New Mexico is a state of contrasts. The beauty and richness of the state’s stunning geography, diverse communities and generous people stand in stark contrast against a backdrop of pervasive poverty and persistent disparities, including social and economic challenges for New Mexico’s women of color.

Consistent with the heritage and values of the company, the grant-making programs of Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation seek to alleviate poverty on behalf of women and youth in communities around the world where our employees and our contractors' employees live and work.

For over 50 years the foundation’s grantmaking has supported innovative and risk-taking social change initiatives. Levi Strauss & Co.'s history of philanthropy dates back to the earliest days of the company – more than 150 years.

We feel that programs that understand and specifically serve the needs of women and girls have the best chance to improve communities. In addition, national studies have found that less than 7% of the philanthropic dollar goes to programs that are focused on women and girls.

For these reasons, we fund programs that:

• increase economic self-sufficiency for women and girls,
• effect public policy and advocacy in support of women and girls, and
• address the issues of human rights and equality of women in our communities.

The Women's Foundation of California is the only statewide public foundation that is investing in women and girls throughout California to create a more just and equitable society. Since 1979, the Foundation has awarded more than $22 million in grants to over 1,200 community-based organizations in every region of our diverse state.

The Women's Foundation of California invests in five areas that we believe are central to achieving equity for women and girls

The Women's Rights Fund enables the Fund for Global Human Rights to highlight the work of more than eighty women’s rights grantees; underscore the connection between legal, economic and social discrimination against women throughout the world; and attract new financial resources to the Fund—enabling us to expand our grant-making on the range of critical human rights issues affecting women’s everyday lives.