Humana offers health grants

Broward County organizations that connect residents to healthy food are invited to apply for grants “no smaller than” $500,000 from the Humana Foundation, the charitable arm of the health insurance giant.

Since 2015, Broward County has been among the communities targeted by Humana Inc.’s “Bold Goal” initiative for programs and spending aimed at improving residents’ overall health. Others are Louisville, Ky.; San Antonio, Texas; New Orleans, La.; Knoxville, Tenn.; plus the Tampa Bay and Jacksonville regions in Florida.

The program’s goal is to improve the health of these communities 20 percent by 2020.

In a news release, the foundation announced it planned to make “strategic community investments” of at least $500,000 each to organizations in its Bold Goal communities that ensure that people have daily access to healthy food and are making the social connections they need to improve and sustain positive health outcomes.

Types of organizations eligible for the investments include, but are not limited to, mobile or stationary feeding centers for the homeless or the disadvantaged, food co-ops or pantries, nonprofit farmers’ markets, and community gardens that teach people how to grow food.

“We’re open to any and all of these kinds of proposals,” foundation spokeswoman Tess Rollano said. “If an applicant has a solid theory of change that can help show how their proposed solution will result in systemic change leading to positive health outcomes related to food security, social connection, and healthy days,