Our Challenge

We invite you to visit us this summer to see for yourself the difference your gift can make. 

We especially want to welcome former campers and their families! 

Please contact us at 515-309-1936 or [email protected] to schedule your tour and meet some of our energetic, passionate staff! 

We partnered with Wells Fargo last year. If you're an employee who wants make a recurring donation, Wells Fargo will match your gift!  

Other companies match employee gifts, too. Be sure to ask your HR department for details! 

The St Thomas More Center is now part of the AMAZON Smile program. Buy everything you normally do on AMAZON for the same price, but designate the St Thomas More Center as your charitable organization, and we receive a portion of the payment.  

**The St Thomas More Center is a 501(c)(3) not for profit company, and therefore all donations are tax deductible.  

Lack of updates, decades of camper use, and deferred maintenance have created a backlog of renovation and construction projects. 

While our programs remain high quality, our facilities no longer are – which jeopardizes the camp’s long-term sustainability.  

We Need Your Help! 

With your support, we can better serve campers and more effectively fulfill our mission of serving youth and young adults as they become joy-filled disciples of Christ. 

PRIORITY #1: CONSTRUCT NEW CABINS
Estimated Cost: $2 million

Built more than 35 years ago, our eight cabins are small and showing their age. The bathrooms need a better layout to improve privacy. The air conditioning units are old and inefficient, making the cabins especially uncomfortable on excessively hot days.

Each New Cabin Will Feature:

• Bigger and more attractive interiors.
• Vaulted ceilings, making the cabins quieter and providing an open and airy atmosphere.
• New lighting, creating a bright and cheerful space.
• High-quality heating and cooling systems, providing year-round comfort.
• Bigger and more functional bathrooms with a separate toilet, and showering and sink areas.
• Handicap-accessible restrooms.
• Attractive front porches, providing a welcoming appearance.
• More room for campers to store clothing and their gear.
• Entrances that face the camp, not the road, providing more privacy and enhanced safety. • Windows high off the ground, providing more privacy and enhanced safety.



PRIORITY #2: RENOVATE DINGMAN HALL
Estimated Cost: $1.5 million 

Constructed in 1968, this important building includes our kitchen and cafeteria. Replacement or renovation of the building’s flooring, walls, ceiling, windows and siding are overdue. The kitchen needs renovation and new appliances. The restroom and second-floor apartments for summer staff and retreatants need refurbishing.

Renovations Include:

• New kitchen.
• Refurbished restrooms.
• New lighting, flooring and ceiling.
• Refurbished walls.
• New dining room tables and chairs.
• Refurbished second-floor apartments.
• New roofing.
• New exterior siding.
• New deck, patios, and sidewalks.

PRIORITY #3: IMPROVE THE POOL
Estimated Cost: $1.5 million

The pool is used daily all summer long. It is too small for our needs and lacks shade. Most campers are younger children who can’t use the deep end.

Pool Improvements Include:

• Constructing a second pool with a zero-depth entry, providing a fun, safe and age-appropriate pool for younger campers. We will build this new pool alongside our existing one.
• Expanding the existing pool’s deck, creating shaded areas and adding water features such as a climbing wall.

BUILD THE ENDOWMENT
Estimated Goal: $500,000

We currently support most projects and scholarship opportunities for campers with our operating budget, which restricts our ability to increase staffing and provide other services. It also means we are forced to delay, or defer entirely, some maintenance projects. To prevent these challenges in the future, we hope to build our endowment and use the revenue generated by it to maintain our new and renovated facilities.

Once completed, these projects will allow us to:

• Remain competitive with other camps (such as sports and music camps) for young people during the summer.
• More easily attract new campers and their families.
• Increase the possibility for expanded programming and events throughout the rest of the year.


At the Center, campers unplug from technology and become immersed in the sacraments, scripture and prayer in fun, unique ways. They are encouraged to get excited about their faith and pursue an individual relationship with God while they make lifelong memories and form Christ-centered friendships. The faith formation of Catholic youth is our highest priority, one that is shared by the Diocese of Des Moines. It’s why the Diocese has already committed a generous gift of $1.1 million to serve as the launching pad for our campaign projects, which are intended to preserve and protect our future. Our young adult volunteers gain valuable leadership experience while they share their passion for Christ.