Philanthropy and Volunteering
Championing equality, communities and a sustainable future
We have been sharing our profits with the community since Levi Strauss founded the company in 1853. Today, we invest a portion of our annual earnings back into the communities we serve, with an emphasis on addressing the issues important to us as a company and to our employees. We amplify our impact by further supporting nonprofit organizations through volunteering and by taking bold stands on social issues that align with our values of empathy, courage, integrity and originality. Grantmaking support comes from LS&Co. and our brands, the Levi Strauss Foundation and the Red Tab Foundation.
2020 Giving
A portion of 2020 donations, $3 million, went to pandemic relief directed toward supply chain communities and to nonprofit partners struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic — 28 organizations in all. Beyond the pandemic, the Foundation grants funds to organizations dedicated to improving the long-term rights of apparel workers. Some of these include facilitating “know your rights” workshops, building grassroots labor rights group capacity, engaging in dispute resolution with factories and brands, and working to strengthen labor laws. Collectively, these actions have affected hundreds of thousands of apparel workers.
2020 Giving
A portion of 2020 donations, $3 million, went to pandemic relief directed toward supply chain communities and to nonprofit partners struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic — 28 organizations in all. Beyond the pandemic, the Foundation grants funds to organizations dedicated to improving the long-term rights of apparel workers. Some of these include facilitating “know your rights” workshops, building grassroots labor rights group capacity, engaging in dispute resolution with factories and brands, and working to strengthen labor laws. Collectively, these actions have affected hundreds of thousands of apparel workers.
Levi Strauss Foundation
Founded in 1952, the Levi Strauss Foundation advances pioneering social change on the issues and events of our time. Our community partners across the globe embody and bring life to LS&Co.’s values of originality, empathy, integrity and courage. The Foundation aims to take courageous risks in service of these values and strives for meaningful impact over the course of decades — with core program areas focused on advancing social justice, improving the lives of apparel workers and ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The Foundation’s focus is long term, while also tackling the issues of our time to work for lasting social change. Its grants are intended to bolster advocacy, leadership and engagement. The Foundation goes “beyond the grant” to build grantee capacity, link grantees with influencers and other funders, and tell the story of pioneering change.
For more than 25 years, the Levi Strauss Foundation has supported organizations devoted to advancing apparel worker rights and well-being in the countries where we operate. The Foundation also shares learnings with industry peers and strives to influence their giving as well.
A network of nonprofit organizations partners with factories in the LS&Co. supply chain to implement programs on financial literacy, worker health and other topics. They also advocate for workers with factory management, providing workers with a much-needed avenue to share their needs and concerns for improvements. Already, more than 200,000 workers have had access to Worker Well-being programs in supplier factories.
Over the past five years, our company and the Levi Strauss Foundation together have invested more than $37 million in organizations advancing equality in the U.S. In addition to financial support, we use our voice to advocate for change at the policy and community levels, including initiatives supporting DE&I.
Pioneers in Justice
The Levi Strauss Foundation launched the first Pioneers in Justice initiative in 2010 to empower next-generation Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) social justice leaders to drive nonprofit organizational growth and mobilize communities. The program has evolved to connect grassroots BIPOC leaders working on systemic change in gender equity, climate change, criminal justice, LGBTQ+ rights, racial equity, immigrant rights and gun violence.
The 2021 Pioneer class, which includes 12 individuals from as many justice organizations, supports pioneering social change on the issues and events of our time. This third cohort is composed entirely of women, femme and nonbinary Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) leaders. We look forward to learning from them how the Levi Strauss Foundation and LS&Co. can improve our ability to deliver on our core values.
In 2020, LS&Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation provided $2.8 million to more than 20 voting rights and engagement organizations. These groups worked to remove barriers and improve access to the polls, mobilize voters in marginalized communities, and engage young voters. Ultimately, they educated, empowered and activated more than 13 million voters across the U.S., leading to record turnout and increased participation among women of color, Native Americans and others.
