What Jester Insurance Services does

Jester Insurance Services is an independent property/casualty insurance agency headquartered at 611 5th Avenue, Suite 150, Des Moines, Iowa. Founded around 1905 by a Greene County farmer turned state legislator and operated by the same family for four generations, it is the longest continually family-operated insurance agency in Iowa. The firm places commercial and personal lines coverage on behalf of multiple leading carriers, with specialization in vertical-specific programs for Iowa public and private schools, municipalities and utilities, healthcare providers, religious institutions, nonprofits, telecommunications, and small-to-mid-market businesses.

Core products are organized as ten named areas of expertise: the Safety Group Insurance Program for Schools (administered since 1974 and returning over $96 million in dividends to Iowa districts), the Safety Group Insurance Program for Municipalities & Utilities (since 1980 with EMC Companies and IAMU), Healthcare, Business, Personal, Telecommunications (co-developed with EMC Companies), Churches (with Guide One Insurance), Nonprofits, Consulting, and Equipment Breakdown coverage (with Specialty Underwriters). The technology stack is a standard independent-agency infrastructure — agency management systems for policy administration, CRM, and carrier marketplace connectivity — with no proprietary platform disclosed.

Jester earns revenue through carrier commissions on placed policies, which are recurring and renew annually. Pricing is quote-based and varies by coverage, risk profile, and carrier underwriting. The agency employs 11–50 people, including six named Risk Management Consultants with industry designations (CPCU, CIC, ARM-P, AU, AINS) and tenure ranging from 15 to over 30 years. Distribution is consultative and direct, anchored in association endorsements from the Iowa Association of School Boards, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, and the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, with marketing conducted primarily through the company website, client testimonials, and community involvement.

Name

Jester Insurance Services

Legal name

Jester Insurance Services

Website

https://jesterinsurance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jester Insurance Services is a family-owned independent property/casualty insurance agency in Des Moines, Iowa, placing coverage through multiple carriers for Iowa schools, municipalities, healthcare providers, churches, nonprofits, and businesses via vertical-specific programs and long-tenured association partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Property and Casualty Insurance

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines) (FSAEADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA), Management Liability (D&O/EPL/Fiduciary) (FSAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Property casualty insurance
• Independent insurance agency
• Risk management consulting
• Safety group programs
• Commercial insurance brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commissions: As an independent insurance agency, Jester Insurance earns commissions from multiple insurance carriers for placing property/casualty insurance policies. Revenue is recurring in nature as policies renew annually. The company represents leading insurance carriers and matches clients with carriers that best meet their individual needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Jester Insurance Services operates as an independent property/casualty insurance agency placing policies on behalf of multiple leading insurance carriers. It delivers vertical-specific insurance programs (schools, municipalities & utilities, healthcare, churches, nonprofits, telecommunications, business, and personal lines), risk management consulting, and equipment breakdown coverage to Iowa organizations and individuals, earning commissions from carriers plus fees for consulting engagements.

