Road Scholars Speakers Bureau

Eligibility and Requirements

Meeting all of these requirements does not necessarily guarantee that an application will be approved. Violations of them may result in the denial of future applications.

• Private clubs may not apply. In addition, presentations may not be held in a private home. All Road Scholars Speakers Bureau events must be FREE and open to the public.
• No event may have audience restrictions. Suggested audiences, such as a "recommendation for children" for programs aimed at a younger audience, are acceptable, but hard requirements or bans are not allowed.
• Priority is given to organizations with an annual program budget of $50,000 or less.
• Organizations may submit applications for presentations for the 2026 calendar year through October 31, 2026. We will begin accepting applications for 2026 starting January 8, 2026.
• Organizations are permitted to host a maximum of two presentations per Illinois Humanities calendar year (event date from January 1 through December 31). The date counted is the event date, not the date on which you submit your application. For public entities, such as libraries or park districts, a related foundation or organization—e.g. "Friends of the Library"—is not, for these purposes, considered a separate organization and therefore will not be allowed to book additional presentations under a related foundation or 'Friends of' name.
• Organizations must make a demonstrable effort to promote the event to communities beyond members/patrons.
• Illinois Humanities strongly encourages all grantees to take action to ensure that people with disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act have access to benefits and services resulting from the grant-funded project.

If you have questions or would like assistance at any point in the process, please contact us at speakers@ilhumanities.org.

1. Pick a speaker and presentation from the above roster
2. Contact the speaker directly to arrange a date, time, and location
3. Complete the online application to book the speaker*
4. Wait for your award notification via the email address you supplied in your application
5. Have your audience complete the survey form received in your award packet
6. Complete the final report no later than 30 days following your event using the online application portal

*Please complete the online application at least six weeks before the scheduled date of your event

If you have questions or would like assistance at any point in the process, please contact us at speakers@ilhumanities.org.

Every speaker on our roster is allotted a maximum number of program slots to fill over the course of a given fiscal year. Throughout the year, the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau web page will reflect which speakers are still available and which have filled the maximum number of slots. 

If, however, you see that a speaker is booked up, but you are still interested in booking a program with her or him, you can arrange a program directly with the speaker, independent of any Illinois Humanities involvement at a rate agreed upon between you and the speaker.

If you have questions or would like assistance at any point in the process, please contact us at speakers@ilhumanities.org.

We will not approve a request if your organization has already booked two programs in the same fiscal year. If your organization will not make the program open to the public, or if you plan to charge an admission fee, we are unlikely to approve the program. If the speaker for whom you have applied has booked her or his maximum number of programs for the fiscal year already, we may not approve your request. If we do not approve a program, you are welcome to arrange a program with the speaker independent of Illinois Humanities and negotiate compensation with her or him.

If you have questions or would like assistance at any point in the process, please contact us at speakers@ilhumanities.org.

Please allow up to six weeks to process your application request.

If you have questions or would like assistance at any point in the process, please contact us at speakers@ilhumanities.org.

Illinois Humanities will provide you with suggestions for publicizing your program, as well as a press release template, which you can use as the basis of a press release to be given to local newspapers, radio stations, and other media outlets. You are also encouraged to promote your program through social media postings, e-mail announcements, and newsletters. In some cases, the presenter might be willing and able to publicize the program through her or his website or other channels and might be available to do interviews with local media; feel free to ask her or him about such possibilities.

If you have questions or would like assistance at any point in the process, please contact us at speakers@ilhumanities.org.

After the program, the speaker will be paid directly by Illinois Humanities. Speakers are paid an honorarium, as well as provided reimbursement for travel expenses. There is no cost to the host organization.

If you have questions or would like assistance at any point in the process, please contact us at speakers@ilhumanities.org.

Sometimes winter weather or unanticipated developments can make travel for our speakers difficult. If for some reason you must cancel a program, please contact Nicole Rodriguez via phone at (312) 374-1558 or email speakers@ilhumanities.org immediately. 

You will be able to reschedule the program for an alternate date.

If you have questions or would like assistance at any point in the process, please contact us at speakers@ilhumanities.org.