Advancement Associate (Membership)/IS-0301-09

Application Deadline: 2 January 2026

Department: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Location: Washington, DC

Compensation: $69,923 - $90,898 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: December 12, 2025
CLOSING DATE: January 2, 2026
POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite
SCHEDULE: Full Time
DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk: Non-Sensitive/Low Risk
Open to the Public

What are Trust Fund Positions?
Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program and may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated as low risk.
• Complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
• Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
  
  
  
  

OVERVIEW

The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is a diverse museum and research complex dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge. The Advancement Program was established to engage individuals, foundations, corporations and other organizations in furthering SI's mission through philanthropic support. The Office of Advancement oversees and guides the fundraising efforts of the entire Smithsonian and is home to the central advancement organization for the Institution.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Advancement Associate (Membership) has responsibility for assisting the Membership Department with updating constituent information in various systems, reviewing transactions, providing customer service to NMAAHC Members, and reviewing, writing, and editing fundraising communications.

In this position you will:

• Develop and maintain databases as a tool for delivering data to internal customers and for investigating and identifying business opportunities.
• Research, collect, and organize data from various data warehouses (i.e. CRM, Excel files, vendor extracts, departmental data, etc.) for effective communication and reporting.
• Update records in the membership database concerning member information and correspondence. Assist with database programming to ensure correct donation processing.
• Use Salesforce for generating reports on online transactions and for list management.
• Work as NMAAHC Membership liaison with members and other external constituents. Responsible for responding to and resolving inquiries that come from members through phone (calls to the office and our call center), mail, and email.
• Create correspondence for current, former and prospective NMAAHC members.
• Write and edit materials in response to inquiries using appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation and style.
• Assist in the development and will implement strategies for the acquisition, engagement and retention of existing members.
• Provide on site development and coordination of programs that are included among member benefits.
  
  

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Experience required for this position is as follows:

• Demonstrated knowledge of fundraising principles and techniques.
• Demonstrated skill in written communication.
• Ability to track and manage multiple projects, priorities and deadlines.
• Skill in the use of fundraising databases (i.e., Salesforce software).
• Bachelor’s Degree is desirable.

Applicants who wish to qualify based on education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in your application being rejected and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Application Instructions
Interested candidates should submit their resumes and a cover letter by January 2, 2026. Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week. Relocation expenses are not paid.

What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact thomasdo@si.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To review the Smithsonian’s EEO program information, please click the following: https://www.si.edu/oeo.