P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization where women celebrate
the advancement of women; educate women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans, and stewardship of Cottey College; and
motivate women to achieve their highest aspirations.
P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization), one of the pioneer societies for women, was founded on January 21, 1869, by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Originally a small campus friendship society, P.E.O. soon blossomed to include women off campus.
Today, P.E.O. has grown from that tiny membership of seven to almost a quarter of a million members in chapters in the United States and Canada. The P.E.O. Sisterhood is passionate about its mission: promoting educational opportunities for women. Our sisterhood proudly makes a difference in women's lives with six philanthropies that include ownership of Cottey College, a women’s college with two-year and selected four-year programs, and five other philanthropies that provide higher educational assistance:
P.E.O. Educational Loan Fund
P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship Fund
P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education
P.E.O. Scholar Awards
P.E.O. STAR Scholarship
