OREANDA-NEWS. December 12, 2012. Boeing [NYSE: BA] employees in California have given nine nonprofit organizations there approximately USD 420,000 for programs that help ease veterans' transitions to civilian life and employment.

The recipients were Canine Companions for Independence, National Veterans Transition Service Inc., New Directions, Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, U.S. Vets Initiative, Vanguard University, Veterans Valor Fund, Veterans Village of San Diego and Working Wardrobes.

The grants were made Dec. 7 during the Employees Community Fund of Boeing California Crystal Vision Awards ceremony. The fund has given nearly USD 6.5 million in Crystal Vision grants to 176 charitable agencies since 1990, focusing on youth mentoring; services to senior citizens, children, the homeless and veterans; environmental and arts education; and teacher effectiveness.

"These grants will help engender creativity as the groups better serve those who have served us," said ECF of Boeing California Executive Director Carrie Bollwinkle. "The goal is to grow the nonprofits' abilities to assist transitioning veterans and remove barriers that could hamper their efforts."

The Employees Community Fund allows donors to support the needs of their local communities through tax-deductible recurring payroll deductions or one-time gifts. Boeing provides administrative and system support as an in-kind donation. The fund strives to return 100 percent of the dollars contributed to the areas where contributors live and work. In California, more than 350 nonprofit organizations benefit from the average USD 2.4 million in employee contributions each year.

Boeing has approximately 20,000 employees at more than 50 locations in California, with the largest concentration in the Los Angeles area.

Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing is the prime contractor for the International Space Station. The company also provides numerous military and commercial airline support services. Boeing has customers in more than 140 countries around the world and is one of the largest U.S. exporters in terms of sales. Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 170,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries. Total company revenues for 2011 were USD 68.7 billion.