initiatives to enhance funding for underserved communities in the Southern region.

In the pursuit of continuous learning, Marvin shared several important learnings and takeaways from the discussion about Southern communities at the Philanthropy Southeast annual meeting:

Southerners are strategic and resilient

Resourcefulness: Southern communities maximize impact with limited resources.
Resilience: Experience in hostile environments has honed strategic and safe working methods.
Bridge-Building: Scarce resources necessitate breaking issue siloes and building power across diverse groups.

Investing in initiatives that improve healthcare infrastructure and services in the communities the Humana Foundation serves, can lead to better health outcomes and greater equity. Additionally, supporting community-led health initiatives that leverage local knowledge, and resources can strengthen health systems and improve access to care.

The South is Growing

It was interesting to learn from the session the following data sourced from the Cost of Voting in the American States. The South is home to:

8/10 of the fastest growing cities in the nation.
The largest population of Black folks (56%)
The fastest growing population of Latine and Asian American populations.
11 of the most difficult states to vote in.

As the Humana Foundation advances its mission and based on this data, we can continue to target our geographies which are likely experiencing increased demand for health services. Investing in mental health and nutrition programs in the South can address the needs of a rapidly expanding population. To support expanding populations, we’ll help advance culturally tailored mental health services and nutrition education to meet the specific needs of these communities. We’ll continue to listen intently to community, to discover the accurate needs of individuals within these growing populations. We’ll continue to engage with community leaders and organizations to build trust and encourage engagement in our grantmaking and nonprofit partners.

Navigating a New Era in Philanthropy

The reports reflected on the transformative events of recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, racial uprisings, election cycles, and climate crises. These events have reshaped philanthropy, pushing it to the frontlines with rapid response and modified funding requirements. The focus now is on how to sustain these efforts and continue driving change.

The key takeaway here and in this new era, the Humana Foundation can leverage data to identify the most effective interventions, and target areas with the greatest need. We’ll advance our research strategy to continue to evaluate the impact of our grantmaking and inform future strategies. We’ll also continue to collaborate with academic institutions and other organizations to advance outcomes to contribute to the broader knowledge base, and drive systemic change.

Key Focus Areas from the reports, with grantmaking data from Candid

The session and reports, explored several critical areas for equitable structural change and power building in the South including:

Political Infrastructure: Strengthening the interconnected web of functions, organizations, leaders, funding resources, relationships, and communities to transform power structures.
Southern Climate Infrastructure: Addressing climate challenges with a focus on equity and sustainability.
Healthcare Access: Improving access to healthcare in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.
Economic Justice & Security: Promoting economic justice and security for marginalized communities.
Solidarity & Infrastructure Building: Building solidarity and infrastructure to support long-term change.

From a change and power building perspective, the Humana Foundation can continue to consider the interconnected nature of these various social issues, including economic justice, political infrastructure, and climate challenges. Addressing these social determinants is crucial for advancing and achieving health equity. By focusing on comprehensive strategies that improve mental health and nutrition, the Foundation can help create healthier communities and reduce health disparities.

Looking Ahead

The Philanthropy Southeast Conference underscored the importance of connection, community, and courage in driving progress. After Marvin’s conference experience, he is better equipped to tackle the challenges ahead and work towards a brighter future for the South. With new perspectives, the Humana Foundation, through Marvin’s learnings and leadership, can empower communities while harnessing the deep understanding of local needs and solutions.

On behalf of the Humana Foundation, thank you, Marvin, for sharing these learnings from the Philanthropy Southeast annual meeting and the session focused on progression in the South.

This article and accompanying insights are part of the Humana Foundation’s continual growth journey where we share learnings to expand our knowledge in philanthropy to better serve our communities.