Honorarium Payments

An honorarium is a payment provided for services that traditionally or legally do not require reimbursement. Payment is limited to guest speakers and individuals offering other non-commercial services that would not be expected to generate an invoice or other formal request for remittance.

To qualify for an honorarium payment, a service must be characterized by all of the following:

• The service is provided on a one-time or highly infrequent basis
• The service provided has no tangible deliverable product, such as a report, an analysis, software code, or a process or assistance with a task (e.g. strategic planning process, meeting planning or facilitation, assistance with an executive search, market research assistance, etc.). Appropriate services are often event-related, such as a performance or speaking engagement
• Remuneration for such services is not the recipient's primary source of income
• Payment is generally considered to be a token of appreciation for a service provided, rather than fulfillment of an obligation (no written or verbal contract, no negotiation of precise terms and payment amounts)

If a service does not meet these criteria, it must be processed as a professional services fee.

Payment of an honorarium of any amount is obtained by submitting an approved Voucher Check Request to Accounts Payable. Such requests must include supporting documentation, such as a flier used to promote the event, an event agenda, an article or announcement about the event, discussion notes, etc.