Provides educational support through scholarships, loan funds, and other educational projects to help women pursue higher education.
PEO Sisterhood SD State Chapter channels most of its grantmaking into women’s education, with recurring support for Cottey College and several P.E.O. scholarship and loan programs. The largest recent grant in the record was $44,406 to Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri, followed by another $39,179 grant to the same institution in 2023. Those payments sit alongside awards to P.E.O. programs that fund continuing education, scholarships, and educational loans for women. The chapter’s record shows a consistent pattern of direct educational support rather than broad institutional philanthropy, with grants used for scholarships, loan assistance, and educational projects tied to higher education. Recent awards also include support for PEO Prog for Continuing Ed in Des Moines, PEO Educational Loan Fund, PEO STAR Scholarship, PEO Scholar Awards, and PEO Intl Peace Scholarship. The structure of the grantmaking points to a chapter-level funder that uses affiliated P.E.O. programs as the main channels for reaching students and women pursuing advanced study. Across the recent grants listed here, the emphasis is on women’s postsecondary and graduate education, including support that helps recipients cover tuition and related costs.
A central theme is continuing education. In 2023, the chapter gave $36,849 to PEO Prog for Continuing Ed in Des Moines, and it gave $36,085 in 2025 for the same purpose. That pattern places continuing education near the center of its educational giving. Another focus is scholarship support for women pursuing advanced study. The record includes $18,751 in 2025 to PEO Intl Peace Scholarship, $18,486 in 2024, and $18,165 in 2023, all tied to graduate study for women from countries other than the United States and Canada. The chapter also supports educational loan assistance: PEO Educational Loan Fund received $23,908 in 2023, $22,690 in 2024, and $14,017 in 2025. In addition, PEO Scholar Awards received $18,958 in 2025, reflecting support for doctoral-level academic study.
The reported grant-size distribution is fairly tight: the 25th percentile is $17,795, the median is $19,905, and the 75th percentile is $34,664. That suggests a core band of awards clustered around the high teens and low twenties, with a smaller set of larger institutional grants. The grant list also shows repeated recipients across multiple years, including Cottey College, PEO Prog for Continuing Ed, PEO Educational Loan Fund, PEO STAR Scholarship, PEO Scholar Awards, PEO Intl Peace Scholarship, and PEO Foundation. This is chapter-level philanthropy tied to P.E.O. programs and projects rather than individual discretionary making. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including Scholar Awards, International Peace Scholarship Fund, Support for Cottey College, Educational Loan Fund, and P.E.O. STAR Scholarship.
$472K
$354K
$317K
$298K
Most grants fall between $18K and $35K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$18K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$35K
About 86% of grants go to recipients in IA.
Darcy Haber
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Giving is local in practice and heavily centered on Iowa: 86% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Des Moines appears repeatedly across the grant list through PEO Prog for Continuing Ed, PEO Educational Loan Fund, PEO STAR Scholarship, PEO Scholar Awards, and PEO Intl Peace Scholarship. The other recurring recipient location is Nevada, Missouri, through Cottey College. All recorded grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients, with no non-U.S. recipient countries shown.
It funds educational support for women, including scholarships, educational loans, student awards, higher education support, and support for Cottey College. The recent grants list shows recurring awards to P.E.O. educational programs and to Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri.
The grant-size distribution centers in the high teens to low twenties. The 25th percentile is $17,795, the median is $19,905, and the 75th percentile is $34,664.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Cottey College, PEO Prog for Continuing Ed, PEO Educational Loan Fund, PEO STAR Scholarship, PEO Scholar Awards, PEO Intl Peace Scholarship, and PEO Foundation.
Most grants go to recipients in Iowa, which accounts for 86% of grants in the data. Des Moines is a frequent recipient city, while Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri, is the other recurring location.
Some programs accept unsolicited applications. Those include Scholar Awards, International Peace Scholarship Fund, Support for Cottey College, Educational Loan Fund, and P.E.O. STAR Scholarship. The Educational Loan Fund is described as interest-free loans for qualified women pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or professional degrees.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottey College | Nevada, MO | $44,406 | 2025 | Gen SuppScholarships |
| PEO Prog for Continuing Ed | Des Moines, IA | $36,085 | 2025 | Educational Grants |
| PEO STAR Scholarship | Des Moines, IA | $22,773 | 2025 | Scholarships |
| PEO Scholar Awards | Des Moines, IA | $18,958 | 2025 | Educational Awards |
| PEO Intl Peace Scholarship | Des Moines, IA | $18,751 | 2025 | Scholarships |
| PEO Educational Loan Fund | Des Moines, IA | $14,017 | 2025 | Educational Loans |
| PEO Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $4,171 | 2025 | ScholarshipsGrants |
| Cottey College | Nevada, MO | $36,714 | 2024 | Gen SuppScholarships |
| PEO Prog for Continuing Ed | Des Moines, IA | $34,664 | 2024 | Educational Grants |
| PEO Educational Loan Fund | Des Moines, IA | $22,690 | 2024 | Educational Loans |
| PEO STAR Scholarship | Des Moines, IA | $21,817 | 2024 | Scholarships |
| PEO Intl Peace Scholarship | Des Moines, IA | $18,486 | 2024 | Scholarships |
| PEO Scholar Awards | Des Moines, IA | $17,795 | 2024 | Educational Awards |
| PEO Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $3,191 | 2024 | ScholarshipsGrants |
| Cottey College | Nevada, MO | $39,179 | 2023 | Gen SuppScholarships |
| PEO Prog for Continuing Ed | Des Moines, IA | $36,849 | 2023 | Educational Grants |
| PEO Educational Loan Fund | Des Moines, IA | $23,908 | 2023 | Educational Loans |
| PEO STAR Scholarship | Des Moines, IA | $19,905 | 2023 | Scholarships |
| PEO Intl Peace Scholarship | Des Moines, IA | $18,165 | 2023 | Scholarships |
| PEO Scholar Awards | Des Moines, IA | $17,785 | 2023 | Educational Awards |
| PEO Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $1,810 | 2023 | ScholarshipsGrants |
Cottey College
$44,406Gen SuppScholarships
PEO Prog for Continuing Ed
$36,085Educational Grants
PEO STAR Scholarship
$22,773Scholarships
PEO Scholar Awards
$18,958Educational Awards
PEO Intl Peace Scholarship
$18,751Scholarships
PEO Educational Loan Fund
$14,017Educational Loans
PEO Foundation
ScholarshipsGrants
Cottey College
$36,714Gen SuppScholarships
PEO Prog for Continuing Ed
$34,664Educational Grants
PEO Educational Loan Fund
$22,690Educational Loans
PEO STAR Scholarship
$21,817Scholarships
PEO Intl Peace Scholarship
$18,486Scholarships
PEO Scholar Awards
$17,795Educational Awards
PEO Foundation
$3,191ScholarshipsGrants
Cottey College
$39,179Gen SuppScholarships
PEO Prog for Continuing Ed
$36,849Educational Grants
PEO Educational Loan Fund
$23,908Educational Loans
PEO STAR Scholarship
$19,905Scholarships
PEO Intl Peace Scholarship
$18,165Scholarships
PEO Scholar Awards
$17,785Educational Awards
PEO Foundation
$1,810ScholarshipsGrants