'Call of Duty' endowment supports American veterans' success and job placement
The "Call of Duty" endowment supports the job and career aspirations of America's veterans across the country; it recently announced its single largest private donation in its 15-year history.
The wildly popular "Call of Duty" videogame, made by Activision Blizzard, is raising the stakes again with the intersection of the company’s Call of Duty Endowment, plus Military Appreciation Month — which lasts through the month of May.
And to further the mission all year long, a large donation was presented in recent days to support the Call of Duty Endowment.
Kenneth C. Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst, donated $2.5 million to the endowment, it announced.
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The donation is the largest single private donation in the endowment’s 15-year history, a press release noted. The donation will support the placement of more than 4,000 veterans into high-paying jobs.
"The Call of Duty Endowment helps veterans find high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare them for the job market and by raising awareness of the value vets bring to the workplace," Los Angeles-based Helene Imperiale, senior director, Call of Duty Endowment, told Fox News Digital via email.
‘We do this by funding the most efficient and effective veteran support organizations that get unemployed and underemployed veterans back to work," she said.
"Our unique, accountability-based donation model — our Seal of Distinction Program — ensures we only support the highest performing nonprofits that place vets in good jobs."
The Call of Duty Endowment is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by Activision Blizzard.
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"The endowment was founded to give back meaningfully to the real-life heroes who inspire Activision’s game, ‘Call of Duty,’" said Imperiale.
"'Call of Duty' is one of the world’s largest entertainment brands, played by millions of people around the world."
To date, Imperiale reported that Activision Blizzard has donated more than $40 million to the endowment.
She noted it has "successfully placed over 125,000 veterans into high-quality jobs through more than $73 million in grants."
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Activision Blizzard covers all the endowment’s operating costs, she said.
"Every cent that we raise goes directly to putting veterans in jobs — it’s incredibly rare for a nonprofit to have this advantage in its mission," Imperiale said.
Military Appreciation Month goes well beyond just one day devoted to military or veterans, Imperiale also said. It's been spanning the entire month of May.
"One day is simply not long enough to show our true appreciation," she said.
With regard to the role of the endowment and veteran support, she said the mission is clear.
"As a company, we dedicate our talents and resources to providing new in-game content that both entertains and educates our ‘Call of Duty’ community about our mission to help those who have served," she said.
"Each May during Military Appreciation Month, the endowment strives to raise awareness and funds to help more veterans find the jobs they deserve."
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This year the endowment will be launching the U Assist Veterans (UAV) Challenge, said Imperiale.
"The in-game challenge is based on the use of UAVs within ‘Call of Duty,’ which reveal the enemy locations and help players navigate their next move," she noted.
"Similarly, veterans rely on the endowment to help navigate their career search."
Additionally, she noted the introduction of two new in-game bundles: "The Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Knight Recon: Tracer Pack" and "C.O.D.E. Regulator Pack" — with proceeds going directly to putting veterans back to work.
"Through both our in-game packs and the U Assist Veterans Challenge, our hope is to raise millions of dollars to place thousands of veterans into high-quality jobs," she said.
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When re-entering civilian life, Imperiale noted that "veterans are three times more likely to land a meaningful job if they obtain professional help with resume writing and interviewing skills."
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She added, "They should never pay for these services, as we provide them for free through our grantees."
Anyone can learn more about the Call of Duty Endowment at www.Callofdutyendo.
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