Community Impact
Transforming Lives and Strengthening Communities
At Drake University, we recognize that individual passion can lead to a wider impact. In turn, we encourage every student to foster their talents and find their purpose to spark positive change in the spaces they live, work, and play.
Since our founding, we’ve embraced our role as an integral part of the Des Moines community. Partnering with more than 100 non-profit organizations and schools and investing over 230,000 hours of service annually, we’re cultivating tomorrow’s civic-minded professionals and making our mark on the city we call home.
Welcome to Dogtown
Our neighborhood is one of the largest, oldest, and most diverse in the city, featuring restaurants, coffee shops, a vibrant arts scene, and historic architecture. See why we’re proud to call Dogtown home.
Our Commitment to Our Community
Partnering with more than 100 local non-profits and schools, we continue to live out our long-standing commitment to nurture our community and prepare the next generation of civic-minded professionals.
How We Support Des Moines
$427 million. That’s how much Drake contributed to the Des Moines region in 2023 alone. But our influence goes far beyond dollars. Here are some of the ways we invest in the Des Moines community.
A Culture of Service
Bulldogs are eager to serve. Whether through service-learning experiences, campus organizations, community partnerships, or global projects, 80% of students use their talents to make a difference before they graduate.
Partnerships
We partner with community groups to amplify their impact. We are just one of two private college campuses in the nation to host a Boys & Girls Club, and we do it with great purpose—to give our local youth exposure to higher education and help them envision themselves on a college campus in the future.
Economic Development
Collaborating with non-profits, entrepreneurs, and private organizations, Drake commits to building a more vital, walkable, sustainable, and transit-friendly city that stewards its resources and stimulates economic growth to benefit all residents.
Civic Action Plan
Signed in 2016, the Civic Action Plan articulates Drake’s vision to be a public-focused institution that contributes to the flourishing of our neighborhood and city.
Sustainability
We’re following an ambitious plan to pursue environmental health, promote social equity, and encourage sustainable development. With the goal of creating a greener future for all, these on-campus and community initiatives help decrease car dependence and carbon emissions, make healthy food more accessible, and equip students to preserve our world.
Leadership and Service
At Drake, leading and serving go hand in hand. Through volunteer opportunities on campus and in the community, students put their skills to work for others while growing as people of influence.
Legal Clinics
Drake law students practice their skills while providing vital legal services to those who might not otherwise have access. The clinics handle more than 1,000 cases a year, representing over 11,000 hours of pro bono consulting.
Head Start
One of the few university-based Head Start programs in the nation, Drake University Head Start helps more than 900 children within six surrounding counties begin school ready to succeed.
Centers and Institutes
Drake’s centers and institutes harness faculty and student expertise to tackle real-world problems and support the Des Moines community. Efforts range from leadership development and socio-emotional education for PK-12 students through the Character Counts! program to boosting small businesses through the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship Outreach.
Our Impact By the Numbers
This is the quantifiable, lasting impact of Bulldogs helping others, whether close to campus or across the globe.
+ hours
Of service Drake students, faculty, and staff contribute to the community every year.
%
Of Drake employees serve the community in schools, in professional organizations, and on non-profit boards.
$ million
Drake’s annual economic impact on central Iowa in 2023.
About Des Moines
The state capital and a center for business, Des Moines also boasts a rich cultural and culinary life. See why Forbes Advisor named it the #2 metro for young professionals.