FAQ – Humanities Iowa

Speakers FAQ

PLEASE NOTE:

The Speakers Bureau program will no longer accept applications from membership organizations.
Eligible organizations must be oriented to the general public and cannot require a membership fee.

How do I apply for a Speakers Bureau event?

Once you have confirmed a date with a speaker, you may apply for a Speakers event online at humanitiesiowa.submittable.com. There is a $50 application fee, payable online or by check mailed to:

Humanities Iowa

PO Box 881

Ames, IA 50010

How many programs can I host?

Eligible organizations (see next question for eligibility guidelines) may host three (3) Speakers Bureau programs per fiscal cycle. The fiscal cycle for Speakers Bureau runs from September 1 through August 31.

Due to funding limitations, Humanities Iowa is only able to fund a certain number of Speakers Bureau programs each year. Once that cap is reached, there will be an announcement on social media and the Speakers Bureau page of the website that applications are closed for the remainder of the fiscal cycle. The Speakers Bureau application will reopen at the start of the next fiscal cycle on September 1.

Who is eligible to apply?

Humanities Iowa (HI) Speakers presenters are available to talk with:

library groups
professional associations
arts councils
churches
PTAs
local historical societies or museums
employee associations or any other non-profit adult community group
colleges, community colleges, universities, and public schools can apply if programs are geared toward and open to the general public

Who are your speakers?

We have over four dozen speakers with a wide range of presentation styles and topics. To see a full list of our current speakers, click here.

How do I become a speaker?

Want to share your time and expertise with Iowans across the state? Humanities Iowa is always looking to add new presenters to the Speakers Bureau. Please reach out to our Communications and Grants Director at grace-altenhofen@uiowa.edu to learn more.

How much does it cost to host a program?

A fee of $50 must accompany the request for a HI speaker. HI will then fully fund the speaker’s honorarium. If the speaker must stay overnight, the sponsoring organization must negotiate that expense with the speaker.

How do we pay?

You can mail a check or pay online . Online payments are through Network for Good, which is also used for donations. Checks can be mailed to our PO Box at:

Humanities Iowa

PO Box 881

Ames, IA 50010

What do we have to do?

The local program coordinator will be asked to complete a one-page evaluation of the presentation, coordinate all arrangements with the speaker, and publicize the event locally. A suggested flyer template is available upon request. That is it!

Restrictions

For-profit organizations are not eligible to apply for Speakers presentations
Colleges, community colleges, universities and public schools can apply for the purpose of hosting a speaker for a public program that is geared toward the general public. The Speakers Bureau is not intended to supplement the teaching mission of educational institutions
Programs may not be held for fundraising purposes
They must be free and open to the public. (Programs held in conjunction with a dinner or luncheon may ask attendees to pay the cost for the meal only, and must advertise the presentation as free and open to the public)
Each organization may host up to three (3) presentations per fiscal cycle
A minimum of 25 participants per program is expected; however, we are aware that there will be exceptions for some small, rural communities

I have more questions.

The staff at HI will be happy to assist. For questions, please reach out to our Communications and Grants Director at: grace-altenhofen@uiowa.edu.