Neighborhood Relations
Neighborhood Relations
The Drake neighborhood is one of the largest, oldest, and most diverse areas in Des Moines, stretching from 42nd Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and from Interstate 235 to Franklin Avenue. We seek to be an anchor in our community, by working alongside neighbors, local organizations, and community leaders to build an inclusive, connected, and welcoming place to live, learn, and engage.
Throughout the year, the neighborhood brings people together through events, traditions, and everyday connections. From neighborhood gatherings to citywide moments like the Drake Relays, it’s a place where students, residents, alumni, and visitors all contribute to a shared sense of community.
Our Commitment to the Drake Neighborhood
Drake’s approach to neighborhood relations is rooted in partnership. The University collaborates with residents and community organizations to support neighborhood vitality, strengthen connections, and create shared opportunities for engagement.
As an active member of the Drake Neighborhood Association and the Des Moines West Side Chamber of Commerce, Drake helps build relationships that support both campus life and the surrounding community.
Drake Neighborhood Association
The Drake Neighborhood Association (DNA) is a volunteer-led organization that plays a central role in supporting and advocating for the neighborhood.
Through community events, neighborhood initiatives, and engagement with local leaders, the association helps:
- Amplify the voices of residents
- Support neighborhood beautification and safety
- Build connections among those who live, work, and study in the area
Find them on Facebook at @DrakeNeighborhoodAssociation.
The Drake Neighborhood Association (DNA) was formed in 1979. Although many informal relationships have always existed between the University and the neighborhood, a formal relationship between the University and the DNA began in the former Director of Community Outreach & Relations, Dolph Pulliam, and Dean of Students, Donald V. Adams, tenures in the early 2000’s. The Director of Community Outreach & Relations attended the monthly DNA board meetings and served as the formal liaison to the University administration. A neighborhood pass for free entry to select athletic and fine arts events was created and is mailed to more than 16,000 Drake Neighborhood residents each year.
In 2008, The Drake Neighborhood was selected to participate in the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP). The NRP uses a strategy that calls for neighborhood residents, the City of Des Moines, Polk County and local business leaders to develop a public/private partnership that addresses revitalization issues within the city. The finalized DNA plan can be found on the City of Des Moines Website.
The planning committee worked to devise goals and strategies that would benefit both the neighborhood and the University. As of 2012, the Drake University Student Senate has selected a member of the student body to serve as the Community Outreach Officer, one responsibility of which is to attend the DNA monthly meetings.
In 2014, the Community Action Board, a student run organization, was formed with the intention of further connecting Drake students to the local community. CAB Members formed a neighborhood relations committee in 2016 and launched a formal neighrobhood walking tour spring 2018.
As of January 2018, Drake Unviersity officially holds an elected position on the Association's board. John Smith, vice president for university advancement was elected to the board.
Membership is just $20/year and open to anyone who lives, works, studies, worships, or owns property in the neighborhood.
Employee Housing Initiative
Purchasing a home can be a stressful experience. Let us take the worries out of shopping for a mortgage loan by providing you with these exclusive products and services. Listed below are a few of the extended benefits that are available to you as an employee of Drake University.
- Free pre-approval.
- Up to 100% financing on a first mortgage loan available on certain programs-subject to qualification.
- Low down payment, Adjustable Rate products designed for homebuyers not looking for long-term commitments.
- Products with reduced Private mortgage Insurance or not insurance at all!
- Homebuyer education for little or no cost, through our partnership with Citizens for Community Improvement or with NFC. As a community bank, we are the best kept secret in town when it comes to customized lending and banking services. Please take this opportunity to look through some of our customized products and services. We assure you there is a program that will suit your needs.
- Low down payment programs including 95% financing fixed rate mortgages
- Rehabilitation subsidy, where up to $10,000 may be a forgivable loan for the cost of rehabilitating the property.
- Up to $2,500 available for closing cost assistance (based on program guidelines).
- Free Homebuyer Education.
Up to $3,500 to be used towards a down payment and/or closing costs for purchases adjacent to the campus. Learn more about the Employee Housing Initiative here.