Membership & Support
West Des Moines Historical Society is a privately funded nonprofit institution that relies on the generosity of its friends and supporters. Help us preserve the legacy through membership.
Become a member today >Guided Public Tours
Jordan House tours are offered Friday and Sunday at 11am & 1pm.
Jordan House tours will require a ticket purchase in advance.
Face masks are encouraged but not required
For more information or to reserve a ticket, please see "Plan Your Visit"
ASL interpretation is available for private tours. Please call (515) 225-1286 at least 2 weeks in advance.
School groups, private groups and virtual tours of the Jordan House Museum and Bennett School Museum can be scheduled Monday-Thursday and other times, based on staffing. Please call (515) 225-1286 for more information.
Upcoming Events
How You Can Support the West Des Moines Historical Society
The West Des Moines Historical Society encourages your support to assist our volunteer efforts, education, preservation and celebration of the history and heritage of West Des Moines. Your gifts will make a difference in the community and provide much needed funds to support our operations.
There are may ways you can support us:
Donating by check, online or by bank transfer may be the quickest and most convenient way to give. Donors contributing with credit cards may add a percentage to cover processing fees.
Transferring stocks offers the opportunity to save on capital gains and income taxes and allows you to deduct the value of the stock at current market rates regardless of your original purchase price.
Please consider asking your employer if they offer matching gifts.
Employers providing Matching Gifts:
AbbVie Employee Engagement Fund
Ace American Insurance Co.
Aegon Transamerica Foundation
Alliant Energy
AMERITAS LIFE INSURANCE CORP
Andrews McMeel Universal Foundation MG Program
AON Risk Services Central Inc
The Arthur J. Gallagher Foundation
Assurant Matching Gift Program
Aviva USA
Bayer
Bristol-Myers Squibb Fnd.,Inc
Chubb Charitable Foundation
Community Involvement Task Force
Covidien
Deutsche Bank
Diageo North America
eBay CAN! Matching Gifts Program
Eli Lilly and Company Foundation
ExxonMobil Foundation
Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa
Gannett Match
GE Foundation
Genentech Givingstation (Matching)
Goldman Sachs & Co. Matching Gift Program
Great West Life & Annuity Ins. Co. (Matching)
The H & R Foundation
Hallmark Cards, Inc (Matching Gifts)
Hormel Foods Corporation Charitable Trust
ING Foundation
International Paper Company Foundation
John Deere Foundation
Kraft Foods Matching Gifts Program
LinkedIn
Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropics
Microsoft Matching
MidAmerican Energy (matching)
Midland National Life Insurance Co/Sammons Financial Group
MMC Matching Gifts Program
Motorola Foundation
NCMIC Group Inc.
New York Life Foundation
Northrop Grumman Foundation
Northwestern Mutual Life
Pella Rolscreen Fdtn. Matching Gift Program
PepsiAmericas Foundation
Pfizer Foundation Matching
Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
Principal Life Insurance Company
Progressive Insurance
Prudential Foundation Matching Gifts Program
Radian Matching Gift Program
Raytheon Company Matching
RBC Dain Rauscher
Roche Diagnostics
Sony Electronics Inc.
The St. Paul Companies
Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.
Texas Instruments Foundation Matching Gift Ctr.
The Dow Chemical Co. Fdtn. Matching Gift Program
Travelers Insurance
U.S. Bancorp
The UBS Foundation USA Giving Station
Verizon Matching
Voya Foundation
Wachovia Securities
Wellmark BlueCross BlueShield Employee Matching Gift Program
Charitable contributions used to fund your donor-advised charitable fund can easily be transferred by submitting the West Des Moines Historical Society information to your fund representative.
Those over 70.5 years of age can make charitable donations payable directly to the West Des Moines Historical Society from their IRA account and avoid personal income tax liabilities. Individuals 72 years of age and older, may consider making your required minimum distribution (RMD) payable to the Society.
Making a three or four-year pledge to the West Des Moines Historical Society can spread larger gifts out over time and greatly assist the organization with future budgeting and planning needs.
Gifting real estate to the West Des Moines Historical Society staff and advisors prior to making a transfer. Gifting real estate offers tax advantage, avoids capital gains, and allows you to claim the current fair market appraised value of your property as a tax deduction.
Name the West Des Moines Historical Society as a beneficiary in your will by listing a specific gift, property, or specific amount of money or stock.
Name the West Des Moines Historical Society as a beneficiary in your will by listing a specific gift, property, or specific amount of money or stock.
Name the society as a beneficiary on your insurance policies, IRA’s and other investments.
Consider transferring paid-up insurance policies into the West Des Moines Historical Society name.
Please talk with a staff member to recognize a loved one in perpetuity. For more information, please contact:
Gale Brubaker, Executive Director
West Des Moines Historical Society
P.O. Box 65563
West Des Moines, IA 50265
515-225-1286