The Call of Duty™ Endowment Announces 2016 Seal of Distinction Awards

Goodwill Southern California and CareerSource Broward Recognized for Commitment to Veteran Employment

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--()--The Call of Duty™ Endowment (“the Endowment”) is proud to announce the selection of Goodwill Southern California and CareerSource Broward as the 2016 recipients of the Call of Duty™ Endowment Seal of Distinction, the standard of excellence in the veterans’ employment sector. Winners each receive a $30,000 unrestricted grant and the opportunity to apply for additional funding, advice, and support.

Goodwill Southern California and CareerSource Broward join a distinguished group of non-profit organizations recognized by the Endowment for successfully serving veterans in their search for employment. In the last year alone, organizations supported by the Endowment placed 10,492 veterans into jobs at an average cost-per-placement of $596—less than one-fifth the cost of federal placement programs. Since the program’s launch in 2013, the Endowment and its grantees have placed more than 29,000 veterans into full-time jobs.

“Meaningful employment is the single most important way to ensure that service members successfully transition back to civilian life,” said Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director of the Call of Duty Endowment. “The Seal of Distinction recognizes Goodwill Southern California and CareerSource Broward as go-to organizations for veterans seeking high-quality jobs, and models for veteran-serving organizations to emulate.”

Goldenberg added, “We also want to recognize Deloitte’s ongoing partnership with the program. They are a vital component to the Seal of Distinction’s success and to getting veterans back to work.”

The 2016 Seal of Distinction recipients are:

  • Goodwill Southern California serves veterans with vocational challenges, as well as businesses, by providing education, training, work experience and job placement services. From 2012- 2015, they served 5,534 veterans, placed 992 in jobs and trained 434 vets throughout LA, Riverside, and San Bernardino. They are a best practices panelist on LA Mayor Garcetti’s “10,000 Strong” veteran hiring initiative.
  • CareerSource Broward provides innovative solutions through the professional delivery of quality services, which consistently and effectively meet workforce needs in Broward County, Florida. The mission of the Veteran's Program is to provide veterans, eligible spouses, and transitioning service members with the resources and services to succeed in the 21st century workforce. From July 2014 to June 2016, CareerSource Broward served 6,321 Veterans, placed 3,442 in jobs and trained 130 Veterans throughout Broward County.

“We are honored to have been chosen as a Seal of Distinction recipient,” said Patrick McClenahan, President and CEO, Goodwill Southern California. “Goodwill’s mission is to transform lives through the power of work. This generous grant will enable our Veterans Employment Program to increase our services and impact the lives of more veterans through job counseling and placement.”

"Veterans bring knowledge, skills and experience that are valuable to businesses of all sizes,” said Mason C. Jackson, President/CEO of CareerSource Broward. "Our programs and services are designed to assist veteran jobseekers with their employment needs. This award is a true reflection of why we feel it is our ‘Call of Duty’ to ensure that all Veterans receive the support and guidance they need to be competitive in today’s workforce.”

Applicants for the Call of Duty™ Endowment Seal of Distinction must meet rigorous criteria to be considered, including opening their books to provide extensive documentation about their job placement results. The metrics assessed included number of placements made, average cost per placement, average starting salary, six-month retention rate, key employee background checks and a variety of organizational financial health indicators. All qualified applications were initially reviewed and evaluated by the Endowment’s outside Board of Advisors. Semi-finalists were then independently assessed on a pro bono basis by Deloitte and ultimately approved by the Endowment’s Board of Directors.

“Deloitte is honored to assist with the Call of Duty Endowment for a fourth year to help them identify organizations in the veterans non-profit sector worthy of the Seal of Distinction,” said Mark Goulart, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “Once again, the rigorous vetting process, with an emphasis on metrics, transparency, and high standards, has helped the Endowment identify organizations deserving of the Endowment’s support.”

The Endowment launched its Seal of Distinction program in August 2013 and to-date has awarded more than $18 million in grants to previous Seal of Distinction recipients and Activision Blizzard has donated over $21 million to the effort since inception in 2009.

The Endowment has made significant strides towards its mission to identify and fund the best and most effective veterans serving organizations focused on employment. In August, the Endowment announced that it funded the placement of 25,000 veterans into high quality jobs, reaching the goal set in 2013 a full two years ahead of schedule. It recently committed to placing another 25,000 veterans into high-quality jobs by 2019.

Goodwill Southern California and CareerSource Broward join an elite list of non-profit organizations that are winners of the Seal of Distinction and making a major difference in the lives of our nation’s veterans:

About the Call of Duty Endowment:

The Call of Duty™ Endowment is a non-profit, public benefit corporation co-founded 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.

Contacts

For the Call of Duty Endowment
Lauren Condoluci, 212-843-8493
lcondoluci@Rubenstein.com

Contacts

For the Call of Duty Endowment
Lauren Condoluci, 212-843-8493
lcondoluci@Rubenstein.com