Your banquet is often the one night of the year when supporters hear your center’s story all at once. The speaker you choose shapes how guests feel about your mission when they pick up a pledge card. Here is what to look for when you choose a pro-life speaker for a fundraiser.
1. Start with the goal of the evening
Before you look at names, write down what the banquet needs to do: raise a specific amount, introduce a new program, thank long-time donors, or bring in churches that don’t know you yet. A good banquet speaker asks about those goals and builds them into the message. As Terry Winship, then executive director of Care Net Pregnancy Clinic in Casper, Wyoming, wrote about Sydna: “She truly wants to know what your goals are and she weaves them into her keynote speaker presentation.”
2. Look for a message that points to your center
A keynote can be moving and still leave guests thinking about the speaker instead of your ministry. Ask how the speaker connects their story to the local work. Keri Muir of Choices Pregnancy Center noted that Sydna “wove in the ministry of our own pregnancy center to keep that front and foremost to our guests,” which her board felt was a very positive quality.
3. Decide who will make the fundraising ask
Some speakers inspire and then hand the room back to your director for the appeal. Others make the ask themselves. Know which you want before you book. Sydna makes the fundraising ask herself, woven into her message, so the appeal flows from the story rather than feeling like a separate segment.
4. Think about everyone in the room
Banquet audiences include men and women, long-time donors and first-time guests, and sometimes people carrying a past abortion they have never talked about. Choose a speaker who can speak honestly about abortion without shaming anyone, and who can point hurting guests to help. Hosts have written that men in the audience relate to Sydna’s story, and she points anyone hurting after an abortion to abortion recovery help from Ramah International.
5. Watch a full talk, not just a clip
A two-minute highlight shows a speaker at their best moment. A full recording shows pacing, how they handle the appeal, and how the talk ends. Sydna’s speaking samples include six complete banquet recordings from pregnancy centers.
6. Read letters from other directors
Other pregnancy center leaders can tell you what happened after the banquet: how guests responded and whether the speaker was easy to work with. Read Sydna’s speaking references and see the centers that have hosted her.
7. Check that the length and logistics fit your program
Banquet programs are tight. Ask how long the talk runs and whether it can be shortened. Sydna’s talk runs 30 to 50 minutes and can be adjusted to your event, and she has no special stage requirements.
8. Ask what happens after the program
Some speakers leave right after the closing prayer. Others stay to meet donors. Sydna is happy to stay to sign books and talk with guests, and her books are available to the hosting group at a discount to resell at the event at retail price.
Next steps
For fees, travel and timing, read the event planner FAQ. When you have a date in mind, send an event inquiry.