Product overview

Jester Insurance Services operates as an independent insurance agency offering a portfolio of property/casualty insurance products organized around industry-specific programs. The core offerings include the Safety Group Insurance Program for Schools (public and private), the Safety Group Insurance Program for Municipalities & Utilities, Health Care Insurance, Business Insurance, Personal Insurance, Telecommunications Insurance Program, Churches Insurance, and Nonprofits Insurance. These are complemented by add-on services including Consulting Services (independent program reviews and bid management) and Equipment Breakdown Coverage (partnered with Specialty Underwriters). The company serves Iowa organizations through carrier partnerships with EMC Companies, Guide One Insurance, Specialty Underwriters, and various insurance carriers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Safety Group Insurance Program for Schools Property/casualty insurance program specifically designed for Iowa public and private schools, providing comprehensive coverage with cost-effective rates and dividend returns. The public school program has returned over $96 million in dividends since 1974.
• Safety Group Insurance Program for Municipalities & Utilities Property/casualty insurance covering municipal operations including city hall, public officials' errors and omissions, vehicles, equipment, and utility infrastructure. Partnered with EMC Companies and Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities since 1980.
• Health Care Insurance Specialized insurance coverage for hospitals, clinics, and physicians including medical equipment, electronic data breaches, medical malpractice defense, and protection for directors, officers, employees and volunteers.
• Business Insurance Commercial property/casualty insurance for virtually all types of organizations including manufacturing, wholesale operations, law firms, golf courses, and businesses with unusual exposures.
• Personal Insurance Coverage for personal possessions including automobiles, motorcycles, homes, jewelry, toys, heirlooms, RVs, and other personal property. Represents multiple personal lines carriers specializing in condos to multi-million dollar homes.
• Telecommunications Insurance Program Tailored coverage for telecommunications businesses including local, long-distance, cellular operations, microwave relays, high-speed Internet, cable television, and fiber-optic cabling. Partnered with EMC Companies.
• Churches Insurance Comprehensive policies for religious institutions covering personal property for ministers, counseling services, allegations of abuse, trustee liability, and employee injuries. Partnered with Guide One Insurance and endorsed by the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
• Nonprofits Insurance Property/casualty coverage tailored for nonprofit organizations including museums, social services agencies, performing arts organizations, and chambers of commerce. Covers building, contents, directors' and officers' liability, and workers' compensation.
• Consulting Services Independent third-party consulting services providing comprehensive and unbiased review of insurance programs on a fee basis. Includes gap identification, deductible analysis, bid process management, and marketplace evaluation.
• Equipment Breakdown Coverage Specialized equipment breakdown insurance allowing organizations to cover equipment costs outside general fund budgets. Partnered with Specialty Underwriters; currently insuring over 150 public schools and more than 130 districts across Iowa.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $96 million in dividends returned to Iowa schools since 1974
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EMC CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJester has partnered with EMC Companies since 1980 to provide the Safety Group Insurance Program for municipalities and municipal utilities. The partnership was extended to schools in 1974, creating comprehensive coverage programs specifically designed for Iowa public entities. EMC Companies provides the insurance capacity while Jester provides sales, service, and claims advocacy.
• Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerJester Insurance has partnered with IAMU since 1980 to provide the Safety Group Insurance Program for municipal utilities. IAMU sponsors the program, providing endorsement and credibility within the Iowa municipal utility community.
• Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Safety Group Insurance Program for schools is sponsored by the Iowa Association of School Boards and regulated by the Iowa Insurance Division. This endorsement provides credibility and access to school districts across Iowa.
• Guide One InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJester has partnered with Guide One Insurance, one of America's leading church insurers providing coverage for more than 43,000 religious organizations. Guide One brings comprehensive protection specifically designed for churches to Iowa congregations.
• Specialty UnderwriterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough partnership with Specialty Underwriters, Jester offers Equipment Breakdown programs. For public schools, the program allows districts to insure equipment costs that would otherwise be paid from general funds. For other entities (private schools, banks, hospitals), the program reduces maintenance agreement costs.
• EMC Companies (Telecommunications)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJester Insurance partnered with EMC Companies to develop the Telecommunications Insurance Program, providing tailored coverage to telecommunications businesses including local phone, long-distance, cellular, microwave, cable, and fiber-optic providers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• HUB International: North American insurance brokerage serving middle-market businesses, schools, municipalities, and nonprofits. Overlapping client base in commercial P&C and public-sector verticals.
• Brown & Brown, Inc. Large national insurance brokerage with deep public-sector and school district practices. Competes for the same municipal and education clients Jester serves, with greater geographic reach.
• AssuredPartners: National insurance brokerage specializing in middle-market commercial and public-sector clients including schools and municipalities. Direct competition in the same Iowa-region verticals with broader geographic footprint.
• USI Insurance Services: Large national insurance brokerage with strong middle-market, public entity, and nonprofit practices. Competes for similar commercial P&C, school, and municipal clients across the Midwest.
• Marsh McLennan: Largest global insurance broker and risk advisor, serving public sector, education, healthcare, and nonprofits. Broad incumbent offering overlapping capabilities across Jester's verticals at much larger scale.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with significant Iowa operations serving public entities, schools, and religious organizations. Notably, Jester's website links to Gallagher's privacy policy, suggesting a technology/operational tie-up. Offers far broader scale but competes in the same verticals.

Direct peers

• TrueNorth Companies: Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based insurance, risk management, and financial services firm serving schools, municipalities, and businesses across the Midwest. Direct regional peer with overlapping verticals and Midwest public-sector focus.
• Cobbs Allen: Mid-sized regional insurance brokerage with specialty practices in healthcare, public entities, and nonprofit organizations. Similar size and vertical specialization profile to Jester.
• The Hilb Group: Mid-Atlantic and Midwest-focused insurance brokerage serving schools, municipalities, churches, and nonprofits with specialty programs. Comparable mid-sized independent agency competing in similar verticals.
• Holmes Murphy & Company: Iowa-headquartered independent insurance brokerage focused on commercial P&C, employee benefits, and risk management with deep public-sector and school district clients. Closest direct peer given shared Iowa base, similar verticals (education, municipalities, healthcare), and comparable family/independently operated structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jester-insurance-svc-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jester Insurance Services