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ENDOWMENT AND IMPACT GIVING

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The alumni, parents, parents of alumni, and grandparents who establish endowments and impact gifts with O’Dowd are incredibly instrumental for maintaining the exceptional programs and socioeconomic diversity that makes O’Dowd so unique. You can establish an endowment to honor a family member, friend or mentor. Starting with a minimum commitment of $50,000, endowments can be made with cash, securities, real estate, or a life-income gift, as well as a will/living trust bequest or via a retirement plan/insurance policy beneficiary designation.

AP African American Studies
Faculty and Teaching Support
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You can establish an endowment to support faculty and teachers at O’Dowd, including investing in professional development, program enhancements, educational technology, leadership training, or other areas of teaching and student formation that most matter to you and your family. Current endowments of this kind include the Fund for Faculty Excellence.​

Student Scholarships
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The most popular endowment form, you can establish a scholarship endowment in the name of a beloved teacher, student, friend, family member, or mentor, to support O’Dowd students who would otherwise not be able to attend. Some endowed scholarship funds designate areas of academic interest, strength of character, co-curricular involvement and more, such as the James Barbagallo '70 Memorial Scholarship Fund for music, the Elizabeth J. Cabraser '70 Scholarship Fund for community service, and the Sister Katharine Emery Memorial Fund for language arts.

Commencement 2023
Facilities Support
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Your endowment can be designated to support our campus and facilities. These endowments are a powerful way to create a lasting footprint on our 20-acre campus, enriching the experience of students for generations. An example of such an endowment is the Anna Costa '90 Tree Fund, which plants trees in Anna’s memory, expanding the forest canopy and making our campus greener, while addressing the ravages of our rapidly changing climate.

aerial view of campus
student in lab
Academic Program
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Many families and individuals choose to create an endowment that strengthens O’Dowd’s academic programming and enriches the high school experience for students. Examples of such endowments include the Forensic Competitive Team Fund, which supports our mock trial, debate, speech and academic decathlon teams, and the Lew Hong Suey Inclusion Fund, which benefits the Black Student Union. These endowments present a meaningful opportunity to give back to O’Dowd in the specific ways the school impacted you or your student.​

  • 9th Grade - Discover and Explore
    When students enter O’Dowd, our counselors help them adjust to high school, begin goal setting, and become self-advocates. Students also begin the important process of resume building: recording the narrative journey of their experience which they update through all four year at O’Dowd.
  • 10th Grade - Explore and Engage
    Counselors guide students in a self-reflective process that asks: Who do I want to be? What do I want to explore? To support future planning, students attend our “Getting Ready for College'' and “College Fair” events. In addition, students learn time management and stress reduction strategies, and prepare for the PSAT.
  • 11th Grade - Engage, Research, and Plan
    As students enter their junior year, our counselors lead them through still deeper futures planning. Students in this phase start to differentiate themselves, asking: Who AM I? Who do I want to become? Throughout the year, our counselors support students to understand the college admissions process (including financial aid), begin to research colleges of interest, attend “Career Day,” and also engage in other key preparation, including taking the PSAT and creating a comprehensive high school resume.
  • 12th Grade - Plan, Apply, Choose and Celebrate
    When they reach their senior year, students work closely with their counselors to discern which next steps are right for them, which could range from traditional college to alternative pathways, including a gap year. Counselors guide students in their college applications, including advising on essays, financial aid, gathering letters of recommendation, and NCAA registration. In addition, the Counseling Department hosts a series of programs just for seniors, including a series of required College Flex Supports, our Essay Writing Workshop, Senior and Family College Night, and drop-in Flex Supports.
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