Activision donates $3 million to veteran charity
Activision has announced plans to donate $3 million to the Call of Duty Endowment, which funds training and job placement for military veterans.
Activision has announced plans to donate $3 million to its non-profit Call of Duty Endowment, which helps with job placement and training for military veterans. The Endowment also announced that it will provide a $250,000 grant to the US Chamber of Commerce's National Chamber Foundation, to help with a program that will host hiring fairs in 2012. The program is expected to provide 3,500 jobs for veterans.
Since 2009, the endowment has provided $1.5 million in grants and scholarships, which the company says has resulted in 700 veteran jobs, 2,500 receiving job training, and more than 30 receiving scholarships.
"The fact that over 20 percent of our nation's youngest veterans are unemployed is unacceptable," said Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, in the announcement. "These are the very same men and women who put their lives on the line to guarantee our freedom and security. Veterans Day is a time to reflect and renew our commitment to ensure our military heroes have the tools to reintegrate successfully back to civilian life. The Call of Duty Endowment is dedicated to the mission of bringing attention to veterans' unemployment and finding a solution to this serious issue. We hope that other businesses and organizations will join us."
The announcement comes alongside the launch of Modern Warfare 3, the series for which the endowment is named.
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replySteve Watts posted a new article, Activision donates $3 million to veteran charity.
Activision has announced plans to donate $3 million to the Call of Duty Endowment, which funds training and job placement for military veterans.-
It would be cool if they donated 1% of sales, I mean, they already sold $400 million worth.
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$400 million in revenue or gross sales? That is a big difference.
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Probably gross, but it's day one, would still end up being more than 3 million at 1% if they used net of total sales.
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"I bet they have donated more than you." LOGIC FAIL.
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I don't know. They're giving money to support the public good. I think it's perfectly valid to criticize them for doing so in a massively inefficient way. We certainly judge the public sector on its efficiency. We even do it with charities, which is why sites like Charity Navigator exist.
Did they do a good thing? Yes.
Could they have done more good if they just cared about helping people instead of using the donation as a marketing tool? Yes. -
My comments were targeted at what I percieve to be a conflict of interest. The announcement of Activision's contribution to their own non-profit, whatever the sum, strikes me as being self-serving twice: a tax exemption on Activision Publishing's P&L, and a paid-for PR campaign.
"Hey, look what we just did! We took money," *pulls out a symbolic roll of bills* "and donated it!" *inserts it in the adjacent pocket*
"We care about our Vets."
The VA is already full bore on helping vets get jobs with the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warriors Tax Credits inititiave. I don't see them listed as a grantee. That's where the money should be headed, in securing funding for tax incentives for employers to hire and retain vets. Recruiting them to design games for Activision and handing out free copies of the latest COD to active service members reeks of self-service.
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"A tax exempt organization's 990 forms are required to be made available for public scrutiny."
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They could have just written a check to the VA. I heard VASEC Eric Shinseki speak this morning on NPR about his top priority, the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior Tax Credits initiative, two pieces of the American Jobs Act that would provide tax credits to businesses that hire veterans.
""Right now over 850,000 veterans are unemployed"." http://fortstewart.patch.com/articles/shinseki-is-passionate-about-helping-unemployed-veterans-find-jobs
Activision has made billions on the COD franchise. It would be different if the theme wasn't tied so closely to the real-world. They could've at least donated to an organization that has to manage the challenges of what happens after the troops return home. -
US Chamber of Commerce is a fucking TERRIBLE place to put that money, them guys are fuckers. Just give the money right to the troops directly.
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Whoa! There's something missing from here now
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".... to guarantee our freedom and security"
- you can't have both
what franklin said ... the founding father, ones who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither.
