Commonwealth Speakers: Program Responsibilities and Restrictions


Former Poet Laureate of the U.S. Daniel Hoffman presents a talk on Edgar Allan Poe.
Host sites are required to:
  • Make every effort to recruit an audience of at least 25 people for the speaker.

  • Generate widespread publicity that welcomes the public to attend the program, credits the PHC and additional funders, and advertises the program as free and open to the public. Once the program has been arranged, the PHC will provide a publicity packet to assist you in generating wide-reaching publicity. This packet will contain the correct language to use in order to acknowledge the PHC and additional funding support on your publicity materials.

  • Contact the speaker several weeks before the scheduled presentation to provide travel directions and discuss other details. Hotel reservations, as needed, should be reserved for the speaker at this time.

  • Arrange transportation to and from the program for any speaker arriving at an airport or train station located within 20 miles of your site.

  • Provide the necessary equipment required by the speaker, such as a slide projector, TV, or display table. Please have all electronic equipment set up and tested before the speaker arrives.

  • Evaluate the program. The PHC will provide evaluation forms for both the program coordinator and audience members. Please have these forms completed and returned to the PHC within one week after the program. Copies of the publicity materials generated for this program (flyers, newspaper articles, etc.) should also be sent to the PHC at this time.

  • Notify the PHC, as soon as possible, of any changes in the scheduled program, such as a date change or cancellation.

APPLICATION APPROVAL
Applicants may not contact a speaker to arrange a program without first having their application approved by the PHC.

What are the program restrictions?

  • Speakers cannot be requested for:
    • Award ceremonies
    • Business meetings
    • Church services
    • Classroom instruction
    • Fund raising events
    • Any event limited only to membership


  • Membership-driven groups, such as AAUW, clubs, and ad-hoc groups, must co-sponsor their program with a local non-profit organization, such as a library, and plan to promote the program as a community event. Such groups are restricted from requesting a Commonwealth Speaker who is a member of that group. All club business must take place after the speaker's program.

  • Colleges and universities are restricted from applying for speakers unless the program is planned for an off-campus event or is part of a larger community program taking place on campus in order to attract a larger and more diverse audience. Colleges and universities are required to pay a cash cost-share of $250 unless the college recruits a non-profit community organization to co-sponsor the event. Any college or university planning such co-sponsorship must include with its application a letter of intent from the co-sponsoring organization verifying its role in audience recruitment.

  • Colleges and universities cannot request a speaker who is employed by the same institution, including branch campuses.

  • Organizations that charge admission or lecture fees must waive such fees unless pre-authorized by the PHC.

  • Presentations are restricted from taking place in a setting that is not accessible to the public.

  • Organizations are restricted from giving any sort of payment or cash gift to Commonwealth Speakers. Organizations are instead encouraged to make a donation to the program by becoming a "Friend of the PHC" and sending their donation directly to the PHC.

Non-compliance with these restrictions may adversely affect future applications for Commonwealth Speakers.

Also See...