Call of Duty Endowment Hits Major Milestone Two Years Ahead of Schedule

Written by Brandon Hofer on August 26, 2016

News: The Call of Duty Endowment is helping veterans find quality jobs and in just three years has already reached their first major milestone.

The Call of Duty Endowment has revealed that in just three years it has funded the placement of 25,000 veterans into high quality jobs, reaching the goal set in 2013 a full two years ahead of schedule. Now the Endowment is doubling down with a new goal: Secure careers for a total of 50,000 veterans by 2019.

“The Endowment’s efforts have had a direct and positive impact on the lives of so many who have given so much,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard and Co-Founder of the Endowment. “With U.S. veteran unemployment rates still well above the national average, we are committed to continuing our efforts and have established a new, ambitious goal to secure employment for 50,000 veterans by 2019.”

Through its prestigious Seal of Distinction program in partnership with Deloitte, the Endowment funds high-performing organizations in the veteran employment space. The Endowment makes awards annually, and applicants have to meet rigorous criteria to be considered, including opening their books and providing extensive documentation about their process and results.

“Finding quality, meaningful employment is essential for a veteran to successfully transition back to civilian life,” said General James L. Jones (USMC, Ret.), Co-Chairman of the Endowment. “The Call of Duty Endowment is truly making a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of military veterans and their families.”

“Twenty-five thousand veterans is equivalent to every individual recruited by the U.S. Navy in 2015, and we’ve achieved this goal by applying common sense business practices to philanthropy,” said Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director of the Endowment. “We’re grateful for the support from Activision Blizzard, our partners and the gaming community, and are proud of what our grantees have achieved in such a short period of time.”

To-date the Endowment has awarded $18 million in grants to previous Seal of Distinction recipients and Activision Blizzard has donated over $21 million to the effort since inception in 2009. Last year alone, organizations supported by the Endowment placed veterans in jobs at an average cost-per-placement of $596—less than one fifth the cost of federal placement programs.

In addition to funding, the Endowment partners with its grantees to provide advice and support aimed at maximizing their impact.

Activision Blizzard has been at the forefront of fighting veteran unemployment, most recently signing on to the White House’s Joining Forces Veteran Tech Sector Hiring Pledge, which expanded the company’s commitment to the veteran community. Additionally, Activision Blizzard has partnered with Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, GameStop, Costco, Best Buy, CKE and others on unique partnerships that raise funding for veteran employment programs and bring awareness to the issue.