Activision Blizzard's Call Of Duty™ Endowment Pledges More Than $4 Million In Grants For 2014

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Call of Duty™ Endowment announced plans to donate more than $4 million in grants to assist young veterans in attaining high quality careers. This comes amidst new numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showing that the unemployment rate for the youngest veterans (aged 18-24) increased this year, standing nearly seven percent higher than for their nonveteran counterparts (21.4 percent and 14.3 percent, respectively). The Call of Duty™ Endowment grants will fund the most effective and efficient nonprofits dedicated to veteran hiring with a track record of decreasing unemployment among young veterans.

"While the annual BLS report shows a positive trend nationally for the overall veteran unemployment rate, there is still much work to be done for our nation's youngest veterans," said General James J. Jones, USMC (Ret.), former national security advisor and current Co-Chair of the Call of Duty™ Endowment. "These brave young men and women bring tremendous value to the workplace and it is the job of executives and hiring managers alike to promote their worth and eradicate the still-evident discrepancy in employment rates."

Recipients of the Call of Duty Endowment grants will primarily be directed towards 2013 "Seal of Distinction" award winners – recognized as best-in-class nonprofits.  The Endowment already awarded an initial $30,000 unrestricted grant in November 2013 to each Seal of Distinction winner. All awardees of the Seal of Distinction were thoroughly vetted by the Call of Duty™ Endowment and Deloitte. 

Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director of the Call of Duty™ Endowment, said, "Despite data proving that veterans have unique skill sets and offer potential employers an economic advantage in terms of productivity and retention, the BLS numbers released today show our youngest veterans continue to face a much higher unemployment rate than their non-veteran peers. This is a trend that can be broken by smartly addressing both the supply and demand sides of the problem.  The job readiness work of the best non-profits must be reinforced while hiring managers need to understand why it's in their interest to employ vets. We are proud to be a part of this process by providing financial backing to help best-in-class nonprofits grow while also shining a bright light on the benefits of hiring veterans."

Information regarding the BLS numbers and Call of Duty™ Endowment, including an infographic and video can be found online by visiting: https://callofdutyendowment.isebox.net/2014

About the Call of Duty™ Endowment:
The Call of Duty™ Endowment is a non-profit, public benefit corporation conceived by Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. The 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.  For more information about the Call of Duty™ Endowment, please visit www.callofdutyendowment.org.

ACTIVISION and CALL OF DUTY are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE Call of Duty Endowment