Endowment / Foundation

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C.E. and S. Foundation

Founded in 1985 by David A. Jones, the late co-founder of health insurance giant Humana Inc., the C.E. and S. Foundation operates as a tightly focused,...

C.E. and S. Foundation logo

C.E. and S. Foundation

Founded in 1985 by David A. Jones, the late co-founder of health insurance giant Humana Inc., the C.E. and S. Foundation operates as a tightly focused, place-based philanthropy in Louisville, Kentucky. The foundation's wealth traces directly to the growth of Humana, a Fortune 500 company that transformed hospital development and managed care in the United States. Today, the foundation is managed by David A. Jones Jr., who serves as Treasurer and Officer while also chairing the regional venture capital firm Chrysalis Ventures. The foundation deploys capital exclusively through grantmaking, concentrating on local organizations that improve living conditions for Louisville residents. Its programmatic focus covers four interconnected pillars: caregiver engagement, social-emotional and academic support for children, family stability, and postsecondary education success. Unlike diversified institutional endowments, the C.E. and S. Foundation maintains a narrow geographic lens, with nearly all funding directed to initiatives operating within Louisville and its surrounding communities. The foundation participates in sector networks including Grantmakers for Education and the National Center for Family Philanthropy, where staff regularly present on place-based giving strategies. The foundation's total assets are not publicly disclosed, but Altss estimates its endowment to be approximately $72 million based on available financial records. David A. Jones Jr.'s dual role — running both the foundation and Chrysalis Ventures — creates an unusual overlap between philanthropic grantmaking and for-profit venture investing within the same regional ecosystem. The foundation maintains its offices at PNC Tower in downtown Louisville and has historically supported signature local projects including The Parklands of Floyds Fork, a major public green space. The C.E. and S. Foundation's structural differentiator lies in its extreme localization: it operates less like a diversified institutional endowment and more like a family-funded operating trust for one city. Its governance remains tightly held within the Jones family and its second generation, reflecting the original founder's intent to concentrate his philanthropic legacy on the community where Humana was built.

General information

Firm type

Endowment / Foundation

Year founded

1985

Location

Region

North America

Country

United States

City

Louisville

Corporate office

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Principals

David A. Jones Jr.

Treasurer and Officer

Sector focus

EducationHealthcare Services

Frequently asked questions

What role did C.E. and S. Foundation's founder play in building Humana?

David A. Jones co-founded Humana Inc. in 1961, initially as a nursing home company called Extendicare before pivoting into hospital management and eventually health insurance. Under his leadership, Humana became one of the largest hospital corporations in the United States before its transformation into a managed-care organization. Jones served as CEO until 1997 and remained Chairman until 2005, building the Fortune 500 enterprise that ultimately funded the foundation's endowment.

How is David A. Jones Jr. connected to both the foundation and venture investing?

David A. Jones Jr. serves as Treasurer and Officer of the C.E. and S. Foundation while simultaneously acting as Chairman and Managing Director of Chrysalis Ventures, a Louisville-based venture capital firm founded in 1993. This dual role is unusual: Jones Jr. oversees grantmaking from the family's philanthropic capital while deploying venture investments into growth-stage companies, primarily in the healthcare and technology sectors throughout the Midwest and South. Both entities operate from the same PNC Tower office suite in downtown Louisville.

Does the C.E. and S. Foundation make grants outside of Louisville?

The foundation's grantmaking is almost entirely restricted to Louisville, Kentucky, and its immediate metropolitan area. Its stated mission focuses on enhancing living conditions and prospects for Louisville residents, and its four program areas — caregiver engagement, social-emotional and academic support, family stability, and postsecondary education success — are all implemented through local organizations. There is no evidence of international grantmaking or significant funding directed to other US regions.

What is the relationship between the foundation and Chrysalis Ventures?

The C.E. and S. Foundation and Chrysalis Ventures share common leadership through David A. Jones Jr. and occupy the same office address at PNC Tower in Louisville. However, they operate as legally distinct entities: the foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization making grants, while Chrysalis Ventures is a for-profit venture capital firm managing external limited partner capital. The foundation does not invest in Chrysalis funds as part of its endowment management, and the two organizations maintain separate programmatic and investment operations.

Is the C.E. and S. Foundation's endowment invested or held in cash?

While the foundation's specific asset allocation is not publicly disclosed, its modest estimated endowment of approximately $72 million suggests it likely maintains a conservative, income-oriented portfolio consistent with private foundation payout requirements. Unlike large institutional endowments that pursue diversified investment strategies across public equities, private equity, and hedge funds, the C.E. and S. Foundation's focus on annual grantmaking from a smaller base implies a more liquid, lower-risk investment posture.

Who runs the foundation's day-to-day grantmaking operations?

The foundation's known professional staff includes Nicole Eovino Diebold, who participates in the Out-of-School Time Impact Group of Grantmakers for Education, and Tess McNair, who has presented at National Center for Family Philanthropy events. However, the foundation does not publish a full staff directory, and its organizational structure appears lean relative to its grantmaking volume — characteristic of family-led foundations where principals maintain direct oversight of funding decisions rather than delegating to professional program officers.

What does 'C.E. and S.' stand for in the foundation's name?

The foundation's name refers to family members of its founder, David A. Jones Sr., though the foundation itself does not publicly decode the initials in its official communications or IRS filings. This naming convention — using family initials rather than a descriptive label — is common among private foundations where the founding family intends to maintain multi-generational control over governance and grantmaking priorities.

Profile maintained by using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.

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