The largest private funder of Veteran employment in the United States is tied to a video game, according to Variety. The Call of Duty Endowment, C.O.D.E., created in 2009 through Activision’s Call of Duty franchise, has helped more than 150,000 Veterans secure meaningful jobs. Since 2022, its placement numbers have exceeded those of the federal government, as stated by Dan Goldenberg, the Endowment’s executive director.
Founded by former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick and later joined by General James L. Jones as co-chair, the Endowment was launched during a time of high Veteran unemployment. Rather than taking a traditional charitable approach, C.O.D.E. applied the performance standards that had contributed to Activision’s success in the gaming industry.
C.O.D.E. has raised nearly $100 million through a combination of in-game content sales, donations, and corporate partnerships. About $48 million of that total came directly from purchases of special accessory packs within Call of Duty titles. One recent example is the United Force: Tracer Pack, released in collaboration with First Sergeant (Ret.) Korey Staley and Captain (Ret.) Florent “Flo” Groberg, a Medal of Honor recipient. All net proceeds from the pack support Veteran job placement efforts.
The Endowment is also running the Got Your Six event through May 29. Players can earn limited-time rewards in Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone by completing in-game tasks. Items include animated calling cards, custom weapon skins, XP tokens, and more. As with the accessory packs, all funds generated go directly to C.O.D.E.’s employment programs.
C.O.D.E. reports strong outcomes. The average cost to place a Veteran in a job is $628. The average starting salary for placed Veterans is $75,000, with 93 percent securing full-time roles. The program also sees an 89 percent retention rate at the six-month mark, and about 20 percent of those placed are women. These results come from ongoing reviews of nonprofit partners, which are evaluated quarterly to ensure they are providing high-impact outcomes. Goldenberg said the Endowment avoided focusing on name recognition and instead prioritized organizations that delivered measurable results for the investment.
With recent cuts to government jobs, a common sector for Veteran employment, the Endowment is preparing to support an increase in job seekers. Goldenberg believes the program’s established model and disciplined approach position it to continue delivering strong results in the months ahead.
In addition to its employment work, C.O.D.E. reflects on the positive mental health impact of gaming. A study by the Entertainment Software Association found that 86 percent of U.S. Veterans surveyed said video games help them manage stress and anxiety. Many identified Call of Duty as their favorite. According to Goldenberg, Service Members often used the game during deployments to decompress and maintain camaraderie.
READ MORE: New ESA Survey Shows Video Games Help Veterans Manage Stress, Stay Connected, and Thrive
Sounds like a great program
Daily giveaway entry
Another day, another entry
Last of these daily entries. The giveaway ends tonight.
Keep up the good work!
Glad that gaming can give back to vets! Thank you for your service!
Wonderful!
Nice, where do I sign-up?
https://www.callofdutyendowment.org/us_veteran_support.html
I have been wanting a ps5 for years but couldn’t get one because my little family comes first than my own needs let the best win tomorrow for the give away
I applaud C.O.D.E. for helping veterans obtain secure employment. I can’t help but wonder how long it took to raise all that money. If it’s true that their placement numbers exceeded the federal government’s number, then they deserve some kind of recognition and/or donation from the federal government itself.