How much time should we give to the keynote speaker at our fundraising banquet?

Super common question. Pretty easy to answer.

If you are flying in a professional, you should give them the amount of time that they tell you they should do. Seriously! haha. Most likely, you haven't keynoted an event before and they have keynoted dozens if not hundreds. He or she has developed an incredibly program that has been refined each time they were able to present it. There are no wasted words in their keynote address. Each story has been painstakingly analyzed, in real time, to see how it supports the overall message. Their opener, closer, and everything in between has been carved into granite by years, or decades, of real life experience. To quote my teens, "let the baker bake." :)

I'm also a comedian, so I always suggest an hour. First, I point out some great things that have already been shared at the event. Then I move into a carefully crafted comedy portion that actually sets up my main story for the evening that, in turn, moves flawlessly into the financial ask. Sure, I can cut it down. But then I wouldn't be giving you my best. After all, most, if not all of us, got into this to help you raise support!