There really is strength in numbers. That's why we believe in working together to make the places we live and work better.
STRONGER COMMUNITIES
BETTER
PRODUCT
GREENER
WORLD
STRONGER
COMMUNITIESSTRONGER
COMMUNITIES
OUR COMMITMENT
TO THE 
Timberland was founded on hard work.
Our mission is to inspire and equip adventurous doers to step outside, work hard together and move the world forward. We have intensified our efforts to fight systemic racism, doing the work to build a more inclusive company and equitable world.
Timberland is committed to strengthening communities of color, who have been instrumental in building our brand.
Learn more about our commitments below.
BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE WORKSPACE
We are investing in diverse talent within our industry and building a stronger, more inclusive workforce at our global headquarters through partnerships with organizations like Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, retail-to-office initiatives, and apprenticeships.
- We’re making important strides toward our goal to achieve a more diverse team at all levels. As of July 2022, employees of color make up 47.3% of our entire U.S.-based team, and 65.5% of our retail team. We continue to focus on areas where representation is less balanced, including at our corporate headquarters (18.3% employees of color) to achieve our goal of 25% representation and gender parity in leadership roles by 2030.
- In 2020, we launched a retail-to-office program in partnership with other VF brands, giving retail associates an opportunity to gain new experience and advance their careers.
- Through VF’s partnership with Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, we’ve created a rotational apprenticeship program that provides education and experiences for talent to hone their skills, resulting in full-time hires within our Footwear Design team.
- Now in its third year, we continue to partner with BRAG (Black Retail Action Group) to create summer internship opportunities for undergraduate students.
- Remote work trends represent an important opportunity for us to increase our representation. With more geographic flexibility when hiring, we’ve been able to access more diverse candidate pools.
STRENGHTEN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
Giving back to the communities that helped build our brand.
- We focus our U.S. greening efforts on communities of color, who are disproportionately affected by environmental inequities. By the end of 2023, we aim to have created or restored 500,000 square feet of green space in U.S. cities like New York, Philly, and Chicago.
- We regularly host employee service initiatives to help advance racial and social justice.
- In 2022, 56% of our employee service events in North America served communities of color, marking a 160% increase since 2019. These events equated to over 2,700 hours supporting communities of color, a 40% increase since 2021.
INVEST IN DESIGN EDUCATION
Building our industry’s future through partnerships that support and encourage communities of color.
- Through VF’s partnership with Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, we’ve created a rotational apprenticeship program that provides education and experiences for talent to hone their skills, resulting in full-time hires within our Footwear Design team.
- In 2021, we began a partnership with CNSTNT:DVLPMNT, a Black-owned small business whose mission is to inspire youth, cultivate untapped talent and expand the creative community.
- 2023 marks 50 years since the Original Timberland Boot was first created. As we look to the next 50, Timberland will continue its commitment to service by honoring the communities that helped build the brand.
- This year, we’ll expand our partnership with CNSTNT:DVLPMNT and host a series of workshops, which aim to nurture students’ creativity and open their eyes to new potential career paths. The workshops will start in New York and expand to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, D.C. and Charlotte throughout the spring and summer.
SUPPORT BLACK ENTERPRENEURS
It takes hard work and hustle to start your own business and be an entrepreneur in this ever-changing environment. It also takes access to opportunity. That’s why we will partner with Black-owned businesses to provide support, exposure, resources and guidance to forge a path to the future, with a particular focus on design innovation.
- In 2022, we retained the services of numerous Black-owned creative agencies to deliver both small- and large-scale creative projects. This continues as standard practice.
- In 2023, we will kick off new partnerships that provide support, skills, and tools needed for the next generation of creators to succeed.
Full time Timberland employees get 40 hours of community service; this is how much paid time we provide our full-time Timberland employees to volunteer in their communities.
GENERATION T
Timberland PRO® has signed the Generation T pledge which commits us to changing the perception of the trades, within and outside our organization and dedicating efforts to support future students and recent graduates of the trades. Together we can help bring back the trades in order to encourage today and tomorrow's future workforce and build a better future.
Timberland PRO® has signed the Generation T pledge which commits us to changing the perception of the trades, within and outside our organization and dedicating efforts to support future students and recent graduates of the trades. Together we can help bring back the trades in order to encourage today and tomorrow's future workforce and build a better future.
