Activision's Call Of Duty Charity Placed A Record Number Of Military Veterans In Jobs In 2020

Activision's Call of Duty Endowment, a charity that helps soldiers find new jobs in civilian life after leaving the service, had its biggest year ever in 2020 when it comes to job placements.

The organization has announced that its efforts helped to place 15,446 former service members in jobs in 2020, representing the highest yearly job placement number since the Endowment was founded in 2009.

2020 was an important year for a charity like the Call of Duty Endowment, as the Bob Woodruff Foundation projected that there would be higher numbers of soldiers affected by COVID-19 and looking for new positions.

"The Endowment saw an opportunity during the lockdown to inform and engage a growing community of gamers, who were eager to show their support for veterans," Activision said.

In 2020, the Endowment partnered with Activision franchises like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Call of Duty to sell in-game content to benefit the Endowment. The Endowment also held its charity eSports tournament, the C.O.D.E. Bowl, to help raise money and awareness. This event alone--which saw soldiers from all five US military branches and three from the UK--raised $900,000 for the charity.

Activision also shared some other key statistics about the Endowment in 2020, one of which was that the average salary for a job placement was $61,050, the highest ever. Additionally, 94% of the placements were for full-time roles.

21% of the successful placements were women and 28% were Black. Activision touted these statistics specifically to demonstrate the success of its program, as women and Black veterans make up 10% and 12%, respectively, of the veteran population in the US.

Since its founding, the Endowment has placed more than 81,000 veterans into jobs.

"Our 2020 impact is gratifying, and it gives us momentum as we see the continuing headwinds facing the veteran community," Endowment executive director Dan Goldenberg said. "Ultimately, our success stems from the success of the veterans we serve, and it's critical we keep focused on our mission, which is to identify and fund the most efficient and effective organizations that place veterans in high quality jobs."