The Humana Foundation announced over $12.2 million in new grants aimed at combating loneliness, depression and social isolation among seniors and veterans across the country, including several initiatives centered in Kentucky.

The foundation's first slate of 2026 grants will support 13 nonprofit organizations and five university research teams, according to reporting from The Lane Report. Major national recipients include Older Adults Technology Services from AARP with $3 million, Friendship Bench with $1 million, and the National Recreation & Park Association with $890,000.

The philanthropic arm of Humana Inc., based in Louisville, has centered Kentucky as a focus geography. Louisville-based initiatives include a $450,000 grant to the Owsley Brown Frazier Historical Arms Museum Foundation to use artifacts from the museum's collection in programming across 14 assisted living campuses, and a $250,000 grant to Home for Good to support permanent supportive housing with integrated behavioral health services.

The African American Male Wellness Agency received $750,000 to expand mental health resources for African American seniors and veterans in Louisville and Houston through monthly peer-to-peer sessions and community wellness events. A $150,000 grant to Help Us Grow will expand a program where seniors tutor school-aged youth in reading across Florida, Texas and Kentucky.

Tiffany Benjamin, CEO of the Humana Foundation, said "loneliness isn't something we have to accept as a natural part of aging; it's a public health crisis we can actively solve." More than one in four seniors report being socially isolated, increasing their risk of dementia by 50 percent, according to foundation research.

The foundation is also investing $1.75 million in university research partnerships. The University of Michigan will measure loneliness and social isolation among diverse older Americans through a multi-state poll in Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana and Texas. Other institutions exploring new frontiers in emotional health include the University of Houston, Emory University, and Florida State University.

The Humana Foundation plans to announce a second slate of grants in fall 2026.