Speakers Bureau: Host a Speaker
Inspire Your Community
Our roster of experts turn important ideas into community events where people feel excited, inspired, and heard. Any nonprofit, educational, or carceral institution in Washington State can apply to host.
Application Deadlines
See below for the dates for book our new 2026-2027 speakers.
The deadline to host speakers from the 2024-2025 roster using Humanities Washington-subsidized funding has passed. However, host-paid events using speakers from the 2024-2025 roster are still available for booking until December 1st.
Applications for Speakers Bureau funding are accepted and reviewed on a quarterly basis. The deadlines for each quarter are as follows:
| Application deadline | Events in or after |
| November 15 | January – March |
| January 15 | April – June |
| April 15 | July – August |
| July 15 | September – December |
These are the final deadlines to book for the listed periods, but you may apply at any time for events beyond the upcoming quarter. Please note that applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM Pacific Time on the respective deadline date.
Both $200 and $400 travel subsidies will also be available to apply for in your application.
Step 1. Choose a talk.
Select enriching talks from expert speakers to host in your community. View the list of talks here.
Step 2. Review our guidelines.
Read our host requirements for both in-person and virtual events below to learn more about how the program works and your organization’s funding options.
Step 3. Contact our Program Manager.
Tell the program manager the speaker(s) you are interested in hosting, and the payment option your organization will use. You can reach the manager at [email protected].
Step 4. Schedule with the speaker.
Connect with the speaker to find a suitable date and time for the program. The program manager can provide you with speaker’s contact information.
Step 5. Apply.
Applications will be reviewed on a quarterly basis. We recommend submitting the application at least four to six weeks in advance of the event date. Please see the table below for the next application deadline.
Eligibility
Humanities Washington will review all applications received by the quarterly deadline and make funding decisions based on the following criteria:
- Audience and geographic diversity
- Organizational need for funding
- Host’s plan to advertise the event to a wide and diverse audience
Applicants will be notified of funding decisions within 10 business days of the respective application deadline. Thus, if you apply by July 15th, you will be notified by July 26th if you received Humanities Washington funding for your event.
Host-Paid Events
Applications for host-paid events will still be approved on a rolling basis and approved within five business days of application.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at [email protected].
