Giving Back To Santa Clara and Salinas Communities
The Edward M. Dowd Foundation hopes to fund lasting capital projects that preserve the California areas of Salinas and Santa Clara's history, art, and culture as the areas continue to grow. The foundation also aims to create more opportunities for innovative thinkers to further their studies by offering scholarships, professorships, and other programs.
What Matters Most To Our Foundation
Education And Arts
The Edward M. Dowd Foundation supports Education & Arts by offering scholarships, professorships, and funding programs. As a graduate of Santa Clara University and an Air Force veteran, Ed Dowd was passionate about giving those less fortunate an opportunity to better themselves by furthering their education. Known for his love of art, he contributed the Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building and a glass sculpture by artist Dale Chihuly to Santa Clara University. The foundation aims to continue Ed Dowd's endeavors in creating more spaces and opportunities for students to thrive creatively.
Health And Human Services
Before being diagnosed with MS, Ed Dowd grew up as the son of a nurse. Seeing how hard his mother Nora worked, he became passionate about supporting those in the healthcare industry. Once diagnosed, Ed Dowd grew even more involved in healthcare. He established the Edward M. Dowd Advocacy Program with the National MS Society to support MS patients without the resources to receive adequate care. Ed endowed the Main Entry Pavilion at the Palo Alto Medical Center Foundation's Mountain View Campus, pleased to help brighten the lives of patients. Shortly before his passing, Ed gave $1 million to Natividad Hospital in Salinas to renovate the main lobby courtyard and enhance two additional areas of the Mental Health Unit in honor of Nora, who had worked as a nurse at Natividad for 30 years. The Edward M. Dowd Foundation hopes to complete more projects within the Health & Human Services space within the Santa Clara and Salinas communities.
Honoring Veterans
It was Ed Dowd's early experience as an enlisted man in the U.S. Air Force that not only taught him the value of discipline, but also the importance of attaining higher education. After four years of service, he was honorably discharged and went on to enroll in and eventually graduate from Santa Clara University with a degree in commerce. Now, in his memory, The Edward M. Dowd Foundation will help fund programs that provide support to veterans in the Salinas and Santa Clara communities."