The Martha Nash papers date from 1939 to 2000 and measure 2.75 linear feet. The papers are arranged in four series: Biographical information; Catholic Church, society, and reform; Economics and politics; and Photographs. The bulk of this collection documents the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) and the Dubuque Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women's (Dubuque ACCW) efforts to bring about religious and social reform in light of Vatican II. Nash's participation and leadership in these groups overlapped significantly with her work in civil rights and racial justice. This collection reveals Nash's commitment to community building and to the inseparable nature of local and universal efforts for freedom and justice.

Series one, Biographical information (1939-1998 and undated) includes Nash's diary (spanning 1947 to 1948), resumes, letters of recommendation, school yearbooks, and awards. This series also includes records related to Nash's campaign for Black Hawk county supervisor and newspaper clippings related to her and her family. This series also includes a file of Nash's writings and speeches, including several which reflect upon her experience at an international peace conference she attended in Cyprus in 1972.

The second series, Catholic Church, society, and reform (1961-1991) is divided into two subseries: Iowa, and National and international. The first subseries, Iowa, contains correspondence, conference papers, study programs, and printed materials related to various religious organizations in Iowa, particularly the Dubuque ACCW and the Dubuque archdiocesan council. This series also includes material on the ecumenical Black Hawk Conference on Religion and Race in 1963. It also includes grant writing materials. The second subseries, National and international, contain correspondence, newsletters, and pamphlets related to primarily Catholic organizations at those levels, including the the NCCW, the U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC; now part of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops), and the National Council of Catholic Laity. Many of these materials are related to humanitarian and civil rights issues, such as racial discrimination and prejudice, fair trade, and hunger. Several Catholic perspectives on abortion and birth control are evidenced in the "Respect Life!" magazine published by the USCC and a 1975 pamphlet published by Catholic natural family planning advocacy organization Serena Canada. This subseries also features records from the 1972 Cyprus peace conference Nash attended on behalf of the NCCW.

The third series, Economics and politics (1959-1993) is divided into three subseries: Iowa, United Nations (UN) publications and United States. The Iowa files (1966-1993) contain reports on race relations, women, health care, and education in the state. The United Nations publication files (1963-1975) are comprised entirely of printed pamphlets, booklets and small books by and about the UN. The United States files (1959-1974) contain mostly printed materials on U.S. foreign relations and discussions of acial issues at the national level. Finally, this series includes NAACP materials.

The fourth series, Photographs (1948-1991 and undated) consists of portraits of Nash and family snapshots including travel photos and college life. This series contains many family photos of Martha Nash's relatives whose papers are also held in the Iowa Women's Archives, including Penny Furgerson, Betty Jean Furgerson, and Lileah Harris. Several prominent musicians and Iowa politicans also appear, which is annotated in additional scope and content notes at the file level.

The fifth series, Artifacts (1977-1981 and undated) includes plaques, certificats, a framed photograph, a hat, and a key to the city of Birmingham, Alabama.