‘Call Of Duty Endowment’ Director On Placing Veterans In Good Jobs And How You Can Help

The Call Of Duty Endowment is one of the more uplifting sides of the billion-dollar video game franchise from Activision. The best-selling military shooter is consistently at the top of the sales charts each year and this year’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II broke all previous sales records.

The Endowment, also referred to as C.O.D.E., is a non-profit with one pretty straightforward goal: Help veterans find good jobs after they leave the service. There are a lot of challenges facing veterans coming out of the military including PTSD, a lost sense of purpose, and difficulty integrating back into society. Getting a good job is often the first and most crucial step toward finding meaning in civilian life.

This Veteran’s Day, I spoke with Call Of Duty Endowment Executive Director Dan Goldenberg about the Endowment, its mission, and how people can help veterans in their communities.

What’s the genesis of the Endowment Fund? Where did the idea come from and how did it take shape?

The Call of Duty Endowment was born from a conversation between Activision Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick, and former VA Secretary, Jim Nicholson.

The conversation inspired Bobby to learn more about joblessness statistics among U.S. veterans, discovering that 50,000 of the 150,000 service members returning to civilian life at the time couldn’t find jobs. Kotick co-founded The Call of Duty Endowment soon after with the mission to place veterans into high-quality careers.

What kind of jobs are these veterans being placed in?

We are laser-focused on high-quality jobs given the 61% veteran unemployment and underemployment rate (Penn State’s Veterans Metrics Initiative) – 87% of the veterans we place are in full-time jobs with an average starting salary of $64,000 (2X the national average). If a veteran finds high-quality employment upon their transition – the other challenges become much more surmountable. A good job means a roof, sustenance, healthcare access, social interaction, and, perhaps most importantly, purpose.

How do we do it? We take a performance-based approach to fund the best-in-class organizations that help vets, reservists/guardsmen and transitioning service members find jobs. To secure our funding, supported nonprofits must demonstrate highly effective and cost-efficient veteran job placement through our Seal of Distinction vetting process. When they do, we encourage their growth and operations with additional funding, advice, and support.

What makes the CODE different from other charities, specifically other non-profits that work with veterans?

There are four things that make us unique. First, we are laser focused on veteran employment. Our approach of narrow and deep has made us the most effective and efficient veteran employment nonprofits and one of the world’s largest funders of veteran employment. Second, is our Seal of Distinction vetting approach. Third is our connection to the epic entertainment franchise Call of Duty. We wouldn’t be able to do the work we do without the Call of Duty community. And finally, Activision Blizzard covers all of our operating costs, so every cent we raise goes directly to placing vets in jobs.

We engage the Call of Duty Community through our in-game personalization packs as well as our in-game campaigns. This year, the Endowment reached our goal of placing 100,000 veterans into high-quality jobs! To commemorate the achievement, we engaged the Call of Duty community through launching the first-ever in-game charity run called Call of Duty Veterans.

What other ways can people help veterans?

Today, veterans still struggle with quality employment, having a 61% unemployment and underemployment rate in the US, and we’ve become a major force in helping solve that problem. Jobs provide the greatest benefit for the largest number of veterans. There are so many ways you can help a veteran

• Hire more veterans – set a veteran hiring goal at your company or small business.
• Mentor transitioning veterans – Mentor a transition service member in your field.
• Support the Endowment to help veterans find high-quality jobs.
• Get a Call of Duty Endowment pack in your favorite Call of Duty game! Our last pack was just removed from Modern Warfare II after raising more than $4 million since launch. That money will help place over 7,000 veterans into meaningful employment!

Modern Warfare II is now live. You can read more about the sold-out Protector Pack right here.