(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Tesoro Corp. announced today the launch of the Tesoro Foundation.

The Tesoro Foundation will serve as the cornerstone of Tesoro's new community investment strategy and will play a crucial role in advancing the Company's philanthropic mission to create cleaner, safer, well-educated communities where it operates. In addition to awarding grants, the Foundation will also manage Tesoro's employee gift matching and volunteer programs.

"At Tesoro, we measure our success not only by the bottom line, but by how we are viewed as an integral and caring member of the communities where we operate and our employees live and work," said Brian Sullivan, Tesoro Vice President of Corporate Affairs and president of the Tesoro Foundation's board of directors. "We value the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others, and the Tesoro Foundation will allow us to have a more focused and sustainable impact."

Guided by a nine-member board of directors comprised of Tesoro employees from across the company, the Tesoro Foundation will primarily focus its support on three core areas:

• STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics): programs that better prepare middle school, high school and career/technical education students for professional and academic success by increasing access to high-quality, educational resources and instruction
• Public Safety: efforts that improve the overall safety of the communities where Tesoro operates by helping them better prepare for, mitigate the risks of and respond to disasters, hazards and emergencies
• Environmental Conservation & Sustainability: projects and organizations that protect, conserve and sustain the environment and our natural resources

Tesoro Foundation may also provide limited support to community-based organizations to address local health, human and social service needs.

In 2014, Tesoro will contribute approximately $10 million to charity, half of which will be used to partially endow the Tesoro Foundation. This level of commitment is among the highest in the oil industry.

For more information about the Tesoro Foundation and Tesoro's community investments, including how to apply for funding, please visit http://tsocorp.com/social-responsibility/tesoro-community-investments/. 

Tesoro Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is an independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products. Tesoro, through its subsidiaries, operates six refineries in the western United States with a combined capacity of over 850,000 barrels per day and ownership in a logistics business which include a 33% interest in Tesoro Logistics LP (NYSE: TLLP) and ownership of its general partner. Tesoro's retail-marketing system includes over 2,200 retail stations under the ARCO®, Shell®,  Exxon®, Mobil®, USA Gasoline(TM) and Tesoro® brands.

Tesoro Corp.

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