Ideas For Finding Income To Help Pay Speaker Fees

  • Check with treasurer or finance director to see if another area of the budget has an
    allowance for speakers that could be shared.
  • See if any community organization might co-sponsor the event.
  • Charge an amount per person attending, guaranteeing a minimum to the speaker, with an agreed ceiling amount as well.
  • Publish the group’s need months in advance and see if people in the group or organization will offer to pay part
    of the speaker’s fee.
  • Look for a budget line item for travel or conferences that can be used in-house instead.
  • Incorporate a percentage of the fee into the banquet, luncheon, workshop or retreat fee.
  • Encourage members to make an additional donation on the reservation or sign-up form with a note that it will go toward helping to pay the speaker’s fee.
  • Ask members at various meetings throughout the year to make special contributions to subsidize speaker costs.
  • Hold fund raisers as a promotion for the event.
  • Collect donations during the year at other events to help cover the speaker fees at bigger events.
  • Seek donations from business owners in the organization.