Pioneers in Justice
The Levi Strauss Foundation launched the first Pioneers in Justice initiative in 2010 to empower next-generation Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) social justice leaders to drive nonprofit organizational growth and mobilize communities. The program has evolved to connect grassroots BIPOC leaders working on systemic change in gender equity, climate change, criminal justice, LGBTQ+ rights, racial equity, immigrant rights and gun violence.
The 2021 Pioneer class, which includes 12 individuals from as many justice organizations, supports pioneering social change on the issues and events of our time. This third cohort is composed entirely of women, femme and nonbinary Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) leaders. We look forward to learning from them how the Levi Strauss Foundation and LS&Co. can improve our ability to deliver on our core values.
In 2020, LS&Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation provided $2.8 million to more than 20 voting rights and engagement organizations. These groups worked to remove barriers and improve access to the polls, mobilize voters in marginalized communities, and engage young voters. Ultimately, they educated, empowered and activated more than 13 million voters across the U.S., leading to record turnout and increased participation among women of color, Native Americans and others.
In 2020, LS&Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation provided $2.8 million to more than 20 voting rights and engagement organizations. These groups worked to remove barriers and improve access to the polls, mobilize voters in marginalized communities, and engage young voters. Ultimately, they educated, empowered and activated more than 13 million voters across the U.S., leading to record turnout and increased participation among women of color, Native Americans and others.
Red Tab Foundation
The Red Tab Foundation is a public, nonprofit foundation set up to help LS&Co. employees, retirees and their families who face unexpected financial hardship. The first corporate hardship fund, it provides financial assistance, education and preventive programs to help these individuals in their own efforts to maintain their financial, physical and emotional health. A valuable safety net contributed to by employees for other employees, it serves as the connecting point among people needing help and those providing it. Current employees are eligible for support from their first day of employment and funds are distributed as grants or short-term, no-interest loans.
$2.4 Million in Grants in 2020*
In 2020, the Red Tab Foundation provided $2.4 million in cash grants — 30% of which addressed COVID-19 pandemic impacts. During the year, the Foundation helped alleviate 1,825 hardships — more than ever before in its history. Since its founding in 1981, the Red Tab Foundation has helped more than 25,000 grantees, providing assistance of nearly $26.5 million.
*This report covers the Red Tab Foundation’s 2021 fiscal year, June 2020 – May 2021.
Expediting Funds in 2020
Five case managers in the U.S. and in our owned-and-operated factories in South Africa and Poland provided empathetic support and rapid access to funds, with assistance from human resources partners around the globe. In 2020, despite handling twice as many cases as pre-pandemic, these dedicated team members got critically needed funds to recipients as quickly as possible and approved 90% of requests for assistance. The Red Tab Foundation is at the core of how LS&Co. cares for its people. In a recent survey of Red Tab Savers participants, about 70% indicated they believe LS&Co. cares about their financial well-being.
Hardship funds like the Red Tab Foundation, which help employees experiencing emergencies, can be important tools to address racial injustices as well. In the U.S., Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) are overrepresented among those living below the poverty line. In 2020, the Harvard Business Review highlighted employee hardship funds as one of the commitments companies can make to advance racial justice, ultimately giving people a chance to secure a better future. Every day, the Red Tab Foundation alleviates worry and provides critical aid to employees and retirees who are suffering through unexpected emergencies, along with education and proactive programs to help individuals maintain their financial health.
Sharing the Hardship Fund Playbook
During 2020, the Red Tab Foundation also created the Hardship Fund Playbook, open sourcing its learnings from four decades of operations for others to use. As of mid-2021, the playbook had been downloaded by over 600 organizations, from global public institutions, to Fortune 500 companies, to nonprofits and small businesses alike.
Sharing the Hardship Fund Playbook
During 2020, the Red Tab Foundation also created the Hardship Fund Playbook, open sourcing its learnings from four decades of operations for others to use. As of mid-2021, the playbook had been downloaded by over 600 organizations, from global public institutions, to Fortune 500 companies, to nonprofits and small businesses alike.
