“I think it’s the right thing to do, and I feel good doing it.”
Ed Mendlowitz, emeritus partner at Withum, is a local and industry legend, having lent his voice and his talents to the accounting world for over 60 years. He is a thought leader, mentor, teacher, professor, writer and philanthropist. Furthering his worldwide impact on the industry, Ed has now established the Mendlowitz Family Scholarship at Baruch College. Both he and his father, also a CPA, attended the CUNY school.
As a lecturer, Ed believes in the power of handing down knowledge to future generations. He was speaking to a class this March when the topic of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. arose, and Ed mentioned to the class that he had the privilege of hearing Dr. King speak as the commencement speaker of his graduating class at Baruch two months before his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
Realizing that both occasions were reaching their 60th anniversary, he reflected on the moment and thought of how he could honor that time.
Deciding to establish a scholarship, Ed called Baruch and pledged $100,000 in scholarship funds for the Zicklin School of Business. Baruch and the school pledged to match 25% of his generous donation.
Scholarships often come with parameters or conditions, narrowing the pool of eligible students. When brainstorming for a list of conditions, Ed turned to his wife. Her advice? “If you’re going to do good, just do good.”
There are no conditions on the Mendlowitz Family Scholarship.
Ed’s commentary on his donation is simple but meaningful. Similar to his philosophy on giving, Ed believes that the spirit of generosity can be inspired by others and one’s environment, but the act itself can only be judged on how meaningful it is to the giver. “What you have been given, give back.”
This is in line with Ed’s philosophy on the spirit of giving, being that if you are around givers and those with giving attitudes, you will give more. Ed was inspired by Bill Hagaman’s scholarship contributions to Stockton University and the intentional efforts to give back at Withum. He encourages young people to give back in ways they can by participating in volunteer programs or speaking to high school students from their own communities. “There are more ways to give back than donating money,” said Ed. “Teaching, mentoring and service are valuable to all communities, especially in our industry.”
Keep up with Ed on his weekly Partner’s Network Blog.
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