It’s been quite a week for corporate activism. On Monday, Nike revealed Colin Kaepernick as the face of their latest Just Do It campaign, and in a Fortune op-ed on Tuesday, Levi’s announced that it will be putting some serious time, money and effort into gun violence prevention.
“We can’t take on every issue,” Levi’s CEO and President Chip Bergh wrote. “But as business leaders with power in the public and political arenas, we simply cannot stand by silently when it comes to issues that threaten the very fabric of the communities where we live and work.”
“You may wonder why a company that doesn’t manufacture or sell guns is wading into this issue, but for us, it’s simple,” he continued. “Americans shouldn’t have to live in fear of gun violence. It’s an issue that affects all of us — all generations and all walks of life.”
Though the brand has spoken out on gun violence before, this time, they have a three-pronged plan to make a tangible impact. The first part is establishing the Safer Tomorrow Fund, “which will direct more than $1 million in philanthropic grants from [Levi’s] over the next four years to fuel the work of nonprofits and youth activists.”
The second is partnering with Everytown for Gun Safety — Michael Bloomberg’s outfit — to “form Everytown Businesses for Gun Safety, a coalition of business leaders who believe… that business has a critical role to play in and a moral obligation to do something about the gun violence epidemic in this country.”
And finally, Levi’s decided to double their usual company donation match if employees want to contribute to the Safer Tomorrow Fund, and, they’ve broadened their list of approved paid volunteer activities to include political activism, so that employees can donate their time to “make an impact.”
“While taking a stand can be unpopular with some, doing nothing is no longer an option,” Bergh concluded.
Read the whole op-ed at Fortune.
