Thank you for your interest in becoming a speaker for Young America’s Foundation. The Conservative Movement needs more leaders who are willing to engage America’s youth.
The Foundation specializes in sending prominent leaders to college and high school campuses. Students want to hear from policymakers, celebrities, and newsmakers—not obscure professors. The large audiences these speakers draw show college communities that students are eager to hear conservative ideas and bring energy to our cause.
At times, the Foundation will consider adding those who are still building a following to our speaker list. However, even excellent speakers are not guaranteed to draw a student audience.
Who Makes a Strong Speaker for YAF?
Students prioritize speakers who:
- Have name recognition or a growing following
- Offer a clear, compelling topic that interests students
- Are confident, unapologetic advocates for conservative ideas
- Present ideas that are relevant and easy to promote on campus
Broad topics like “leadership” or “current events” are less successful than focused, distinctive presentations. Speakers with a defined niche are more likely to be invited.
Why Should Students Pay You to Speak?
Speakers should thoughtfully consider their requested honorarium considering their experience, reach, and demand. You should assess what qualities about you and your speech that helps you stand apart from the other known conservatives on our list.
A few prospective speakers suggest that they don’t need an honorarium and are happy to speak for free. We applaud those who take this approach. However, we have found that student clubs that get a free speaker rarely do the work necessary to make an event a success. There are exceptions of course, but we usually ask every student club we work with to raise at least a modest honorarium so they have some funding invested in the program.
Furthermore, the free approach may sound like a no-risk, low-cost opportunity, the reality is that to turn out an audience with a number of competing events on campus still requires hours of work to secure even a minimal turnout. In our experience, these events do not reach a large enough audience to make the club appear exciting and relevant.
How to Apply
If you have held a high-level public policy role or have a proven track record of drawing large audiences, we encourage you to apply.
Due to the volume of inquiries, we cannot respond to all submissions. We will reach out if we believe you are a strong fit for our program.
If you believe you are a good fit, you can apply here.
