Special gifts are vital to DCHS. Donating artifacts to our collection is one way to make sure our collection is rich, representative, and compelling, and special financial gifts give us the means to reach ahead and strengthen the excellence of our collections, sites, and programming.
Special gifts start with a conversation. Please contact us and we will talk about your interest in donating an artifact or making a special financial gift: 651-552-7548 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Artifacts: We are always seeking out items of historic significance that pertains to Dakota County’s rich history. To ensure the item's long-term protection, please consider donating items to DCHS for preservation. Dakota County Historical Society has over 45,000 artifacts within our collection, all gifted to us by members of the public. This includes 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional artifacts, from Civil War photographs to aerial photographs, from stoves to computer consoles, from cradles to uniforms. Please do not bring items to our sites without an advance conversation. There are some items that we will not accept because our collection is ample, or because of logistical difficulty.
Special Financial Gifts: DCHS welcomes discussions with potential donors about how to better preserve and promote Dakota County history. We often have opportunities to improve our programming or facilities, but need a generous financial gift to see projects through to completion. We welcome conversations with potential donors about exciting projects and the appropriate acknowledgment of significant, special gifts. In the past special gifts from individuals, businesses, and civic groups have allowed DCHS to remodel facilities, curate special exhibits, digitize records, clean and preserve invaluable artifacts, secure speakers for events, and underwrite special events.
To provide a monetary donation, please select the value and click "add to cart." Confirm the amount and click "proceed to checkout." Select whether you want to sign-in or "complete as guest" to proceed with your donation. Fill out the contact information and enter your card number to complete the transaction. You will receive an email notification that your donation was submitted.
Did you know that you may be able to have your contribution matched? Many businesses will offer to match your donation at 1:1 basis - this means that every dollar you donate, your business will also donate a dollar! To see if your business offers a 1:1 match, please view our list of Matching Gifts. If your company offers a match and is not listed, please let us know.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 651-552-7548.