Call for Speakers

Each slate of speakers lasts for one program cycle which is equivalent to two program years. A program year runs from November 1 to October 31. At the end of each program cycle, you must reapply to be considered for the next slate.

Host organizations are required to contact you directly to arrange presentations. Your contact information will be listed on your speaker webpage. You are encouraged to market your presentations to possible host organizations.

As part of the Missouri Speakers Bureau, you are invited to record a three-minute shot about your talk to use for promotional purposes. Toolkits with prepared marketing graphics and draft press release text will also be provided for speakers and hosts to use. A time to record your promotional video will be arranged with Missouri Humanities.

You can provide up to four underwritten presentations to underserved communities at no cost to the hosting institution. Your speaking fee and travel for these underwritten programs will be paid by Missouri Humanities in the amount of $300 per talk. For the presentation to be covered by program underwriting, the host organization must be nonprofit and located outside Boone, Greene, Jackson, and St. Louis counties and outside the city of St. Louis.

For presentations that qualify for program underwriting, there is no cost to the host organization. You are free–and encouraged–to schedule additional presentations with nonprofit and for-profits hosts. You will negotiate your fee and payment directly with those organizations.

At the beginning of each program year, you will be issued a stipend of $600 in good faith. At the completion of the program year, you are required to submit a reporting form to Missouri Humanities which documents your underwritten programs. Failure to submit your end-of-year reporting will result in being disqualified for the second program year and/or the next program cycle.

Once your year-end report is received and processed, you will be paid the remaining balance depending on the number of underwritten programs you completed. Each underwritten program is paid $300. Completing four underwritten programs will pay $1200 total ($600 at the year's start and $600 at the year's end), completing three underwritten programs will pay $900 total ($600 at the year's start and $300 at the year's end), and so on.

Speakers are permitted to provide virtual presentations. However, for the presentation to be covered by program underwriting, it must be hosted in person by a nonprofit in an underserved rural community. Underserved rural communities are defined as those outside Boone, Greene, Jackson, and St. Louis counties and outside the city of St. Louis.

Each speaker may submit up to two prepared topics each program cycle. You must submit at least one prepared topic to be considered for the Missouri Speakers Bureau. Presentations of custom topics can qualify as an underwritten program provided all other criteria are met. Details for custom topics must be determined in consultation with the program host. Marketing toolkits will only be available for prepared topics submitted during application.

Yes. You should consult with the host organization to meet their program needs. Marketing toolkits will not be available for custom topics.

Both nonprofit and for-profit organizations can book speakers from the Missouri Speakers Bureau. For the presentation to be covered by program underwriting, the host organization must be nonprofit and located outside Boone, Greene, Jackson, and St. Louis counties and outside the city of St. Louis.

Missouri Speakers Bureau presentations are available for underwriting at no cost to the hosting institution provided that: the hosting organization is nonprofit and located within an underserved rural community. Underserved rural communities are defined as those outside Boone, Greene, Jackson, and St. Louis counties and outside the city of St. Louis.

Nonprofit and for-profit organizations can book speakers without underwriting. You will negotiate your honorarium and traveling fee amounts with host partners in those instances.

There is no limit on the number of underwritten programs an organization can host, and there is no limit on the number of programs an organization can host when they are paying the speaker directly. For program underwriting to be available, host organizations must be nonprofit and located outside Boone, Greene, Jackson, and St. Louis counties and outside the city of St. Louis.

Your speaker webpage will indicate the number of underwritten programs you have available to potential host partners. You are required to tell the Missouri Speakers Bureau coordinator at Missouri Humanities once you have completed an underwritten program. The information on your speaker webpage will be adjusted to reflect the number of underwritten programs you have remaining.

We encourage speakers to complete four underwritten programs each program year, but additional programs may be completed beyond these. For programs without underwriting, you will negotiate your honorarium and traveling fee amounts directly with host partners. Speakers who complete four underwritten programs remain on the Missouri Speakers Bureau and can continue to use the promotional video and marketing toolkits.

• Host organizations are asked to invite their legislators to the presentations.
• A minimum of 45 minutes should be set aside for the presentation.
• An additional minimum of 15 minutes should be set aside for questions and discussion.
• Speakers and host organizations are encouraged to promote their events with provided toolkits available on the speaker's webpage and by submitting the event to the Missouri Humanities Community Calendar.