Established in 1952, the Levi Strauss Foundation is an independent private foundation that is grounded in pioneering legacy and enduring values of Levi Strauss & Co.: originality, integrity, empathy and courage.

Through our philanthropic work, we seek to bring those values to life while leading at the forefront of change. We are not afraid to tackle some of the toughest social issues of our time and to experiment with new approaches.   For example, we were the first corporate foundation to address HIV/AIDS as a human rights concern and the first to support the notion that people could save their way out of poverty and build financially secure lives.

We focus our work on driving systemic change – both at the factory level and in the policymaking arena – that is required to make a difference in people’s lives. On worker rights, for instance, while others talk about the need for training, we partner with non-governmental organizations to write the curricula and ensure that the training happens. Likewise, many of our funding initiatives are aimed at taking innovative program models to scale and sustainability, and sharing best practices with others companies and NGOs around the world.

We fund programs in nearly 40 countries around the world where Levi Strauss & Co. has a business presence. We do not accept unsolicited grant proposals, but we do work closely with a network of partners across a wide variety of sectors to identify opportunities that will create the most impact.

For more information about our grantmaking approach, please read our Guidelines for Prospective Grantees.