This video game company has pledged to help 50,000 vets find jobs

Christian Lowe
Apr 2, 2018 9:42 AM PDT
1 minute read
This video game company has pledged to help 50,000 vets find jobs

SUMMARY

It’s a video game series beloved by troops deployed to recent battlefields and has become as common in squad bays as dip and energy drinks. And now thanks to efforts by its designer, Activision, the non-profit that bears its name has bro…

It's a video game series beloved by troops deployed to recent battlefields and has become as common in squad bays as dip and energy drinks.


And now thanks to efforts by its designer, Activision, the non-profit that bears its name has broken its own record, placing more than 25,000 unemployed, post-9/11 vets in good jobs two years ahead of schedule.

Established in 2009 by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, the Call of Duty Endowment has pledged more than $18 million to businesses and other service groups to help them place post-9/11 veterans in high-quality careers with a solid understanding of the benefits former servicemembers bring to the table.

The Call of Duty Endowment set a goal of placing 25,000 vets in partner companies by 2018. But after reaching that bar in 2016, the non-profit announced it will double the goal 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."

According to a statement, the Call of Duty Endowment uses a "performance-driven approach" to vetting potential partners and after earning a grant, the endowment works with grantees and employers to "provide an array of advice and support aimed at maximizing their impact."

The non-profit says the average cost to put a veteran on the payroll of its company partners is less than $600, compared to $3,000 for government-assisted employment services for vets.

"Finding quality, meaningful employment is essential for a veteran to successfully transition back to civilian life," said former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James L. Jones, 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."

The endowment has already donated $18 million to get vets back to work and boasts an average $50,000 starting salary with 94 percent placed in full-time jobs.

"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."

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