The P.E.O. Sisterhood has a long and rich tradition of philanthropy. For more than 100 years, P.E.O.s have joined forces to support women’s education through the International Chapter projects. In addition, state, provincial and district (s/p/d) chapters have established projects for scholarship funds and other worthy causes. Both International and s/p/d projects further the work of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and depend primarily on chapter and member support. Though most of the charitable work of P.E.O. is fulfilled through these projects, chapters also seek to raise awareness of P.E.O. through involvement in their communities.
Questions are frequently asked concerning the appropriate amount of chapter funds to be devoted to International projects, s/p/d projects and community efforts. Common questions include…How much should a local chapter give to the International projects? How much can a chapter use for community causes, including local chapter scholarships? How much can a chapter hold in its treasury?
The Executive Board of International Chapter approved a Finances and Service policy in April 2010 (see below). This policy formally states that the primary purpose of our chapters is to support the philanthropic projects of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. This not only reinforces our mission statement, but is also the basis for our IRS group exemption. In order to maintain this group exemption, chapters must illustrate support of our common purpose through use of their financial resources.
The P.E.O. Finances and Service Policy does not provide specifics. Instead, it is a basic framework to raise awareness and encourage chapter discussion. In order to guide chapter decisions, consider a P.E.O. Pyramid of Giving, a three-tiered pyramid representing the three levels of contributions—International projects, s/p/d projects and local chapter interests.
A chapter should consider their giving on these three priority levels. The base of a pyramid represents the largest portion of a chapter’s giving and this should be to the International Chapter projects. The middle section of the pyramid represents contributions to s/p/d projects. The smallest portion of the pyramid is the tip, and this is the portion of chapter giving that is available for local chapter scholarships and other community needs. Though the exact amount or percentage of giving may be different between chapters, the shape of the pyramid should guide chapter decisions and help to focus support on the projects that are the strength of our sisterhood.
Though only a minimal amount of chapter funds should be used for local scholarships or other non-P.E.O. charities, members are encouraged to share their time and talents in the community. For example, local chapters may gather 
to work in a soup kitchen, assist with disaster clean-up or volunteer at a food pantry. Just as other charities focus their finances on a specific cause, P.E.O. has chosen to focus efforts on our educational projects.
Helen Keller once stated, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” P.E.O. has proven the worth of this statement by assisting nearly 100,000 women finance their education with more than $200 million through our International Chapter projects. Our concentrated efforts will ensure the continued success of the P.E.O. philanthropic projects, and more importantly, our mission to help women reach for the stars!
