Oregon Humanities

Applying to host a Conversation Project program

Applications will be accepted until September 30, 2009, for programs scheduled between November 1, 2009, and February 28, 2010.

The Conversation Project is a statewide program promoting thoughtful public conversations about important ideas. The inaugural 2009-10 season will begin November 1, 2009.

Please read this section carefully before applying to host a Conversation Project program.

Who may apply to host a Conversation Project program?

Nonprofit organizations in Oregon are eligible to host Conversation Project programs. The schedule for submitting applications is described below. Applications are considered based on Oregon Humanities’ interest in serving audiences and creating partnerships throughout the state, the number of programs requested for a given month, and opportunities to schedule efficient travel arrangements for scholar-facilitators. Organizations may apply to host two Conversation Project programs between November 1, 2009, and October 31, 2010. Oregon Humanities cannot guarantee that all program requests will be met.

What other conditions must I meet?

Conversation Project programs are designed for adult audiences, and programs must be open to the public. Oregon Humanities does not fund events that are exclusively classroom- or campus-based, part of private or members-only meetings, or for scholar-facilitators at their home institutions. Conversation Project programs may not be used in conjunction with fundraisers or benefits.

What costs are associated with Conversation Project programs?

Oregon Humanities does not charge organizations a fee to host a Conversation Project program. Oregon Humanities funds scholar-facilitators’ honoraria and directly reimburses them for mileage and estimated meal costs. If scholar-facilitators travel more than fifty miles one way, organizations must offer to provide a home stay or one night of commercial lodging at the host’s expense. In cases when two scholar-facilitators are offering a Conversation Project program, it is only expected that hosts provide one night of overnight lodging for one scholar-facilitator. These lodging plans must be discussed with scholar-facilitators and indicated on your application form.

Hosts may charge a modest admission fee (up to $5) in order to recover costs incurred by hosting the event (e.g., lodging and refreshments). Please notify OCH if your facility has an admission fee greater than $5. You may also solicit voluntary contributions to your organization at a Conversation Project program.

How do I apply to host a Conversation Project program?

Review the current Conversation Project catalog and select programs that you would like to host between November 1, 2009, and October 31, 2010. Please consult local events calendars in order to request program dates that do not conflict with other important events in your community.

Contact scholar-facilitators directly to discuss dates and times before you apply to host a program. Oregon Humanities does not maintain the personal or professional calendars of Conversation Project scholar-facilitators, but we may ask you to consider other dates in order to schedule efficient travel plans. You must submit applications for Conversation Project programs according to the following time frames:

Nonprofits can apply:	For programs to take place between:
August 1-September 30, 2009	November 1, 2009-February 28, 2010
December 1, 2009-January 31, 2010	March 1-June 30, 2010
April 1-May 31, 2010	July 1-October 31, 2010

Applications submitted outside of the above time frames will not be considered. Please note that applications also must be submitted at least six weeks before the requested program date. For example, to host a program on November 1, you must apply no later than September 15.

Download an application form below. Incomplete or illegible forms will hinder Oregon Humanities’ ability to review requests in a timely manner. Please ensure that you complete the entire application before submitting it.

How will I know if my application is approved?

Oregon Humanities makes every effort to respond in a timely way. Please allow up to three weeks to hear back from us. When a program request is approved, we will send you a confirmation letter via postal mail and a packet of program information via e-mail. Please review these materials for helpful instructions regarding publicity materials, hosting responsibilities, and evaluations. Please do not publicize a program prior to the receipt of written confirmation from Oregon Humanities.

How long is a typical Conversation Project program?

Programs are designed to last approximately one hour, which includes a presentation by the scholar-facilitator, followed by a facilitated conversation with program participants. A Conversation Project program must precede any other items on a public meeting agenda.

What kind of equipment will a scholar-facilitator need?

Program descriptions include lists of equipment that scholar-facilitators will need for their programs. It is the nonprofit host’s responsibility to provide all required equipment. Please review equipment lists with scholar-facilitators when requesting programs and discuss any special challenges at your facility, such as whether you have the capacity to darken a room for slides. Scholar-facilitators who use slides or PowerPoint projectors in their programs will require access to a grounded electrical outlet with two plugs and a small table for a laptop and projector.

What if an approved program must be rescheduled or canceled?

Prompt communication is essential if a program must be canceled because of a scholar-facilitator’s illness, inclement weather, or unforeseeable circumstances. Please obtain approval from Oregon Humanities prior to rescheduling or canceling a program; we will make every effort to accommodate these changes.

What are my responsibilities after the program?

You must complete and return the host’s program evaluation form, participant evaluation forms, and copies of publicity materials within two weeks of the program date. Failure to return these documents in a timely manner may affect future applications from your organization. An individual from the host organization who attended the program must complete the host’s program evaluation form.

May my organization schedule Conversation Project programs outside of Oregon Humanities’ sponsorship?

If you would like to host a Conversation Project program when Oregon Humanities sponsorship is not possible (e.g., for a classroom or as part of a fundraising event), contact Oregon Humanities to discuss your plans prior to contacting the scholar-facilitator. Your organization should expect to offer the scholar-facilitator an honorarium, mileage reimbursement, meal per diem, and—depending on the distance—overnight lodging. Once you have made arrangements to host a program independently, notify Oregon Humanities of the event’s date, time, and location so that we can supply the scholar-facilitator’s publicity materials to aid in your preparation. You must acknowledge that the presentation is part of Oregon Humanities’s Conversation Project in public relations materials and at the event.

When can I propose a program for the next catalog?

Conversation Project scholar-facilitators are listed in our catalog of programs for two years. Our next request for Conversation Project proposals from interested scholar-facilitators will be available in early 2011.

Additional questions?

If you have questions, please contact Oregon Humanities program coordinator Annie Dubinsky at (503) 241-0543 or (800) 735-0543, ext. 116, or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Certifications

By signing and submitting a Conversation Project application, the authorizing official of the hosting organization or institution provides the applicable federal certifications regarding compliance with nondiscrimination statutes, debarment, and suspension, as outlined below. If you have any questions regarding these guidelines, please contact Oregon Humanities at (503) 241-0543 or (800) 735-0543.

Certification regarding debarment, suspension, ineligibility, and voluntary exclusion—lower-tier covered transactions, 45 CFR 1169: (a.) The prospective lower-tier participant (organization hosting a Conversation Project program) certifies, by submission an application, that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency. (b.) Where the prospective lower-tier participant is unable to certify the statements in the certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to their application.

Certification regarding nondiscrimination statutes: The applicant (organization hosting a Conversation Project program) certifies that it will comply with the following nondiscrimination statutes and their implementing regulations: (a.) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), which provides that no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which the applicant received federal financial assistance; (b.) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance; (c.) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance; (d.) Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, except that actions which reasonably take age into account as a factor necessary for the normal operation or achievement of any statutory objective of the project or activity shall not violate this statute.

Downloads

• Conversation Project Host Application
• Conversation Project 2009-10 Catalog
• Conversation Project host checklist
• Best practices for publicizing a Conversation Project
• Introducing a Conversation Project scholar
• Conversation Project participant evaluation form
• Conversation Project host evaluation form
• Conversation Project host evaluation form (fillable)
• Oregon Humanities logo (color)
• Oregon Humanities logo (B&W name only)

03 September 2009 | Permalink | Comments? (1 so far)