Call of Duty Endowment gives $1.1M for charity expansions

The Call of Duty Endowment today announced $1.1 million in new grants to help local veterans' charities grow. The funds are part of the group's new "Chapterization" funding strategy whereby grants will be given to veterans' organizations that are able to expand by opening new chapters that offer employment services for military veterans.

This announcement comes on the same day that the Bureau of Labor Statistics published its 2012 Employment of Veterans report. It found the unemployment rate for veterans aged 18-24 (20.4 percent) is more than 5 percent higher than their non-veteran counterparts (15 percent).

"Our new chapterization strategy allows us to continue to have an impact on this important national issue by applying sound business principles to the veteran employment effort--and can be a model for the non-profit world," Activision CEO and Call of Duty Endowment founder Bobby Kotick said in a statement. "We want to support organizations 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."

The first five Call of Duty Endowment grants as part of the new Chapterization strategy will go to Hire Heroes USA, Veterans Green Jobs, AMVETS, Still Serving Veterans, and the National Chamber Foundation.

Hire Heroes USA and Veterans Green Jobs will use their grants to open new regional offices in San Diego and Los Angeles, respectively. Still Serving Veterans will use its new funds to expand its operations in Alabama to places like Mobile, Montgomery, and Birmingham; while AMVETS will make use of its grant to open 20 career centers across the country. Lastly, the National Chamber Foundation will use its money to help underwrite hiring fairs as part of the group's nationwide Hiring Our Heroes initiative.

The Call of Duty Endowment also announced today that it has appointed Dan Goldenberg its first full-time executive director. Goldenberg is a 21-year military veteran and currently serves as a commander in the Navy Reserve. He also spent a decade as senior vice president of Growth Partnership Services at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.

Goldenberg graduated from the United States Naval Academy and the Harvard Business School.

The Call of Duty Endowment was established in 2009. Its focus is not directly finding jobs for veterans, but rather in funding non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups that work to find opportunities for those who have served in the military. According to Activision, its efforts have helped more than 1,000 veterans find jobs to date.