National Portrait Gallery Announces Mahsa Javid as New Director of Advancement

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery announces Mahsa Javid as its new director of advancement. Effective today (Feb. 26), Javid will lead the Portrait Gallery’s fundraising department, which supports the museum’s mission of telling the multifaceted story of the United States through the individuals who have shaped its history and culture.

As a member of the museum’s executive team, Javid will oversee strategy development and execution for annual fundraising, planned giving, and special events, including the high-profile Portrait of a Nation Gala, which supports the museum’s endowment for exhibitions.

Javid most recently served as the senior director of philanthropic operations for the Trust for the National Mall, where she led advancement services including prospect research, gift administration, donor relations, cultivation and stewardship events for a philanthropy team of ten in support of a $250 million fundraising campaign.

 “We are excited to have Mahsa Javid join the National Portrait Gallery at a turning point in our history,” said Kim Sajet, the museum’s director. “Mahsa brings a wealth of experience in all aspects of fundraising, special events, and strategic planning. Her expertise will propel the museum as we launch our 2030 Strategic Plan, participate in the Smithsonian Our Shared Future Campaign, and look forward to the nation’s Semiquincentennial celebrations and the 10th anniversary of the museum’s Portrait of a Nation Awards. I am delighted to welcome Mahsa to the museum’s wonderful executive team.”

Prior to her time at the Trust for the National Mall, Javid was the director of development for the American Anthropological Association, where she launched the organization’s first planned giving program. She has also served as the executive director for the Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation and as the major gifts officer for The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum. Javid was part of a team that secured a $18.4 million gift from the Cotsen 1985 Trust, which included a major collection and endowment gift.

“I started my arts management journey 14 years ago, with an internship at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. I am grateful and honored to join the Smithsonian Institution, especially the National Portrait Gallery, which has long been one of my favorite museums,” said Javid.

Javid earned her master’s degree in arts management from George Mason University and studied interior design at London Metropolitan University. Javid is a native Persian speaker and is also proficient in French and Spanish.