YourCause highlights the Levi Strauss Foundation's community vote program that is an innovative focusing tool to raise awareness and engage a new generation of global employees with their strategic work in corporate philanthropy.

1. Client Highlight: Community Vote Program
Client Highlight

2. Client Highlight: Community Vote Program
The Challenge: Engaging Employees in Corporate Causes
It’s a delicate balance in CSR to support employees and their personal causes – while also encouraging them to support corporate
causes. The challenge lies in providing tools that can support both areas, but also educate employees how corporate charity partners are
making an impact to inspire their giving decisions. The Levi Strauss Foundation has been championing complex social issues since 1952.
The Foundation was looking for a focusing tool that would help raise awareness and engage a new generation of global employees with
their strategic work.
The Solution: Establishing a Voting Competition to Vitalize Engagement
Two years ago the Levi Strauss Foundation developed a competition concept where everyone wins and all employees feel more involved
in corporate causes. The concept grew into creating a community vote program where employees vote on how corporate grant dollars are
divided among five (5) featured charity partners (aka ‘pioneers’) that focus on social issues. The competitive element creates an
interactive approach to attract a younger, global workforce and make it easy to participate. Levi Strauss Foundation then needed an
online tool to facilitate a voting program that provides clear communication
on how their standout community partners are making an impact.
The Technology: YourCause and Levi Strauss
Partner to Make Voting Digital
In 2012, Levi Strauss & Co. partnered with YourCause to support
their overall employee giving and volunteer programs. YourCause
also built the new charity voting program, which drove employees
to the new employee engagement platform when the community
launched. The voting solution included a dedicated page that
highlights Levi Strauss Foundation’s five (5) featured charity
pioneers, real-time voting counters and enabled the employee to
place one vote within the defined voting campaign timeframe. The
community vote program was enhanced in 2013 to be more image
centric, and divide nonprofit information in more digestible
components.

3. Client Highlight: Community Vote Program
The Details: How Levi Strauss Foundation’s Community Vote Works
Levi Strauss Foundation selects five (5) pioneers per year that are
eligible to receive grants. Employees enter the community platform
and can place only one vote within the three (3) week campaign. The
community vote page highlights charity information that includes
geography, mission, what makes them a pioneer, impact, website,
blog post from the grantee and a quote from the beneficiary to help
inform voters. Once the voting campaign ends, the total grand prize is
divided among the five pioneers based on number of employee votes.
2012
Total in Prizes
Eligible Voters
2013
$60,000
$100,000
Full-Time Employees
Full-Time Employees
+ Store Managers
The Results: Community Vote Program Participation
26%
36%
2012
2013
+ 10% INCREASE
In 2013, Levi Strauss had 36% participation throughout 70
worldwide locations – which is a 10% increase from the year
prior. The voting program has become the 'capstone' event for
the Foundation to raise awareness and pride of association
among employees about the philanthropic work that the
Foundation drives around the globe.
Levi Strauss Foundation’s Three Critical Success Factors
1
Voting Booths
The most effective offline
strategy is establishing voting
booths where ambassadors bring
laptops to a common area and
have people vote. Ambassadors
are a key asset for spurring local
engagement.
2
Nonprofit Engagement
Levi Strauss invites the pioneers to
present at their headquarters to
inspire and educate employees on
the impact the nonprofit is making
– which in turn builds the grantee's
capacity to communicate their work
to a general audience.
3
Reporting
Reporting is essential to drive
success. For example, having
access to up-to-date participation
rates by geographical location
enables Communications staff to
tailor communications and
engagement tactics as the
campaign develops.