PHILANTHROPY

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

In 1854 Levi Strauss donated $5 to a San Francisco orphanage and the seeds of LS&CO.'s philanthropy were sown. For over 50 years, grants from the Levi Strauss Foundation have encouraged innovative and risk-taking social change initiatives.

Since 1995, the Levi Strauss Foundation has supported community-based organisations in South Africa to help address the injustices of apartheid and promote social acceptance. To date, R30 million has been invested through the Foundation into various SA social initiatives, specifically HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, youth development, women empowerment and democracy building initiatives.

Levi Strauss & Co.'s Employee Community Involvement Team [CIT] is a global programme that has been an integral part of the corporate social responsibility efforts for over 10 years at Levi Strauss South Africa. The company's commitment to the community is not, however, merely limited to funding. In addition to several ongoing volunteer projects, every year LS&CO. closes its offices worldwide for one full day a year to celebrate Community Day. On this day Levi's® employees dedicated their day to a community in need with the aim of improving the lives of those less privileged.

In 2010, 112 volunteers supported this initiative by volunteering over 880 hours to several different projects to support environmental sustainability and children’s education.

To find out more about the Levi Strauss Foundation, visit www.levistrauss.com