“My dad was fighting to live and you gave me the opportunity to help him.”
Eleane Perez, Logistics Senior Analyst | LS&Co. Mexico
Eleane reached out to Red Tab Foundation when her father fell seriously ill and doctors couldn’t determine what was wrong. Red Tab Foundation helped by supporting several medical treatments. “I have no words to thank you for all the support, especially in these times of the pandemic,” Eleane says.
Medical expenses make up 11% of the hardships Red Tab Foundation helps with each year.
“My dad was fighting to live and you gave me the opportunity to help him.”
Eleane Perez, Logistics Senior Analyst | LS&Co. Mexico
Eleane reached out to Red Tab Foundation when her father fell seriously ill and doctors couldn’t determine what was wrong. Red Tab Foundation helped by supporting several medical treatments. “I have no words to thank you for all the support, especially in these times of the pandemic,” Eleane says.
Medical expenses make up 11% of the hardships Red Tab Foundation helps with each year.
Employee Giving and Volunteering
Each year, employees across the company give both time and money to the causes they care about, and 2020 was no different. Employees in more than 30 countries either made donations or volunteered in 2020, supporting 1,153 causes representing public safety, disaster relief, education, civil rights, social action, advocacy and others.
The amount donated by employees grew by 22% in 2020 compared to 2019, and employee participation was 45% over retail industry standards. A record high number of employees donated to the Red Tab Foundation during the year, a testament to their desire to help colleagues in times of need.
Volunteering
We provide employees with tools and resources to become informed on issues and make a difference in their own communities. Our company culture empowers them to use their voice and volunteer their time to make a difference on the issues that matter most to them. We connect them with opportunities to get involved and provide 5 paid hours per month for civic engagement and volunteering with causes important to them. Their charitable giving impact is also doubled up to $2,000 per year with a match from the Levi Strauss Foundation. And in keeping with our commitment to voting rights, we provide U.S.-based employees with paid time off to vote.
Volunteering went virtual during 2020, with Community Ambassadors and the Employee Resource Groups creating opportunities for virtual support. That included Community Day, our company-wide volunteer event that takes place in more than 100 countries on the same day. Employees volunteer their time and talents, and the nonprofit they help receives a grant. Although in-person volunteering was rare in 2020, our employee participation in volunteer activities was higher than the retail industry average and all the nonprofit partners our employees engaged with still received grants.
What’s Next – Philanthropy and Volunteering
2020 emphasized just how important our grantmaking and volunteering tools are in helping us to address pressing social issues, enable employees to engage on issues important to them, uphold our obligations to the communities we engage with, and build a workplace that truly lives its values.
We will continue on all these fronts, seeing them as key elements to the delivery of profits through principles. We strive to increase our positive impact in our communities each year through our giving and volunteering efforts. We make commitments demonstrating focused, long-lasting engagement with grantee partners on civic engagement, equality, gun violence prevention and sustainability in LS&Co. communities around the world.
The Levi Strauss Foundation and LS&Co. will roll out an updated Worker Well-being Guidebook with our supplier and nonprofit partners, move the next class of Pioneers in Justice forward, and carry on with the work that has helped make the Levi Strauss Foundation a unique example of meaningful corporate philanthropy.
The Red Tab Foundation team has developed a 2024 strategic plan, which focuses on expanding program awareness and access around the globe, staying on the leading edge of program impact, and serving as a connection point for the LS&Co. community. The Foundation will continue to serve as a critical safety net for employees and retirees and a resource for other companies and organizations looking to support the financial health of their employees.
And when it is safe to resume in-person volunteering in large groups, we look forward to bringing back our global Community Day, expanding our network of community ambassadors and empowering all of our employees — corporate, distribution center and retail — to continue to be leaders and advocates in their local communities.
