Historical Foundation
Mission & Function Supported Programs How You Can Help Financial Contributors

Mission and Function

The Iowa Historical Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, organized in 1989.  The Foundation provides resource development for the State Historical Society of Iowa and operates Reflections of Iowa museum gift shop.

The Iowa Historical Foundation's mission is to raise funds to support the State Historical Society of Iowa and its programs: to preserve Iowa's heritage, and to educate Iowa citizens so that they know and appreciate their heritage.

Supported Programs

The Foundation has supported a kaleidoscope of programs and projects:

• Wings Over Iowa - three antique aircraft on permanent display in the upper spaces of the atrium.

• Hay Days - an exhibit that spotlights the pivotal role horses played in Iowa's history.

• The Barton Quilt Collection - claimed by experts to be one of the most complete and comprehensive sources for information on historic quilts and textiles in the nation.

The Iowa Historical Foundation is working today:

• so that the Hubbell collection is deposited, preserved and available to the public in the archives of the State Historical Society of Iowa. The collection is a vital source of information about the development of Des Moines and Iowa.

• to ensure that there is a record of the development and growth of the greater Des Moines community through oral histories to be deposited in the State Historical Society of Iowa archives. The project's focus includes business, culture, labor, politics and government.

• to preserve the State Historical Society of Iowa's library and archives collections and to make the collections available worldwide through access on the Internet.

How You Can Help

There are many ways you can help ensure that the State Historical Society of Iowa's collections are protected, preserved and made available.

In addition to accepting gifts of cash and stock, Foundation staff is available to visit with you about how you can take care of your heirs, maximize your tax benefits, and benefit 

Go to Financial Contributor List