For more than 150 years, Levi Strauss & Co. has been involved in communities where it has a business presence. LS&CO.'s Employee Community Involvement program is an integral part of our corporate citizenship efforts and offers employees and retirees a variety of ways to make a difference in their local communities.
We encourage all of our employees and executives globally to support organizations that are important to them with their time, talent, and money, both individually and in teams. Employees can join one of our 75 Community Involvement Teams (CITs). CITs are company-sponsored and employee-led groups that partner with local charitable organizations to identify needs, plan activities, and create volunteer and donation opportunities for LS&CO. employees. In 2005, CITs performed over 8,300 service hours globally. In recognition of their hours of service, Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation awarded $206,500 in grants to community organizations.
In the U.S., the Levi Strauss Foundation matches employee and retiree contributions, dollar for dollar, to qualifying charitable organizations and provides grants to nonprofits where they volunteer or serve on boards. To encourage individual volunteerism, LS&CO. offers full-time employees up to five hours per month paid time off to volunteer at a charitable organization of their choice.