This is the VisioBrand's cache of http://www.levistrauss.com/responsibility. The page may have been changed since the time we've created the cache.
Click here for the current version of the page.

Our corporate values -- empathy, originality, integrity and courage -- are the foundation of our company and define who we are. They underlie how we compete in the marketplace and how we behave. They enable our vision of the future and reflect the legacy of our founder, Levi Strauss, who devoted substantial time and resources to charitable and philanthropic activities.

These values guide our foundation's giving programs, the support we provide to communities where we have a business presence, our employee community-involvement programs, and our code of ethical conduct for manufacturing and finishing contractors working with the company.

Our commitment to equal employment opportunity and diversity pre-dates today's programs and began in the 1940s when we desegregated our factories in California.

In 1991, we became the first worldwide company to establish a comprehensive ethical code of conduct for manufacturing and finishing contractors working with the company.

Our philanthropy also includes a focus on strengthening workers' rights and ultimately improving working and living conditions in communities where third-party contractors make LS&CO. products. The Levi Strauss Foundation provides innovative "sourcing" grants to local, regional or global nonprofit organizations to support programs that

• educate policy makers on the need to include human rights protections in trade agreements;
• increase local monitoring and enforcement of labor and health and safety laws;
• educate workers about their rights and increase their knowledge of financial literacy and health issues; and/or
• create positive partnerships between non-profit organizations and contractors.

For the past three years, we have been ranked as one of "America's 50 Best Companies for Minorities" by Fortune Magazine.

In 2003, Levi Strauss & Company received the Corporate Philanthropy Award for its leadership in giving and volunteering in the San Francisco area.

In 2000, LS&CO. inaugurated Volunteer Day at our San Francisco Headquarters and has since expanded it beyond the United States and Canada to include sites throughout Latin America and Asia, as well as our Brussels office. In 2003, more than 2,600 employees volunteered more than 20,000 hours to 71 charitable organizations.

In 1998, we received the U.S. President's Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership for outstanding achievements in employee and community relations. We were recognized for creating Project Change, an initiative of the Levi Strauss Foundation that combats institutional racism.

In 1968, we pioneered an employee volunteer effort called "Community Involvement Teams" or CITs. There are now 78 CITs worldwide.

We have played a leadership role in educational programs and policies regarding AIDS in the workplace.

We have made more than $26 million in grants for AIDS care and prevention in the last two decades and have received numerous awards and recognition for our efforts to combat the HIV epidemic.

The Foundation is an independent legal entity that provides grants to community-based organizations working to create meaningful social change. The Levi Strauss Foundation funds programs worldwide where LS&CO. has a business presence and gave approximately $11 million in 2003. The Foundation also funds disaster relief efforts, makes charitable donations to organizations where employees volunteer, matches cash donations by employees to local charitable organizations, provides grants to community organizations located in LS&CO.'s sourcing communities, and funds college scholarships for the dependents of LS&CO. employees.

LS&CO. makes charitable donations to smaller community organizations outside the United States. We also support branded philanthropy initiatives and sponsor select charitable fundraising activities throughout the world. LS&CO. gave approximately $4 million in 2003 and supports the Levi Strauss Foundation with periodic contributions.

Our employees are a big part of how we give back to our communities -- we invest in what is important to them. We encourage employees globally to give back to their communities through employee-led Community Involvement Teams and through the sponsorship of an annual volunteer day.