About P.E.O.
P.E.O. was founded on January 21, 1869, by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. This circle of kindred spirits – bonded by their enthusiasm for women's opportunities – eventually expanded to include women off campus, as well. Today, P.E.O. has grown from that tiny membership of seven to almost a quarter of a million members in chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada, with headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa.
Friendship is the cornerstone of P.E.O. – it is the legacy left by our Founders and it thrives in our unique Sisterhood. P.E.O. exists to be a source of encouragement and support for women to realize their potential in whatever worthwhile endeavor they choose.
True to the mission of promoting educational opportunities for women, education continues to be the primary philanthropy of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. In fact, the P.E.O. Sisterhood proudly sponsors no less than five international philanthropies, or projects, designed to assist women with their educational goals.
As a result, P.E.O. is clearly making a difference in the lives of women all over the world. Nearly 77,800 women have benefited from our organization's educational grants, loans, awards, special projects and stewardship of Cottey College. To date, P.E.O. has awarded Educational Loan Fund dollars totaling $117 million, International Peace Scholarships are $22 million, Program for Continuing Education grants are $30 million and Scholar Awards are $10 million. In addition, approximately 8,000 women have graduated from Cottey College.
Grant, loan, and award recipients – as well as Cottey College students – need not be members of P.E.O. With the exception of international students who receive International Peace Scholarships, each recipient is sponsored by a P.E.O. chapter. This allows the chapter members to be a meaningful part of "their" student's life.
P.E.O. Philanthropies, or Projects
The P.E.O. Sisterhood maintains five educational projects:
P.E.O. Projects Fact Chart (PDF, 23Kb)
P.E.O. Educational Loan Fund Information Card (PDF, 477Kb) |
P.E.O. Educational Loan FundEducational Loan Fund (ELF), established in 1907, makes loans available to qualified women who desire higher education and are in need of financial assistance. A student must be recommended by a local chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and within two years of completing her course of study. The current maximum loan is $9,000 at 4% interest and due six years from the date of issue. Interest is billed annually with principal payments to begin after graduation from the program for which the loan was granted. |
P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship Fund Information Card (PDF, 51Kb) |
P.E.O. International Peace ScholarshipP.E.O. International Peace Scholarship (IPS) Fund was established in 1949 to provide scholarships for international women students to pursue graduate study in the United States and Canada.
IPS Fund Procedures and Policies
IPS Eligibility Form
IPS Calendar for 2008–2009
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P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education Information Card (PDF, 76Kb) |
P.E.O. Program for Continuing EducationP.E.O. Program for Continuing Education (PCE) was established in 1973 to provide need based grants to women in the United States and Canada whose education has been interrupted and who find it necessary to return to school to support themselves and/or their families.
PCE Summary for Biennium 7/1/05-6/30/07 Members: click here to access PCE documents. |
P.E.O. Scholar Awards Information Card (PDF, 87Kb) |
P.E.O. Scholar AwardsP.E.O. Scholar Awards (PSA) was established in 1991 to provide substantial merit-based awards for women of the United States and Canada who are either pursuing a doctoral level degree or engaged in postgraduate study or research at an accredited college or university. |
Cottey College Fact Sheet (PDF, 66Kb) |
Cottey CollegeCottey College is a fully accredited liberal arts college for women at Nevada, Missouri, owned and operated by the P.E.O. Sisterhood since 1927. |
Donations
Individual donors may make tax-deductible gifts to the above mentioned projects or through the P.E.O. Foundation. Checks should be made payable to the project or the P.E.O. Foundation and sent to the State Treasurer (or appointed assistant).
All chapter donations should be in one check payable to the State Chapter and forwarded to the State Treasurer (or appointed assistant).