Supervisory Gift Officer, IS-1001-13

Smithsonian Institution•Washington, DC

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) serves as a frontline fundraiser responsible for securing philanthropic support from donors and prospects in alignment with the museum’s strategic priorities. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the MGO will play a key role in building and managing a robust portfolio of major donors, deepening relationships, and securing gifts that advance the museum’s mission, programs, and long-term vision. Working in close partnership with the Director, Chief Advancement Officer, and colleagues across programmatic areas will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors capable of making significant gifts to the museum. This role requires both strategic and hands-on engagement—balancing personalized donor relationship management with the broader goals of a major fundraising campaign. A new Major Gifts Officer joins the National Museum of Asian Art at a transformative moment. The museum has launched its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, embarked on a major fundraising campaign and reintroduced itself to the public as a vital platform for cultural leadership, research, and exchange. This is a remarkable opportunity for a passionate and resourceful fundraiser to help shape the next chapter of the museum’s growth—connecting donors to the museum’s mission and expanding its circle of philanthropic supporters.

Requirements

One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience in the private or public sector.
Cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts at the six-figure level and above.
Demonstrated success managing a portfolio of major donors and meeting or exceeding annual fundraising goals.
Developing and executing cultivation, solicitation, closing, and engagement strategies that result in philanthropic support aligned with organizational priorities.
Preparing donor briefings, proposals, and solicitation materials; partnering with senior leaders to support donor engagement and asks.
Identifying and qualifying new prospects through research, discovery, and pipeline development.
Ensuring timely and meaningful stewardship, including acknowledgments, reports, recognition opportunities, and impact communications.
Maintaining accurate, up-to-date donor records, strategies, and contact reports in a CRM/advancement database and producing activity/revenue/pipeline reports.
Demonstrating cultural curiosity and sensitivity, with a genuine interest in the arts, humanities, and global cultures represented in the museum’s collections.
Excellent organizational and time-management skills; able to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and relationships with efficiency and attention to detail.
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.
Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Responsibilities

Build and manage a dynamic portfolio of approximately 100 qualified major and principal gift prospects with the capacity to make 6-7 figure gifts in support of the museum’s priorities.
Develop tailored cultivation, solicitation, closing, and stewardship strategies for each assigned prospect, ensuring thoughtful, strategic engagement that advances relationships and results in significant philanthropic support.
Conduct a high volume of personal outreach, including regular donor visits, phone calls, and correspondence, with a target of at least 65 substantive contacts per year.
Partner closely with the Director, Chief Advancement Officer, and other museum leaders to prepare and execute customized donor strategies, briefings, and solicitations.
Support the museum’s comprehensive fundraising plans by identifying new prospects, contributing to campaign strategies, and securing gifts aligned with campaign priorities.
Work collaboratively with colleagues across the institution to match donors’ interests with institutional needs and to articulate compelling cases for support across a range of initiatives, including exhibitions, conservation, education, digital initiatives, and capital projects.
Contribute to the museum’s overall fundraising strategy by sharing insights from the field, identifying emerging opportunities, and helping to shape donor engagement approaches.
Ensure timely and meaningful stewardship of all donors and prospects in the portfolio, coordinating with Advancement staff to deliver high-quality acknowledgments, reports, and recognition opportunities.
Guarantee accurate and up-to-date records of all donor interactions, strategies, and progress in the museum’s record system.
Collaborate with the stewardship and communications teams to develop materials and events that reinforce donors’ connections to the museum’s mission and impact.
Participate in donor events and engagement opportunities (e.g., receptions, cultivation activities, and program-related gatherings) to strengthen relationships and support stewardship goals.
Serve as a key ambassador for the museum, representing its mission and vision to donors, external partners, and the broader community.
Partner with colleagues across the museum to identify potential funding needs, gather impact stories, and develop compelling donor engagement content.
Develop and implement annual fundraising goals, strategies, and activity plans in consultation with the Chief Advancement Officer.
Track progress toward goals and prepare regular reports on portfolio activity, revenue, and pipeline development.
Maintain confidentiality and the highest ethical standards in all interactions with donors and colleagues.