When you think of Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.), their iconic denim jeans probably come to mind. But this American retailer is about more than just fashion—they’re on a mission to stitch democracy into the very fabric of their business practices. Let’s take a closer look at how one of our long-time corporate partners is gearing up for voter engagement efforts across the country on National Voter Registration Day 2024.
LS&Co.’s commitment to democracy is deeply woven into their 170 year history. As Alexis Bechtol, Director of Community Affairs and NVRD Steering Committee member, proudly shared, “This tradition goes all the way back to our founder, Levi Strauss, who set a lasting example for us in 1864 when he closed stores on Election Day to ensure every employee had a chance to vote.” LS&Co. is still championing civic engagement all these years later. Since joining the NVRD Steering Committee in 2018, they’ve worked tirelessly alongside our Partners to “reduce obstacles to civic participation and advance voting rights through holistic programming, inclusive of grantmaking, employee engagement, our Levi’s brand and advocacy.”
Their NVRD track record over the years shows LS&C. has stayed true to their roots. In 2018, they launched Time to Vote, in partnership with Patagonia and PayPal. The Levi’s® brand created limited-edition “VOTE” T-shirts that had celebrities, nonprofit partners, and influencers looking civic-chic. In 2020, they introduced the “Three for (Nov.) 3” campaign, encouraging employees to volunteer at polls, register voters in their communities, and support Vote Grantee organizations dedicated to voting rights and engagement. The Levi’s® brand also launched the #VoteAboutIt campaign, aiming to move their customers to translate thought into action at the polls. In 2022, they supported students on 150 community college campuses and held registration events with Pizza to the Polls. Because nothing says “democracy” quite like pizza and civic duty!
This year, LS&Co. is taking their voter engagement game to the next level with the Community College Commitment. This nonpartisan coalition—consisting of corporate partners including Lyft and SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios, as well as nonprofits including Students Learn Students Vote Coalition and the American Association of Community Colleges—is working to close the community college voting gap, aiming to turn out 500,000 community college voters by 2028. As part of this initiative, they’ve supported 30 community colleges across the country in their efforts to promote National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) and enhance civic engagement among students.They’re also co-hosting the Community College Concert Competition where the colleges can enter to win a live concert on Vote Early Day (October 29, 2024) by showcasing their plan to engage student voters throughout the academic year.
The initiative is off to a great start. As Bechtol reports, “Ninety-three community colleges submitted a nonpartisan democratic engagement action plan before June, nearly three times as many as had done so by this time in 2020.”
LS&Co. isn’t shy about why they’re so invested in voter engagement. As Bechtol puts it, “A strong democracy is good for business, and democracy only works when everyone can vote.” Just as importantly, the business community has a critical, nonpartisan role to play in increasing access to the polls; “Our mission as a company is to deliver profits through principles to have an outsized impact on the world,” Bechtol explains. “[NVRD] is part of that, and this is a way that we can contribute not to any specific candidate or issue, as all of our efforts are nonpartisan, but to the participation in and strength of our democracy.”
Their commitment extends beyond registration drives to the kinds of contributions that only employers can make: voting “on company time.” LS&Co. has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure working Americans have the time they need to cast their ballots on Election Day. Through Time to Vote, a partnership that has helped nearly 2,000 companies ensure millions of hourly workers don’t have to choose between voting and a paycheck. It’s a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most fashionable thing you can wear to work is your “I Voted” sticker.
From the way Bechtol tells it, the sort of civic engagement work that LS&Co. does is a labor that everyone can be proud of. As she shares, “Our efforts are a source of tremendous pride and engagement for our employees, many of whom have signed up to be poll workers, register voters at concerts and festivals, and rally those around them to use their voice.” The work is also an important piece of LS&Co.’s own brand identity: “Ultimately, it feeds directly into our desire as a company not only to last another 170 years, but to be worthy of doing so because we contribute to positive social change and help our people thrive in their lives and work.”