About Peo Foundation
To support women's education by providing need‑based grants, scholarships, loans and awards that help women pursue and complete educational goals in the United States and Canada.
Focus Areas
Continuing education grantsScholarshipsEducational loan fundInternational Peace ScholarshipSupport for women's higher education
Who They Fund
students (college/postsecondary)low-income individuals and familiesindividuals facing housing or rent insecurity
Funding Style
direct financial assistance to individualsscholarship-based supportshort-term/welfare relief
About Peo Foundation
PEO Foundation’s grantmaking is built around women’s education, with need-based grants, scholarships, loans, and awards that help women pursue and complete educational goals in the United States and Canada. In the recent grants record, the largest award went to the Program for Continuing Education in Des Moines, which received seven-figure support in three consecutive years, including $1,101,768 in 2025 and $1,215,393 in 2024. The foundation also backed PEO STAR Scholarship with $843,759 in 2025 and $819,218 in 2024, showing a sustained emphasis on scholarship aid for students. Another major line of support goes to Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri, which received $748,076 in 2025 after $630,685 in 2023 and $502,274 in 2024. Beyond these larger education awards, the grant record includes welfare-oriented support through chapter and fund partners tied to P.E.O.’s mission, alongside educational loan funding and international scholarship support. The pattern points to a foundation that combines direct student aid with institutional and chapter-based funding.
What Peo Foundation Funds
Educational access is the core theme. The Program for Continuing Education received $1,101,768 in 2025 for educational grants, and the same program also received $1,215,393 in 2024 and $1,066,175 in 2023. For undergraduate scholarship support, PEO STAR Scholarship received $843,759 in 2025 for scholarships, following $819,218 in 2024 and $683,868 in 2023. Graduate and advanced study appear through PEO Scholar Awards, which received $672,051 in 2025 and $749,193 in 2024. The foundation also supports women from outside the United States and Canada through the PEO International Peace Scholarship, which received $500,288 in 2025 for graduate study support in the United States or Canada.
How Peo Foundation Gives
Typical grant size is moderate to large: the 25th percentile is $43,918, the median is $222,458, and the 75th percentile is $643,981. The recent record shows repeated support to the same programs across 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating ongoing funding rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it also manages endowed and named funds tied to its educational mission. Unsolicited applications are accepted for some individual aid programs, including PCE, STAR Scholarship, Scholar Awards, International Peace Scholarship, and the Educational Loan Fund.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.6M
Total Assets
$167.8M
Total Revenue
$21M
Total Expenses
$9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $44K and $644K, with a median of $222K.
25th Percentile
$44K
Median
$222K
75th Percentile
$644K
Geographic Reach
Regional6 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Dana Van Roekel
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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