Hire Heroes USA To Receive $260,000 Grant From The Call of Duty Endowment

Atlanta Based Veterans Organization Receives Grant to Support Expanding Operations to San Diego

ATLANTA, March 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Call of Duty™ Endowment (CODE) announced today that Atlanta-based Hire Heroes USA has been awarded a $260,000 grant to help the organization expand its operations into San Diego, California.  The funds are part of a $1.1 million effort to support an innovative 'chapterization' model, whereby grants are given to organizations that have the ability to scale their operations by opening new, regional offices—or chapters—that offer services to veterans.

"The Call of Duty Endowment is focused on providing grants to organizations that have proven to be the most effective and efficient in finding jobs for veterans and Hire Heroes USA is a stand-out organization by any measure," said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard and founder and co-chairman of the Call of Duty Endowment. "This new 'chapterization' strategy allows us to take the next step in applying sound business principles to the veteran employment effort – and can be a model for the non-profit industry as a whole. We want to support organizations, like Hire Heroes USA, that have proven business models and that are able to apply those best practices in targeted markets where the most veterans have the most need. By providing the funds to open new chapters in these targeted areas, we believe that goal will be accomplished."

"This grant and the Call of Duty Endowment's chapterization strategy gives Hire Heroes USA the support we need to replicate our success in San Diego and reach a whole new group of underserved American veterans," said Brian Stann, president of Hire Heroes USA.   "We thank the Atlanta community for their continued support – and remind them that we're not leaving – but we're excited to expand our efforts into the Southern California area where so many veterans need help to quickly transition into a new career.  We thank the Call of Duty Endowment for their belief in us and look forward to continuing to work together for our nation's heroes."

The Call of Duty Endowment will be making five initial grants totaling $1,110,000 in support of the 'chapterization' strategy. Other initial grant recipients are: Denver, Colorado-based Veterans Green Jobs; Lanham, Maryland-based AMVETS; Huntsville, Alabama-based Still Serving Veterans; and Washington, D.C.-based National Chamber Foundation.

The Call of Duty Endowment was conceived by Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard and co-chairman of the Call of Duty Endowment, in November of 2009 in an effort to raise awareness for veterans' unemployment. Since its inception, the Endowment has provided nearly $2 million in grants and scholarships to veterans' organizations and colleges throughout the United States to help servicemen and women transition to civilian careers after active duty. These gifts have contributed to more than 1,000 veteran jobs, provided job-training services to more than 2,500 veterans, and funded more than 30 veterans' college scholarships. On Veterans Day 2011, Activision Publishing committed an additional $3 million donation to the Call of Duty Endowment for its veterans' employment campaign.

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 organization seeks to help organizations that provide job placement and training services for veterans. For more information about the Call of Duty Endowment, please visit www.callofdutyendowment.org.

About Hire Heroes USA:
Founded in 2007, Hire Heroes USA is a national, nonprofit organization headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga. Hire Heroes USA is dedicated to creating job opportunities for US military veterans and their spouses through personalized employment training and corporate engagement. Hire Heroes USA has gained national-recognition for its comprehensive "recruitment to placement" continuum of veteran assistance and corporate engagement, resulting in one veteran confirmed hired every day. For more information visit www.hireheroesusa.org.

SOURCE Call of Duty Endowment