Giving Compass' Take:

• In early 2018, the Humana Foundation announced a renewed focus on upstream social determinants of health, including financial security and social connections.

• How might this strategy influence other grantmakers in the health space? What can funders do to engage with communities more on this level?

• Here's how addressing social determinants of health can reduce costs.

The Humana Foundation, philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. for the past 37 years, announced that it is evolving its grant-making work to a strategic investment plan that begins with desired results and focuses more intentionally on upstream social determinants of health. This approach aligns with Humana Inc.'s work to help people have more "Healthy Days" by pursuing a Bold Goal of improving the health of the communities Humana serves 20 percent by 2020.

The Humana Foundation believes its strategy will help it achieve its overall goal of contributing to greater health equity (attainment of the highest level of health for all people) in the communities it serves.

"To make a greater impact, we will collaborate with leaders at Humana and in our communities to address 'upstream' social determinants of health — like asset and financial security, food security, and social connection — so that fewer people will develop chronic health conditions in the first place," said Bruce Broussard, President and CEO of Humana, and Chair of the Humana Foundation Board of Directors.

Walter Woods, Chief Executive Officer of the Humana Foundation, added that the foundation will also work to identify partner organizations — at the national level and in the communities it serves — because joining forces with like-minded entities can result in more impactful, broad-based and sustainable change.

Read the full article about Humana's efforts to address social determinants of health at Business Wire.