Present a Seminar at Mercy Corps Northwest

Join our prestigious team of volunteer seminar presenters and help small business owners succeed. We are always seeking speakers that have a relevant business expertise and skill in public speaking or adult education.

Our audience is comprised of a diverse group of small business owners (majority of which are 1-5 employees). Generally speaking, our audience earns less than the median family income (MFI) and may not have received formal business education. Many arrive with experience running their own small business.

This is a great way to provide a valuable service to the community and network with small business owners, but shouldn’t be seen primarily as an avenue for self-promotion.

To get started, please fill out the following form.

Next Steps

What we will need from you

1. Please allow 2 weeks for us to review your application. If approved, we will ask that you complete a brief seminar proposal form. See what the Seminar Proposal will include at the bottom of this page.
2. Once your seminar topic is approved, we will work to secure a date 2-3 months in advance.
3. Once we secure a date and time, we will request marketing information including seminar description, presenter bio, and professional profile photo. (Due 30 days before seminar)
4. (optional) Submit a blog post to be featured on our blog and in our e-newsletter 2 weeks before seminar. Share the event information with your network.
5. Submit any accompanying materials to be used with presentation 1 week before seminar (handouts, worksheets, powerpoint slideshow)

What you will receive from us

1. Once we have all necessary marketing materials, we will market the seminar to the community.
2. We will have your class materials ready (Handouts printed and slideshow loaded onto our laptop).
3. We will register guests and introduce you.
4. We will summarize evaluations and provide feedback about your presentation.
5. If we invite you back, we will help you to develop future presentations

The Seminar Proposal will include…

a. Name of topic
b. Brief description of contents of topic (top 5 bullet points)
c. What media will you use as a presenter?  (power point slides, handouts, lecture, etc)
d. What materials will you give the participants?
e. How will you plan to interact with your audience?  (exercises, etc)
f. At the end of your seminar, what will your students have learned?