The Humana Foundation awards $2+ million to Louisville nonprofits through Community Relations Program

The Humana Foundation, philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. for the past 38 years, is awarding more than $2 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in Louisville as part of its ongoing Community Relations Program. The initiative began in 2018, when the foundation awarded $2.4 million to nonprofits that contribute to health and well-being in Humana’s corporate hometown.

Organizations receiving Community Relations funding in 2019 will address social determinants of health by providing critical safety net services and/or by making Louisville a more appealing place to live for all. These programs contribute to health and well-being in the Louisville area by focusing on healthcare services, nutrition and food security, personal safety and shelter, built or natural environments, arts and culture, and education and early childhood development.

“In 2018, we received applications for 170 programs in the Kentuckiana region and partnered with 32 organizations working to improve well-being for all,” said Walter D. Woods, CEO of the Humana Foundation. “This year, we are grateful we have the continuing opportunity to partner with the nonprofit community in making Louisville a better place to live. We believe it is our role to enhance the well-being of our community by supporting and encouraging collaboration in multiple sectors where leadership, culture and systems work together.”

With the 2019 grants, special consideration was given to applications:

• Combining and integrating work in a partnership between two or more organizations.
• Focusing on inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging in order to break down barriers that keep all citizens from engaging the services and opportunities Louisville has to offer.

One initiative receiving 2019 Community Relations funding from the Humana Foundation focuses on collaboration and partnership between local organizations. The University of Louisville and Interapt will share a $325,000 grant to address education, partnering to offer an intensive software development training program to historically marginalized adults in Louisville’s West End. Led by the UofL School of Business, the Louisville Skills program will improve the financial outcomes and personal and family trajectory of participants by preparing them for careers in the tech industry.

The following nonprofit organizations will also receive Community Relations funding from the Humana Foundation in grant amounts varying from $325,000 to $25,000:

• Adelante Hispanic Achievers
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana
• Boys & Girls Club of Kentuckiana
• Bridge Kids International
• CASA of River Region
• Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNPE)
• Centerstone
• Chestnut Street YMCA
• Dare to Care
• Down Syndrome of Louisville
• ElderServe
• Evolve502
• Health Equity Fund
• KaBOOM!
• La Casita Center
• Leadership Louisville
• Lean Into Louisville
• Louisville Housing Opportunities and Micro Enterprise Community Development Loan Fund
• Louisville Orchestra
• Louisville Urban League
• Olmsted Parks Conservancy
• Parkinson Support Center of Kentuckiana
• St. George’s Scholar Institute
• St. John Center for Homeless Men
• Volunteers of America Mid-States
• West Louisville Performing Arts Academy              

Input from Humana’s Community Relations Program Advisory Committee, a diverse group of volunteers from Humana’s Network Resource Groups, and an online vote of Humana employees based in Louisville helped decide which organizations received 2019 funding.

Humana employees are also encouraged to support the Community Relations Program grant recipients through skills-based volunteerism. By putting their business skills to work for local organizations, Humana employees will be able to help increase local health and well-being.

Also as part of the 2019 Community Relations Program, the Humana Foundation is funding several other organizations, including Metro United Way and Fund for the Arts.